Research Product

Pesticides that enter the estuarine environment can be accumulated by the fishery organisms that inhabit these fertile waters. Effects of pesticides on estuarine organisms and the fate of these chemicals in the estuarine environment are being studied at the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries (BCF) Pesticide Field Station, Gulf Breeze, Florida. Bioassay projects investigate the toxicity of new pesticides submitted by pesticide manufacturers and perform analyses requested by the Pesticide Review Board. Emphasis is placed on determining possible adverse effect of prolonged exposure (chronic studies) of fishery organisms to sublethal concentrations of selected pesticides. Ecological studies include the effects of a herbicide, Dichlobenil, on the ecology of an experimental pond. Experiments also are conducted to determine effects of sublethal levels of pesticides on the behavior of estuarine fish. For example, the capacity of fish to avoid water containing pesticides is tested in a special apparatus in the laboratory.