Meeting Abstract
36.5 Sunday, Jan. 5 09:00 Where’s the Food?: Copper Impairs Foraging in a Keystone Indicator Species LAHMAN, S E*; MOORE, P A; Bowling Green State University; Bowling Green State University slahman@bgsu.edu
Elevated pollution levels can disrupt ecosystem functions by altering a keystone indicator species’ ability to perform behaviors such as foraging, reproduction, or predator avoidance. This is particularly true for habitats in which keystone species rely on olfaction to make crucial ecological decisions. Increased amounts of a pollutant may impact chemoreceptive abilities by altering the sensory landscape or physiologically impairing the reception of chemical stimuli. Heavy metal pollution entering an aquatic ecosystem is of increasing concern due to discernible effects on chemoreception in many ecologically and economically important species. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of increased copper concentration on a key chemically mediated behavior (foraging) in crayfish. Rusty crayfish, Orconectes rusticus, were exposed to ecologically relevant concentrations of copper for 120 hours. Following exposure, animals were allowed to orient toward a food stimulus. During trials, animals were exposed either to a point or nonpoint source copper pollutant, while others were allowed to orient in non-polluted water. Videotaped trials were analyzed using EthoVision XT for differences in overall success in locating the food source and walking parameters. Significant differences were found in the overall orientation abilities of O. rusticus in locating an odor source when previously exposed to elevated levels of copper and run in a point or nonpoint source of copper pollution. These results indicate that increased levels of copper pollution cause a physiological impairment which is removed when animals are exposed to non-polluted water. Consequently, reducing pollution through management and mediation practices may allow keystone species to recover the ability to perform chemically mediated behaviors.
