PARENT SESSION
TP4 - In Situ Bioassays Using Transplanted Aquatic Organisms
Chair: Salazar, Mike¹, ¹ Applied Biomonitoring, Kirkland, WA
2:10 PM to 5:30 PM - Tuesday, 19 November 2002
Room Ballroom F

(440) Confounding Factors and Considerations for Bioassays Performed In Situ.

Krause, Paul^*,1, ¹ BBL Sciences, Long Beach, CA, USA

ABSTRACT- As the field of ecological risk assessment and aquatic impact analysis moves forward into the realm of establishing more realistic testing techniques, the use of in situ methods will only increase. While in situ bioassays are excellent tools to derive site-specific information such as toxicity, dose-response, and bioaccumulation potential, several factors need to be considered in the specific study design and interpretation of the results. A variety of physical, chemical, and biological factors may confound the results of tests performed under field conditions. These can include substrate quality (e.g., grain size, surface texture), classical water quality parameters (e.g., ammonia, sulfide, oxygen, etc.), and the presence or absence of competing organisms and predators. Examples of key confounding factors will be discussed in the context of several case studies involving in situ sediment amphipod, caged sea urchins, larval abalone, and bivalve studies.

Key words: In Situ Bioassay, Sea Urchin, Amphipod, Bivalve