Abstract
The sensitivity of long-spined sea urchins (Diadema savignyi) collected from Guam (Northern Marianas Islands), USA, to nickel and copper in seawater was explored using 48-h embryo-larval development toxicity tests. The median effective concentrations (EC50) averaged 94 µg L−1 for nickel, and 19 µg L−1 from a single exposure to copper, and suggest relatively high sensitivity of this species to nickel compared with other sea urchin genera, but similar sensitivity to copper. Ambient nickel and copper concentrations concurrently sampled from 16 near-shore locations around Guam were one to two orders of magnitude lower than those that would be expected to result in adverse effects to D. savignyi embryos. Although nationally recommended chronic ambient water quality criteria, currently 8.2 and 3.1 µg L−1 for nickel and copper, respectively, were not exceeded, recently derived qualifying toxicity data should be considered for updating these criteria to ensure protectiveness of sensitive tropical species.
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Acknowledgments
The authors gratefully acknowledge the Naval Facilities Environmental Command (NAVFAC) Marianas Environmental for financial and program support; specifically, Maria Lewis, Julie Shane, and Albert Borja. In addition, Stacey Demaclid and Marie Babauta, from the US Navy Laboratory, Guam, provided valued technical support. We also thank Guam EPA staff for advisory support and consultation regarding relevant sampling locations, and Catherine Brunson (UoG) for support with the toxicity testing, Jill Brandenberger and Carolynn Susklin (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Sequim, WA, USA) for DOC analysis, and Brandon Swope (SSC Pacific) for support with metals analysis.
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Rosen, G., Rivera-Duarte, I., Colvin, M.A. et al. Nickel and Copper Toxicity to Embryos of the Long-Spined Sea Urchin, Diadema savignyi . Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 95, 6–11 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-015-1457-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-015-1457-0