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LOBSTER BEHAVIOR AND CHEMORECEPTION: SUBLETHAL EFFECTS OF NUMBER 2 FUEL OIL
Citation:
Atema, J., E. Karnofsky, S. Oleszko-Szuts, AND B. Bryant. LOBSTER BEHAVIOR AND CHEMORECEPTION: SUBLETHAL EFFECTS OF NUMBER 2 FUEL OIL. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/3-82/013.
Description:
This research has demonstrated behavioral abnormalities and inappropriate responses in lobsters exposed to levels of 0.1-1.0 parts per million (ppm) of oil in water. Such abnormalities can lead to lack of feeding and population decline; they occur at exposure levels below those that cause obvious loss of equilibrium and coordination, and which eventually lead to death of the organism. In an attempt to explain the mechanisms by which the behavior deteriorates, two topics were examined: interference with normal smell and taste, and change of motivation. A combination of neurophysiological and behavioral experiments on chemoreception were designed to investigate these topics.