The use of Pacific herring gametes and embryos for assessing natural and anthropogenic stressors
- Univ. California Davis Bodega Marine Lab., Bodega Bay, CA (United States)
- Univ. of Hawaii Medical School, Honolulu, HI (United States)
For marine and estuarine waters in Northern California through the Pacific Northwest, an ecologically important endemic teleost system has been lacking for use in toxicological studies of embryo development. Since Pacific herring (Clupea pallasi) spawn in estuaries during periods of freshwater input in shallow protected waters, their gametes/embryos are potentially impacted by altered salinities and pollutants. Their results demonstrate that advantages of the Pacific herring system include: (1) gametes are easily collected from mature adults, and are viable when stored up to 1 week; (2) embryos and larvae can be cultured through hatching ({approximately}10 days) in the laboratory (static or flow-through), and when outplanted in the field; and (3), distinct endpoints can be assessed, including initiation of sperm motility, fertilization, development, hatching success, and larval morphology. The authors have investigated 3 stressors which can impact early life stages of herring: salinity, creosote, and bleached kraft mill effluent (BKME). Results demonstrate that sperm motility initiation, fertilization, and development are perturbed by altered salinities, and that effects are dose-dependent with respect to both salinity and sodium. Monitoring of natural spawns on creosote pilings indicated perturbation of development; this is similar to what was observed in laboratory exposures. Finally, a major toxic constituent of BKME specifically impacts sperm and inhibits fertilization.
- OSTI ID:
- 244861
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9511137-; ISBN 1-880611-03-1; TRN: IM9627%%183
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 2. Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) world conference, Vancouver (Canada), 5-9 Nov 1995; Other Information: PBD: 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of Second SETAC world congress (16. annual meeting): Abstract book. Global environmental protection: Science, politics, and common sense; PB: 378 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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