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SEDIMENT ASSESSMENT WITH THE BIVALVE MULINIA LATERALIS: MAXIMIZING TEST ORGANISM PROTECTION
Citation:
Cripe, G M. AND P. Crocker. SEDIMENT ASSESSMENT WITH THE BIVALVE MULINIA LATERALIS: MAXIMIZING TEST ORGANISM PROTECTION. Presented at SETAC 24th Annual Meeting, Austin, TX, Nov 8-13, 2003.
Description:
Estuarine and marine sediments are a major repository for many of the more persistent chemicals introduced into surface waters. Approaches used by USEPA to identify a national inventory of contaminated sediment sites include, among other tools, whole-sediment toxicity (presently amphipod exposures) and sediment spiking tests. To provide high quality assessments, additional species are needed. Mulinia lateralis, a small estuarine bivalve has previously been used on occasion. Even though adult Mulinia (15mm) spawn, on average, 3 million eggs, the availability of test organisms of appropriate size is limited. In experiments to identify optimum culturing conditions, effects on survival through metamorphosis were measured for a variety of diets and light intensities. Survival of larvae ranged from 8.3 percent at light intensity of 52.2 ?mol s-1m-1 found in standard laboratory incubators) when fed only Isochrysis galbana to 75 percent in 8.81 ?mol s-1m-1 light and fed equal portions of I. galbana and Chaetoceros calcitrans. Growth to testing size 1.0-1.4mm, occurred in 2 weeks with pulse feeding of juveniles held in downwellers. Cultured juvenile clams produced a nominal LC50 of 0.35 mg copper chloride/L.