Crude Oil and Its Burnt Residues Induce Metamorphosis in Marine Invertebrates.

ABSTRACT: Metamorphosis is a critical process in the life cycle of most marine benthic invertebrates, determining their transition from plankton to benthos. It affects dispersal and settlement and therefore decisively influences the dynamics of marine invertebrate populations. An extended period of metamorphic competence is an adaptive feature of numerous invertebrate species that increases the likelihood of finding a habitat suitable for settlement and survival. We found that crude oil and residues of burnt oil rapidly induce metamorphosis in two different marine invertebrate larvae, a previously unknown sublethal effect of oil pollution. When exposed to environmentally realistic oil concentrations, up to 84% of tested echinoderm larvae responded by undergoing metamorphosis. Similarly, up to 87% of

SUBMITTER: Almeda R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10702519 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature