Introduction - Ecological Biomarkers: Indicators of Ecotoxicological Effects - page 6

To xicology

Biotransformation

Short-term Long-term

response response

Ecology

FIGURE 1.3
Latency between exposure of fish to pollutants and the occurrence of effects at different levels of biological
organization. (After Adams, S.M. et al., Mar. Environ. Res. , 28, 459-464, 1989.)

evident that reproductive success is key for environmental conservation. The impairments
at infra-individual and individual levels that can most probably affect the success of repro-
duction are depicted in Figure 1.4. These include endocrine disruption (Chapters 8 and 9),
behavioral changes (Chapter 10), energy disturbances (Chapters 11 and 12), and genetic
responses either adaptive or detrimental (Chapters 13 and 14).

Energy metabolism

Endocrine
disruptors

Defense Maintenance Growth

Reproduction

Sensory systems
Neurotransmitters
Hormones

Genetic responses
(genotoxicity, resistance)

Behavior

Avoidance
(chemicals, predators)

Sexual behavior
Care of juveniles

Feeding

FIGURE 1.4
Linkage between effects of contaminants from molecular to population levels via the success of reproduction.