Pollution and scavengers

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Homarus gammarus © Vincent Zintzen

Decomposers feed on decaying organic matter, which can ofter contain high concentrations of pollutants. [1] This causes decomposers, like crabs, to have a higher pollutant contents than other zoobenthos.

Crabs, especially larvae, appear to be vulnerable to pesticides [2] So did the crab fishery of Chesapeake Bay in the 1960s collapse due to a pesticide called keptone.

Below you can find some links to Belgian case studies on ecotoxicology in marine scavengers.

Case studies

Case study 1: Flame retardants organotin compounds and surfactants in opossum shrimps of the Scheldt estuary.[3]

Case study 2: Effects of endocrine disrupting compounds on embryonic development of opossum shrimps.G[4]

References

  1. Voorspoels, S.; Covaci, A.; Maervoet, J.; De Meester, I.; Schepens, P. (2004). Levels and profiles of PCBs and OCPs in marine benthic species from the Belgian North Sea and the Western Scheldt Estuary. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 49(5-6): 393-404
  2. Levinton, J.S. (2001). Marine biology: function, biodiversity, ecology. 2nd Edition. Oxford University Press: New York, NY (USA). ISBN 0-19-514172-5. xi, 515, col. pl. pp.
  3. Verslycke, T.; Vethaak, A.D.; Arijs, K.; Janssen, C.R. (2004). Flame retardants, surfactants and organotins in sediment and mysid shrimp of the Scheldt estuary (The Netherlands). Environ. Poll. 136(1): 19-31
  4. hekiere, A.; Fockedey, N.; Verslycke, T.; Vincx, M.; Janssen, C.R. (2007). Marsupial development in the mysid Neomysis integer (Crustacea: Mysidacea) to evaluate the effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Ecotoxicol. Environ. Saf. 66(1): 9-15