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The ecology of contaminant exposure in Uca pugnax (Smith):
Descriptive
TypeOfResource
Text
TitleInfo
(ID = T-1)
Title
The ecology of contaminant exposure in Uca pugnax (Smith):
SubTitle
physiological, reproductive, and behavioral sublethal effects
Identifier
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http://hdl.rutgers.edu/1782.2/rucore10001600001.ETD.17486
Identifier
ETD_1045
Language
LanguageTerm
(authority = ISO 639-3:2007)
English
Genre
(authority = marcgt)
theses
Subject
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(authority = RUETD)
Topic
Ecology and Evolution
Subject
(ID = SBJ-2);
(authority = ETD-LCSH)
Topic
Fiddler crabs--Effect of water pollution on
Abstract
Physiological, reproductive, and behavioral studies were conducted to determine the sublethal effects of contaminant exposure on Uca pugnax in two New Jersey marshes. Total lipids and lipid classes were examined in male crabs to examine the relationship between contaminant exposure and lipid variability. Lipids were examined seasonally, during various molt cycle stages, and after a 28-day reciprocal transplant exposure study. Seasonally, lipids were significantly different between months and although differences in total lipids and classes occurred between sites, results were not statistically different. During the molt cycle, total lipids and lipid classes differed between sites and R-categories. For the exposure study, total lipids were similar between sites and treatments while phospholipids increased with exposure to clean sediment. It is not clear whether contaminants influenced lipid composition but natural lipid fluctuations occur seasonally and during the molt cycle.
Fecundity and larval morphology were examined to determine the effects of contaminant exposure on reproductive endpoints of field-collected organisms. Mean fecundity was higher at the contaminated site but crabs were slightly larger at this site which may have contributed to fecundity differences. Abnormal larvae were observed at both sites although the proportion of abnormal larvae was higher at the contaminated site. Hypopigmented eyes and hydropsy were the most common abnormalities at the contaminated site while hydropsy was the most common at the non-contaminated site. These morphological abnormalities were unspecific pathologies likely manifested as a general response to pesticides and metals.
Oophagy was quantitatively documented for U. pugnax from both sites in a site comparison study and a feeding study. For the site comparison study, egg ingestion was typically greater at the non-contaminated site, although statistically the sites did not differ. Similarities in oophagy between sites indicate that contaminants do not appear to influence oophagy. For the feeding study, crabs from both sites still ingested eggs even when food pellets were offered although pellet ingestion was higher than egg ingestion for both sites. Egg ingestion in the site comparison study was similar to egg ingestion in the feeding study. This similarity in egg ingestion between the two studies indicates that the presence of food does not decrease or stop egg ingestion.
Fecundity and larval morphology were examined to determine the effects of contaminant exposure on reproductive endpoints of field-collected organisms. Mean fecundity was higher at the contaminated site but crabs were slightly larger at this site which may have contributed to fecundity differences. Abnormal larvae were observed at both sites although the proportion of abnormal larvae was higher at the contaminated site. Hypopigmented eyes and hydropsy were the most common abnormalities at the contaminated site while hydropsy was the most common at the non-contaminated site. These morphological abnormalities were unspecific pathologies likely manifested as a general response to pesticides and metals.
Oophagy was quantitatively documented for U. pugnax from both sites in a site comparison study and a feeding study. For the site comparison study, egg ingestion was typically greater at the non-contaminated site, although statistically the sites did not differ. Similarities in oophagy between sites indicate that contaminants do not appear to influence oophagy. For the feeding study, crabs from both sites still ingested eggs even when food pellets were offered although pellet ingestion was higher than egg ingestion for both sites. Egg ingestion in the site comparison study was similar to egg ingestion in the feeding study. This similarity in egg ingestion between the two studies indicates that the presence of food does not decrease or stop egg ingestion.
PhysicalDescription
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xiv, 150 pages
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Ph.D.
Note
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Includes bibliographical references (p. 121-128).
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Haroski
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Dale Marie
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Dale Marie Haroski
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Taghon
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Gary
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Gary L. Taghon
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Weis
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Judith
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Judith Weis
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John-Alder
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Henry
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Henry John-Alder
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Kenneth
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Kenneth W. Able
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Sprenger
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Mark
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Advisory Committee
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Mark D. Sprenger
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Rutgers University
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Graduate School - New Brunswick
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OriginInfo
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2008
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2008-10
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NjNbRU
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Title
Graduate School - New Brunswick Electronic Theses and Dissertations
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rucore19991600001
Identifier
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doi:10.7282/T3D50N9F
Genre
(authority = ExL-Esploro)
ETD doctoral
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Rights
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The author owns the copyright to this work.
Copyright
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Copyright protected
Availability
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Open
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Name
Dale Haroski
Role
Copyright holder
Affiliation
Rutgers University. Graduate School - New Brunswick
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Non-exclusive ETD license
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Author Agreement License
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I hereby grant to the Rutgers University Libraries and to my school the non-exclusive right to archive, reproduce and distribute my thesis or dissertation, in whole or in part, and/or my abstract, in whole or in part, in and from an electronic format, subject to the release date subsequently stipulated in this submittal form and approved by my school. I represent and stipulate that the thesis or dissertation and its abstract are my original work, that they do not infringe or violate any rights of others, and that I make these grants as the sole owner of the rights to my thesis or dissertation and its abstract. I represent that I have obtained written permissions, when necessary, from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis or dissertation and will supply copies of such upon request by my school. I acknowledge that RU ETD and my school will not distribute my thesis or dissertation or its abstract if, in their reasonable judgment, they believe all such rights have not been secured. I acknowledge that I retain ownership rights to the copyright of my work. I also retain the right to use all or part of this thesis or dissertation in future works, such as articles or books.
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