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Graduate Research Fellowship
Use of diamondback terrapins, Malaclemys terrapin, as biological indicators for chemical pollution of South Carolina estuaries

Susanne Hauswaldt
Graduate Research Fellow 2001-2004
ACE Basin, SC
University of South Carolina

Estuarine ecosystems are under unrelenting stress caused by growing development near estuaries or in estuarine watersheds. Many estuaries show an increase in contaminant concentration resulting from non-point source pollution. In South Carolina, these toxicants consist of organic contaminants, e.g. polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and pesticides, as well as heavy metals. Bioaccumulation of such persistent xenobiotic compounds in the food chain results in higher contaminant levels in organisms compared to those in the water or sediment. Exposure to chemical pollutants can result in genotoxic effects (i.e. DNA breakage), endocrine disruption, and reduced reproductive fitness. I propose to evaluate the use of the Diamondback terrapin, Malaclemys terrapin, and estuarine turtle, as an indicator of chemical pollution in South Carolina estuaries. Certain life-history traits of this species should make it a good candidate as a bioindicator: terrapins have great site fidelity, they feed on invertebrates that are known to accumulate toxicants, and they are long-lived. Terrapins will be sampled from two estuaries that are considered levels of toxic chemicals. Tissue burden of organic and heavy metal pollutants will be assessed in adults and eggs. Biological effects of pollutants will be investigated by comparing the amount of DNA breakage, the degree of feminization of male terrapins, and the hatching success among terrapins from the four sites. The availability and integration of such information into management plans of estuaries will ensure these habitats are safe for humans and the organisms that share them with us.
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