Abstract
Investigations were conducted in the Department of biophysical ecology of Kovalevsky IMBR of RAS in September - October of 2013 and 2015. The body length of the gathered for experiments ctenophores was 35 – 40 mm. Characteristics of the ctenophores light emission were studied under the mechanical and chemical stimulations, with the usage of laboratory complex “Svet”. The following HM salts: Cu2S04, ZnCl2, PbCl2 and HgCl2 in different concentrations were used in our experiments. The just-caught samples, contained in the clean marine water were used as a control. The exposition time was 1, 3 and 24 hours under the temperature of 21 ± 2°C. The investigations results have shown considerable variability of the ctenophore luminosity characteristics in dependence of metal concentration and exposition duration. It was stated that minimal concentrations of cooper, zinc and mercury stimulates ctenophores bioluminescence and the high ones inhibit. The alien ctenophore luminescence inhibition was registered under the lead activity under all investigated concentrations. We can place investigated metals as following: Zn < Cu < Hg < Pb, according to the force of the toxic influence on the ctenophore bioluminescence. Thus, alien ctenophore bioluminescence parameters can serve as a sensitive express-indicator of the resistance degree to the heavy metals impact and be the expressive index of the marine environment regional pollution.
Highlights
Most contaminants entering the marine environment become local and regional pollution sources disrupting the normal biological processes (Тokarev 2006)
Ctenophores were divided into 4 groups: 1) individuals exposed to heavy metals (HM) at concentration of 1/10 MAC (Maximum Allowed Concentration) (List 1995); 2) individuals exposed to HM concentration of MAC; 3) individuals exposed to HM concentrations exceed MAC by 10 times 4) control group – freshly-caught ctenophore individuals kept in clean marine water
Our investigations have shown stimulating effect of low concentrations of copper, zinc and mercury on the ctenophore luminescence which is replaced by inhibition of their light emission with an increase in the concentration of HM and the time of their exposure
Summary
Most contaminants entering the marine environment become local and regional pollution sources disrupting the normal biological processes (Тokarev 2006). Toxic elements actively affect reproduction and metabolic activities of plankton organisms representing the bottom levels of a food chain (Marine report 2009; Luk’yanenko & Cherkashin 1987; Finenko et al 2003; Tokarev & Shulman 2007). Years of field and experimental research showed that toxic heavy metals, such as cadmium, lead, mercury, copper and zinc are among the most significant pollution actors in marine environments and should be a priority for further investigation (Vasil'kov 2005; Nikitina et al 2009; Rudneva 1995). In light of the foregoing, one of objectives of this research was to investigate the influence of heavy metals on the bioluminescence of ctenophores. These studies have not been carried out so far
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