title: The impact of oil-derived products on the behaviour and biochemistry of the eleven-armed asteroid Coscinasterias muricata (Echinodermata).
abstract: The present study examines the impact of exposure to oil-derived products on the behaviour and physiology of the Australian 11-armed asteroid Coscinasterias muricata. Asteroids were exposed to dilutions of water-accommodated fraction (WAF) of Bass Strait stabilised crude oil, dispersed oil or burnt oil (n = 8) for 4 days whereby, prey-localisation behaviour was examined immediately after exposure, and following 2, 7, and 14 days depuration in clean seawater. The prey-localisation behaviour of asteroids exposed to WAF and dispersed oil was significantly affected though recovery was apparent following 7 and 14 days depuration, respectively. In contrast, there was no significant change in the prey-localisation behaviour of asteroids exposed to burnt oil. Behavioural impacts were correlated with the total petroleum hydrocarbon concentrations (C6-C36) in each exposure solution, WAF (1.8 mg l(-1)), dispersed oil (3.5 mg l(-1)) and burnt oil (1.14 mg l(-1), respectively. The total microsomal cytochrome P450 content was significantly lower (P(Dunnett test) < 0.01) in asteroids exposed to dispersed oil than in any other asteroids, whilst asteroid alkaline phosphatase activity was not significantly affected (P(ANOVA) = 0.11). This study further documents the deleterious impact of dispersed oil to marine organisms and supports further research in the area of in situ burning as a less damaging oil spill response measure towards benthic macro-invertebrates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology and Environmental Biology, RMIT-University, Bundoora West Campus, Australia.
authors.forename: E T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Georgiades
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Holdway
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Brennan
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Butty
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Temara
mesh_terms: D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / Q000494:pharmacology; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D006838:Hydrocarbons / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008862:Microsomes, Liver / Q000201:enzymology; D009068:Movement; D010578:Petroleum / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011235:Predatory Behavior; D013215:Starfish; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D006838:Hydrocarbons; D010578:Petroleum; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase