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PHYTOASSESSMENT OF ESTUARINE SEDIMENTS
Citation:
Lewis, M A. AND D. E. Weber. PHYTOASSESSMENT OF ESTUARINE SEDIMENTS. Presented at Tenth International Symposium on Pollutant Responses in Marine Organisms (PRIMO 10), Williamsburg, VA, April 25-29, 1999.
Description:
Most sediment quality assessments and quality guidelines are based on the laboratory response of single animal species and benthic animal community composition. The role of plants in this hazard assessment process is poorly understood despite the fact that plant-dominated habitats (wetlands) and keystone species (sea grasses) are commonly at risk in estuaries. This study evaluated the sensitivities of the benthic animal species, Ampelisca abdita and Mysidopsis bahia, and the rooted vascular plants, Spartina alterniflora and Scirpus robustus to contaminated sediments. The results of the 75 toxicity tests conducted for 7 to 28 days were compared for the same whole estuarine sediments. Toxicity to the animal species was uncommon and occurred at only 13% of the sampling stations. In contrast, most of the same sediments were either phytostimulatory or phytoinhibitory. The results indicate that phytoassessment of sediments is needed since it provides information that is unavailable if only animal species are used. With this in mind, additional test method development and identification of sensitive species and effect parameters are needed to increase the phytotoxicity data base.