Meeting Abstract

104.6  Saturday, Jan. 7  Alkyphenol Effect on Development, Growth, Reproductive Behavior, and Survival of Crayfish BERGMAN, D.A.*; PAGE, K.; GAUTHIER, S.; Grand Valley State University bergmand@gvsu.edu

Crayfish are an important invertebrate that is affected by chemical pollutants, such as pesticide/herbicide runoff and industrial waste effluents. Crayfish are considered keystone species because they are an important resource for other species and consequently influence diversity and abundance. For these reasons, it is critical that we understand the effects of pollution on the behavior and ultimate survival of crayfish. Alkylphenols are a group of chemicals often concentrated in the tissues of crayfish, fish, and birds when released into nature. They are used in various detergents and pesticide formulations, which makes them very common pollutants. Exposure can lead to contamination levels between ten to several thousand times greater than in the surrounding environment. They have notably adverse effects in fish and likely have similar harmful impacts for crayfish. We examined the effect of exposure to two alkylphenol pollutants (nonylphenol and octylphenol) on development, growth, reproductive behavior, and success finding food. We found numerous impacts on crayfish when exposed to alkylphenols.