Difference between revisions of "Pollution and scavengers"

From Coastal Wiki
Jump to: navigation, search
Line 4: Line 4:
  
 
Decomposers typically live on the sea floor and include species like crabs, opossum shrimps, whelks and starfish.<ref> Moore P.G., Howarth J., 1996 Foraging by marine scavengers: Effects of relatedness, bait damage and hunger. Journal of Sea Research, Volume 36, Issues 3-4, P. 267-273 </ref> They feed primary on decaying organic matter, which can often contain high concentrations of [[pollutant|pollutants]]. <ref>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</ref>
 
Decomposers typically live on the sea floor and include species like crabs, opossum shrimps, whelks and starfish.<ref> Moore P.G., Howarth J., 1996 Foraging by marine scavengers: Effects of relatedness, bait damage and hunger. Journal of Sea Research, Volume 36, Issues 3-4, P. 267-273 </ref> They feed primary on decaying organic matter, which can often contain high concentrations of [[pollutant|pollutants]]. <ref>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</ref>
Therefore, decomposers tend to have higher pollutant contents than other [[pollution and zoobenthos|zoobenthos]]. This although they both (unlike [[pollution and marine mammals|marine mammals]] and [[pollution and sea birds|sea birds]]) also acquire a large part of their pollutants through direct contact with the water.  
+
Therefore, decomposers tend to have higher pollutant contents than other [[pollution and zoobenthos|zoobenthos]]. This although they both (unlike [[pollution and marine mammals|marine mammals]] and [[pollution and sea birds|sea birds]]) also acquire a large part of their pollutants through direct contact with the water; while acquiring oxygen from the water pollutants can be [[adsorb|adsorbed]] as well.
  
 
Crabs, especially their larvae, appear to be vulnerable to pesticides <ref>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.</ref> This vulnerability caused the crab fishery of Chesapeake Bay in the 1960s collapse due to a pesticide called keptone.  
 
Crabs, especially their larvae, appear to be vulnerable to pesticides <ref>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.</ref> This vulnerability caused the crab fishery of Chesapeake Bay in the 1960s collapse due to a pesticide called keptone.  

Revision as of 09:09, 23 July 2009

Wolhandcrab © Misjel Decleer

Decomposers typically live on the sea floor and include species like crabs, opossum shrimps, whelks and starfish.[1] They feed primary on decaying organic matter, which can often contain high concentrations of pollutants. [2] Therefore, decomposers tend to have higher pollutant contents than other zoobenthos. This although they both (unlike marine mammals and sea birds) also acquire a large part of their pollutants through direct contact with the water; while acquiring oxygen from the water pollutants can be adsorbed as well.

Crabs, especially their larvae, appear to be vulnerable to pesticides [3] This vulnerability caused 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.[4]

Case study 2: Effects of endocrine disrupting compounds on embryonic development of opossum shrimps.G[5]

Case study 3: Common starfish can act as a bioindicator for heavy metal pollution[6]

References

  1. Moore P.G., Howarth J., 1996 Foraging by marine scavengers: Effects of relatedness, bait damage and hunger. Journal of Sea Research, Volume 36, Issues 3-4, P. 267-273
  2. 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
  3. 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.
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. Temara, A.; Skei, J.M.; Gillan, D.; Warnau, M.; Jangoux, M.; Dubois, Ph. (1998). Validation of the asteroid Asterias rubens (Echinodermata) as a bioindicator of spatial and temporal trends of Pb, Cd, and Zn contamination in the field. Mar. Environ. Res. 45(4-5): 341-356