Histopathological Effects of Black Rock Harbor Dredged Material on Marine Organisms: A Laboratory Investigation.
Abstract
Histopathology studies were conducted on tissues representing the major organ systems of several marine organisms exposed in the laboratory to Black Rock Harbor dredged material. These studies examined the applicability of these procedures for measuring biological effects of dredged material and the variabilty and reproducibility of the methodology. Female reproductive tract changes in the filter feeding bivalve mollusc, Mytilus edulis, included degeneration of ova and loss of nuclei, cytoplasm, and vitelline membrane. Cardiovascular changes in this species were characterized by pedunculated growths from the aurical, ventricle, and pericardial wall. Examination of the deposit feeding bivalve mollusc, Yoldia limatula, revealed no histological changes. The results indicate that histological changes can be used to measure the effects of dredged material and that the methodology, while inherently subjective, is reproducible when done by the same investigator. The potential problem with reproducibility of this technique lies with differences in the subjective nature of interpretation between different investigators. Keywords: Black Rock Harbor; Biological assay; Dredged material; Mollusca; Crustacea; and Annelida.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 01, 1986
- Accession Number
- ADA168126
Entities
People
- Carolyn A. Yevich
- Dianne Black
- K. J. Scott
- Michelle Redmond
- Paul P. Yevich