Biomonitoring of Estuarine Coastal Ecosystems in NW-Brittany
Laufzeit: since 2012
Sponsor: Various Sponsors
Kontakt: Matthias Oetken
Since 2012 annual biomonitoring with marine amphipodes has been carried out at coastal sampling sites an in estuaries of Northwest Brittany (France). The long-term study focuses on the dioeious amphiopod species Echinogammarus marinus (Gammaridae). In some populations, however intersex individuals occur, which carry the characteristics of both sexes simultanously. Various stressors (e.g. micropollutants, parasites) are discussed as triggers for the development of intersex. We hypothesize that intersex is the result of various stressors on the gammarids and that reproduction may be negatively affected, so that populations locally disappear.
