Hydrocarbon and Microbial Data from Greek Beaches After 2017 Oil Spill

Surface sediment data from oil-contaminated and uncontaminated sites along the Athens Riviera and Salamina coastline, Greece. Measurements include hydrocarbon concentrations (alkanes and PAHs), absolute microbial abundance of Bacteria, Archaea, and Fungi, and 16S rRNA amplicon libraries. Data were collected between September 2017 and April 2018 by a consortium including the University of Essex.

Use Cases

• Correlate hydrocarbon concentrations (alkanes and PAHs) with absolute microbial abundance of Bacteria, Archaea, and Fungi to assess bioremediation potential.
• Analyze 16S rRNA amplicon libraries from sediments to characterize shifts in microbial community structure between contaminated and uncontaminated sites.
• Model the relationship between seawater nutrient concentrations (ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, silicate, phosphate) and sediment microbial metrics for coastal pollution studies.

Strengths

• Includes paired measurements from both oil-contaminated and uncontaminated control sites for comparative analysis.
• Integrates multiple data types: chemical (hydrocarbons, nutrients), molecular (qPCR), and genetic (16S rRNA libraries).
• Data collection spans a 7-month period from September 2017 to April 2018, capturing seasonal variation.

Limitations

• Sample size is undefined; the number of distinct sampling sites, rows, or replicates is unknown.
• Geographic scope is limited to two specific coastal areas in Greece (Athens Riviera and Salamina), limiting generalizability.
• Data is from a single event (Agia Zoni II spill) and time period, not a long-term monitoring series.

Provenance

Source

Environmental Information Data Centre, via UK Data Service.

Collection Method

Field collection of surface sediments (0-5 cm) and seawater samples, with subsequent laboratory analysis for hydrocarbons, nutrients, qPCR, and 16S rRNA sequencing.

Time Range

September 2017 to April 2018.

Freshness

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Geography

Coastal sites along the Athens Riviera and Salamina coastline, Greece.