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CHARACTERIZING POPULATIONS OF THE ESTUARINE FISH FUNDULUS HETEROCLITUS INDIGENOUS TO SITES WITH DIFFERING ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
Citation:
Champlin, D M., D E. Nacci, J R. Serbst, S Jayaraman, AND L Coiro. CHARACTERIZING POPULATIONS OF THE ESTUARINE FISH FUNDULUS HETEROCLITUS INDIGENOUS TO SITES WITH DIFFERING ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY. Presented at Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Nashville, TN, November 12-16, 2000.
Description:
Populations of the non-migratory estuarine fish Fundulus heteroclitus were collected from New Bedford Harbor and distant clean sites to investigate whether indigenous populations have adapted genetically to the harbor's contamination. New Bedford Harbor, a major port in southeastern Massachusetts, offers an excellent opportunity to study the effects of an extreme range of stressors over a short distance; earlier use of PCBs in manufacturing have contaminated the sediments of the Northern Estuary by factors of 103 relative to the mouth and 104 relative to the clean sites. F. heteroclitis are ideal for genetic studies because they are abundant, relatively stationary, and inhabit shallow brackish coves and tidal creeks along the entire U.S. East Coast. Studies reported in related posters here describe the sensitivity of F. heteroclitus collected from sites with varying environmental quality and sediment PCB concentrations to laboratory PCB challenges . The results suggest that populations within the harbor have become genetically desensitized to the high PCBs of their habitats. Research using several different techniques is underway to measure directly genetic changes of these local populations. This poster characterizes relevant ecological, geographical, and toxicological characteristics of these study sites. Photographs and land-use maps provide visual representation of geographical characteristics of the sites. Graphical representation of total PCBs in sediment describe exposure characteristics. This comprehensive evaluation of site and species characteristics provides a valuable basis for interpreting how natural and anthropogenic factors influence the genetic structure of wildlife populations.