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GENETIC INDICATORS IN ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
Citation:
Anderson, S. L., M J. Bagley, R D. Devereux, P. L. Klerks, D E. Nacci, S Sandhu, AND I. Wirgin. GENETIC INDICATORS IN ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION. Presented at The EMAP Symposium 2001, Pensacola, FL, April 24-27, 2001.
Description:
University of California, Davis, Bodega Bay Marine Laboratory; US EPA National Exposure Research Laboratory, Molecular Ecology Research Division, Cincinnati, OH; US EPA National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory (NHEERL), Gulf Ecology Division, Gulf Breeze, FL; University of Louisiana, Lafayette, LA; US EPA NHEERL Atlantic Ecology Division, Narragansett, RI; US EPA NHEERL, RTP, NC; New York University, Nelson Institute of Environmental Medicine, Tuxedo, NY.
Genetic indicators can provide information on long-term, potentially permanent changes produced by anthropogenic stressors on ecosystem health. Genetic indicators include a broad variety of measurement endpoints describing the structure or function of DNA that can be applied to address issues of environmental exposures and ecological effects. Importantly, genetic indicators offer the potential to link diagnostically and predictively environmental stressors, genetic alterations and effects in individuals, populations and communities. For the purposes of this workshop, categories of genetic indicators have been selected that have been applied to assessments of fresh- and salt water systems. Specifically, genetic indicators will be discussed that provide information about genetic alterations in individuals, i.e., genetic damage and genetic responses, in the genetic structure of vertebrate populations, and in the biological structure (species assemblages) of microbial communities. Teams of scientists working in each of these areas have been assembled to provide a review for each category of indicators that includes theoretical background, history of application and state-of-development relative to environmental application. These reviews will be used to develop recommendations about preferred approaches and an assessment of the general and specific utility of genetic indicators for environmental monitoring, assessment and regulatory programs. The goal for this workshop will be to provide a forum to address how the application of genetic indicators can or will soon be able to address certain goals of environmental protection, with special attention given to coastal assessment issues.
Key Words: Genetic indicators, DNA adducts, gene expression, population genetics, microbial communities