A Review of Grass Shrimp, Palaemonetes spp., as a Bioindicator of Anthropogenic Impacts

Abstract

Coastal systems are ecologically important environments due to their diversity and productivity, but they can also serve as sinks for pollutants transported via runoff and atmospheric deposition. Grass shrimp, of the genus Palaemonetes, are a common inhabitant of East and Gulf coast estuaries of the United States and are proposed in this paper as a bioindicator of human impacts on estuarine systems. Using grass shrimp as such would involve their entire life cycle and consist of biomonitoring studies, in situ and laboratory toxicity tests, and development of biomarkers of exposure. The current interest in developing ecological indicators has put a renewed relevance on grass shrimp research. This paper reviews ecologically based studies, toxicity testing, and sublethal assessments in grass shrimp and shows how they have laid the groundwork for this genus to be an indicator species. It is concluded that correlating traditional grass shrimp assays with ecological monitoring and biomarkers of exposure is a goal that will have to be met if environmental managers are to make informed decisions on the use of this crustacean as a model species.

This article not subject to United States copyright law.

Keywords:

• grass shrimp
• Palaemonetes
• biomonitoring
• bioindicator

Acknowledgments

This paper was developed in part from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Ocean Service, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science and Office of Response and Restoration workshop “The Use of Grass Shrimp as an Indicator of Injury to Estuarine Ecosystems,” Charleston, SC, 21–22 May 2003. The National Ocean Service (NOS) does not approve, recommend, or endorse any proprietary product or material mentioned in this publication. No reference shall be made to NOS, or to this publication furnished by NOS, in any advertising or sales promotion, which would indicate or imply that NOS approves, recommends, or endorses any proprietary product or proprietary material mentioned herein or which has as its purpose any intent to cause directly or indirectly the advertised product to be used or purchased because of NOS publication.

Notes

This article not subject to United States copyright law.

American Society for Testing and Materials [ASTM]. 1980. Standard Practice for Conducting Acute Toxicity Tests with Fishes, Macroinvertebrates, and Amphibians. Designation E 729–80. Philadelphia, PA: ASTM Committee E-47 on Biological Effects and Environmental Fate. p 272–296

American Society for Testing and Materials [ASTM]. 1996. Standard Guide for Conducting Acute Toxicity Tests on Test Materials with Fishes, Macroinvertebrates, and Amphibians. Designation E 729–96. Philadelphia, PA: ASTM Committee E-47 on Biological Effects and Environmental Fate. p 1–21

American Society for Testing and Materials [ASTM]. 1999. Standard Guide for Conducting a 10‐Day Static Sediment Toxicity Tests with Marine and Estuarine Amphipods, in Annual Book of Standard Methods. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM. p 27

Anderson GA. 1985. Species profile: Life histories and environmental requirements of coastal fishes and invertebrates (Gulf of Mexico)—grass shrimp. US Fish Wild Serv Biol Rep 82(11.35)

Bartell S. 2005. Biomarkers, bioindicators, and ecological risk assessment—A brief review and evaluation. Environ Bioin Preview Issue:39–52

Scott G, Fulton M, Key P, Daugomah J, Thompson B, Strozier E, Pennington P, Van Dolah R, Maier P, Levisen M, Hadley N. 1994. Ecotoxicological assessment of effluent and sediments from the Savannah Harbor dredged material disposal areas in the Wright River estuary of South Carolina. Submitted to US Army Corps of Engineers. p 244

United States Environmental Protection Agency [USEPA]. 2003. EPA’s draft report on the environment technical document. Report No. EPA 600–R–03–050. Washington, DC: USEPA