title: Application of a quantitative histological health index for Antarctic rock cod (Trematomus bernacchii) from Davis Station, East Antarctica.
abstract: A quantitative Histological Health Index (HHI) was applied to Antarctic rock cod (Trematomus bernacchii) using gill, liver, spleen, kidney and gonad to assess the impact of wastewater effluent from Davis Station, East Antarctica. A total of 120 fish were collected from 6 sites in the Prydz Bay region of East Antarctica at varying distances from the wastewater outfall. The HHI revealed a greater severity of alteration in fish at the wastewater outfall, which decreased stepwise with distance. Gill and liver displayed the greatest severity of alteration in fish occurring in close proximity to the wastewater outfall, showing severe and pronounced alteration respectively. Findings of the HHI add to a growing weight of evidence indicating that the current level of wastewater treatment at Davis Station is insufficient to prevent impact to the surrounding environment. The HHI for T. bernacchii developed in this study is recommended as a useful risk assessment tool for assessing in situ, sub-lethal impacts from station-derived contamination in coastal regions throughout Antarctica.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Princes Highway, Warrnambool, Victoria 3280, Australia. Electronic address: pcorbett@deakin.edu.au.
authors.forename: Patricia A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Corbett
authors.affiliation: Terrestrial and Nearshore Ecosystems, Australian Antarctic Division, 203 Channel Highway, Kingston, Tasmania 7050, Australia. Electronic address: cath.king@aad.gov.au.
authors.forename: Catherine K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: King
authors.affiliation: Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Princes Highway, Warrnambool, Victoria 3280, Australia. Electronic address: julie.mondon@deakin.edu.au.
authors.forename: Julie A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Mondon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000864:Antarctic Regions; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D010473:Perciformes / Q000502:physiology*; D062065:Wastewater / Q000032:analysis*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Biomarker; Gill; Histological health index; Histopathology; Liver; Sewage; Wastewater