Assessing Recovery Trajectories of Coral Reef Ecosystems Following Oil Contamination in Brass, Bayelsa State

Coral reef habitats in coastal Bayelsa State are exposed to recurring oil contamination from pipeline leaks and vessel discharges, yet their recovery capacity following oil exposure has not been empirically assessed. This study examined recovery trajectories of coral and associated benthic communities at three reef sites near Brass that experienced documented oil contamination events of varying severity between 2019 and 2022. Recovery monitoring was conducted using permanent photo-quadrats at each site, with surveys conducted every six months over three years post-contamination. Coral cover, species richness, coral recruits per unit area, and benthic community composition were tracked as recovery indicators. Oil contamination severity was characterised retrospectively from sediment total petroleum hydrocarbon records. Reference site data from a relatively uncontaminated reef system were used as recovery benchmarks. Results showed highly variable recovery rates depending on contamination severity and reef structural integrity pre-disturbance. Sites affected by acute heavy oil contamination showed negligible recovery of live coral cover after three years, while sites experiencing lighter chronic contamination showed partial recovery to 40 percent of reference site cover. Coral recruitment was the strongest predictor of recovery rate, and its suppression at heavily contaminated sites appeared to be the primary barrier to reef recovery. The study demonstrates the long-lasting nature of oil impacts on nearshore reef ecosystems in the Niger Delta and recommends development of coral reef restoration protocols incorporating coral gardening at the most severely impacted Bayelsa reef sites. Keywords: coral reef recovery, oil contamination, Bayelsa, Niger Delta, reef ecology.