Adaptation capacity of the larvae of marine invertebrates under variation of environmental parameters as a sensitive test of sea water pollution

Abstract

The possibility of using the adaptive capacity of the larvae of marine invertebrates under the variation of environmental parameters was studied as a sensitive test of sea water pollution. The object of the research was the larvae of Cryptonatica janthostoma (Naticidae), the environmental factor was the freshening of sea water, and the toxic factor used was copper ions. Adding copper to sea water at a concentration of 0.005 mg/l did not reveal any pronounced effect on the development, behavior and growth of larvae in conditions of normal salinity (32‰), however their adaptive potential decreased with a decrease of salinity to 24‰. The results of the present work and experiments carried out previously enabled us to conclude that before assessing any concentration of pollutant as one not affecting marine organisms, it is necessary to investigate not only their development, growth and survival, but also their adaptive capacity relative to the variation of natural environmental parameters, such as even temperature and salinity.