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. 2020 Nov 3;54(21):13879-13887.
doi: 10.1021/acs.est.0c04889. Epub 2020 Oct 20.

Effects of Exposure to Low Concentrations of Oil on the Expression of Cytochrome P4501a and Routine Swimming Speed of Atlantic Haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) Larvae In Situ

Alessandro Cresci  1   2 , Claire B Paris  2 , Howard I Browman  1 , Anne Berit Skiftesvik  1 , Steven Shema  1 , Reidun Bjelland  1 , Caroline M F Durif  1 , Matthew Foretich  2 , Camilla Di Persia  2 , Veronica Lucchese  2 , Frode B Vikebø  3 , Elin Sørhus  3
Affiliations

Effects of Exposure to Low Concentrations of Oil on the Expression of Cytochrome P4501a and Routine Swimming Speed of Atlantic Haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) Larvae In Situ

Alessandro Cresci et al. Environ Sci Technol. .

Erratum in

Abstract

Exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of oil could impact survival of fish larvae in situ through subtle effects on larval behavior. During the larval period, Atlantic haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) are transported toward nursery grounds by ocean currents and active swimming, which can modify their drift route. Haddock larvae are sensitive to dispersed oil; however, whether exposure to oil during development impacts the ability of haddock larvae to swim in situ is unknown. Here, we exposed Atlantic haddock embryos to 10 and 80 μg oil/L (0.1 and 0.8 μg ∑PAH/L) of crude oil for 8 days and used a novel approach to measure its effect on the larval swimming behavior in situ. We assessed the swimming behavior of 138 haddock larvae in situ, in the North Sea, using a transparent drifting chamber. Expression of cytochrome P4501a (cyp1a) was also measured. Exposure to 10 and 80 μg oil/L significantly reduced the average in situ routine swimming speed by 30-40% compared to the controls. Expression of cyp1a was significantly higher in both exposed groups. This study reports key information for improving oil spill risk assessment models and presents a novel approach to study sublethal effects of pollutants on fish larvae in situ.

Keywords: ecotoxicology; fish behavior; larval dispersal; larval fish; oil impact; oil toxicity; sublethal impacts.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing financial interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Study area. Location where the behavioral tests on haddock larvae (M. aeglefinus) were conducted. The map shows the coastal area where the behavior of the larvae was observed. The red circle indicated the approximate location where the drifting in situ chamber was deployed.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations. Total PAH concentration (∑PAHs) in the exposure tank water and in Atlantic haddock (M. aeglefinus) eggs in control, 10 μg oil/L exposure, and 80 μg oil/L exposure treatments (mean ± SD). (A) The water analysis is given as average concentration in four replicate tanks per group and measured at the start of the exposure 2 days post fertilization (dpf) and at the end (10 dpf). (B) The body burden in the eggs is given as the average concentration in three replicates. The asterisks indicate statistically different from the control fish, “”p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Relative expression of cytochrome P4501a (cyp1a). The relative expression of cyp1a in Atlantic haddock (M. aeglefinus) embryos in controls (N = 4) and groups exposed to 10 μg oil/L (N = 4) and 80 μg oil/L (N = 4) at 5 days post fertilization (3 days of exposure). Cyp1a expression is reported as relative change (folds) from the control groups. The bars show average ± SD. The asterisks indicate statistical differences relative to control fish ***p < 0.001.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Larval swimming speed. Swimming speed of 29–35 dph Atlantic haddock (M. aeglefinus) larvae in situ, control (N = 78), and exposed to low-dose (10 μg oil/L; N = 29) and medium-dose (80 μg oil/L; N = 31) groups. The bar plot presents the mean swimming speed by oil exposure concentration. The T bars are the standard deviations. ANOVA p = 0.005; Dunnett’s multiple-comparison test *p = 0.01; **p = 0.001.
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