Endocrine Disruption - Population Level effects

images of population level effects of endocrine disruption

In fish we have established that exposure to some endocrine active chemicals at environmentally relevant concentrations induce adverse effects and lead to a reduced capacity to breed. Furthermore, given the widespread nature of feminisation of wild fish in some populations of roach living in UK rivers contaminated with sewage effluents, it is likely that population level effects occur, but this has not been proven. Our research team is applying molecular techniques to investigate for population level effects and consequences of exposure to endocrine active chemicals in fish, one of the biggest and most difficult issues to try and resolve in ecotoxicology. In this work we are using DNA microsatellite markers to identify parentage in populations of normal breeding fish in the laboratory, and then assessing the impacts of exposure of males to endocrine active chemicals on reproductive fitness and parentage in those populations. This work is being conducted in zebrafish in the laboratory. With collaborators at Brunel University, we have a further project (funded through DEFRA and the Environment Agency) to adopt a similar investigations into the impacts of intersex in wild populations of roach in UK rivers. In this work we are starting to build a picture on how endocrine disruption in individuals affects the genetic structure and integrity in fish populations.

images of dipper sperm, a river catchment and microsatellite analysis

Ecotoxicology and Aquatic Biology Research Group

Endocrine Disruption - Population Level effects