Physiological energetics of Littorina littorea under combined pollutant stress in field and mesocosm studies

Abstract

Rates of energy turnover processes (ingestion, food absorption efficiency, ammonia excretion, respiration) and their integration into an energy budget (scope for growth) was estimated in GEEP Workshop samples of periwinkles Littorina littorea taken from 4 populations in Langesundfjord, Norway, and from 4 populations which had been kept in mesocosms at different levels of exposure to oil and copper for 4 mo. Periwinkles from the most contaminated field site had an elevated scope for growth. The physiological measurements failed to discriminate among mesocosm treatments. Use of physiological energetics of L. littorea in biological effects monitoring is, at present, premature; it demands both method development and better understanding of the factors regulating the energy conversion processes.