Possible uses of the developmental embryology of the sea urchin Parechinus angulosus for pollution monitoring in the nearshore marine environment

The possibility of using the embryological life stages of the common sea urchin Parechinus angulosus for pollution bioassay in the nearshore marine environment. was investigated. Discreet stages of development from freshly spawned gametes. through fertilization. pre-hatch development and post-hatch development to 70 - 80 h pluteus larvae were utilized to determine the effect of a variety of pollutants on subsequent development. Different stages in the developmental ontogeny of the species reflect variable sensitivity to different pollutants. Sensitivity was also shown to be radically modified by variation of temperature, salinity, pollutant type, concentration and exposure period. Generally gametes exposed to stressed conditions prior to fertilization reflected high sensitivity. shown by deviations from the norm in subsequent development. Post-fertilization/pre-hatch development was relatively tolerant of pollutant stress, while post-hatch development showed the greatest sensitivity to abnormal condition. In view of the fact that different stages of development show variable sensitivity to pollutant type, a scheme for routine pollution bioassay is suggested, incorporating all the stages of embryological development.

Grantor

Department of Biological Sciences

Year dc:date.issued

1980

Author dc:creator

• Greenwood, Peter John

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Brown, Alec C

• Zoology

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11427/36938

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/36938