1. Dissolved/dispersed aromatic hydrocarbons in seawater in the area affected by the Prestige oil spill Lucia Viñas, María Ángeles Franco, Demetrio de Armas, José Antonio Soriano, Juan José González, Roberto Alzaga. Josep María Bayona, Joan Albaigés Lucia Viñas, María Ángeles Franco, Demetrio de Armas, José Antonio Soriano, Juan José González, Roberto Alzaga. Josep María Bayona, Joan Albaigés

4. Sampling locations and oil trajectories. ● Seawater sampling stations. ---- tanker towing route. * shipwreck position. -.-.- oil trajectories.

8. Total Aromatic Hydrocarbons Galicia 1202

9. Total Aromatic Hydrocarbons Galicia 0203

10. Total Aromatic Hydrocarbons Galicia 0903

12. Total Aromatic Hydrocarbons Cantábrico 0303

14. Total Aromatic Hydrocarbons Cantábrico 0903

15. Ranges and mean concentrations (Box-and-Whisker plots) of total aromatic hydrocarbons in surface (S), mid-depth (M) and bottom (B) seawater samples collected along the Galicia coast in December 2002, February and September 2003 and the Cantabrian coast in March and September 2003. Galicia Cantábrico

16. Representative distributions of PAHs in the water accommodated fraction (WAF) N: Naphthalene, N1: Methylnaphthalenes, N2: Dimethylnaphthalenes, N3: Trimethylnaphthalenes, F: Fluorene, F1: Methylfluorene, P: Phenanthrene, A: Anthracene, A1+P1: Methylanthracene+methylphenanthrene, Fl: Fluoranthene, Py: Pyrene D: Dibenzothiophene, D1:Methyldibenzothiophene, BaA: Benz[a]anthracene, C: Chrysene, BFl: Benzofluoranthene, BePy Benzo[e]pyrene, BaPy: Benzo[a]pyrene, Per: Perylene, Bper: Benzo[ghi]perylene, DBA: Dibenzo[ah]anthracene.

17. Representative distributions of PAHs in the water accommodated fraction (WAF) and in seawater samples collected in December 2002 (A) and February 2003 (B). N: Naphthalene, N1: Methylnaphthalenes, N2: Dimethylnaphthalenes, N3: Trimethylnaphthalenes, F: Fluorene, F1: Methylfluorene, P: Phenanthrene, A: Anthracene, A1+P1: Methylanthracene+methylphenanthrene, Fl: Fluoranthene, Py: Pyrene D: Dibenzothiophene, D1:Methyldibenzothiophene, BaA: Benz[a]anthracene, C: Chrysene, BFl: Benzofluoranthene, BePy Benzo[e]pyrene, BaPy: Benzo[a]pyrene, Per: Perylene, Bper: Benzo[ghi]perylene, DBA: Dibenzo[ah]anthracene.

18. SUMMARY  In general, in the different stations transects, the DDPH concentrations follow a distribution pattern with decreasing gradients offshore and down the water column.  The highest levels were founded in the stations of the Costa da Morte and in the Western part of the Cantabrian Sea.  Naphtalene and their derivatives (alkyl-naphtalenes) were predominat in the seawaters affected by the spill and follow a distribution pattern similar to the WAF.  Levels of DDPHs in North and Northwest Spanish waters were lower that those founded after others oil accidents (e.g. Amoco Cadiz, Exxon Valdez and North Cape), even to the Aegean Sea spillage and quite similar to values reported after the Baltic Carrier or Erika oil spills, due to the heavier nature of the product spilled.