Statistical analysis of glcm texture features and microstructures in sem images of crossostrea virginica exposed to atrazine

Abstract

The Eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, influences a range of economic and ecological systems. The effects of agricultural runoffs, such as the herbicide atrazine, on marine species, has not been well documented. To analyze the effect of atrazine, the oyster shell surface was analyzed. The shell protects the internal organs from predators. The shells of adult oysters are also required in the spawning of new oysters. This study analyzed the effects of atrazine on oyster shells using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). SEM images were taken of juvenile oysters exposed to three different concentrations of atrazine (30, 10, 3 µg/L) to determine if there is a statistical significance in microstructure frequencies and GLCM texture features of three regions of the shell. Using a multivariate t-test, a significant difference was found in the texture features of the edge regions of the shells treated with 30µg/L and 0 µg/L of atrazine. The same t-test found a significant difference in microstructures near the edge regions for shells treated with 10µg/L and 0 µg/L of atrazine. These results provide computational strategies to distinguish shells treated with high concentrations of atrazine. Future work will tie evidence collected from imaging analysis into transcriptome data to illustrate the genetic impacts of atrazine exposure.