Field assessment of biochemical stress indices for the sandworm Neanthes virens (Sars)

Abstract

Abstract Certain biochemical stress responses have been observed in the laboratory for Neathhes virens subjected to various environmental and pollutant stressors. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether similar alterations in these biochemical parameters could be detected in a natural population of N. virens from a contaminated site as compared with animals from a nearby reference site. A site in Portland Harbor, Maine, adjacent to an oil storage facility with oil-contaminated sediments was selected as the experimental study area and the reference site was at Pine Point, approximately 15 miles south of Portland. Animals were collected from the two sites on consecutive days on a bimonthly basis at low tide within a day of the full moon from September 1981 through March 1982. Coelomic fluid samples were taken within 2 h after collection and the animals were then frozen in liquid nitrogen for transport back to the laboratory. Coelomic fluid samples were analyzed for glucose and the frozen tissues were analyzed for glycogen, lipid and free amino acid concentrations. Significant differences in these parameters were often observed between the two populations. The glycogen content of animals from the contaminated site was always less than that of animals from the reference site, whereas the lipid levels were always higher. Significant differences between the free amino acid composition of the animals from the two sites were also observed. Although distinct biochemical differences can be detected between these two populations, the considerable biological variation in these parameters may limit their usefulness for field monitoring investigations for this species.