Dept. Biological Sciences, Macquarie University , Sydney , NSW 2109.

Phone: (02) 9850 8205

Fax: (02) 9850 8245

ubove@bio.mq.edu.au

 

This project is born from the growing interest in using aquatic invertebrates as a tool to assess environmental changes. Marine invertebrate larvae have already been used to assess aquatic pollution but this method usually relies on the death of the tested specimens when pollution is detected. Due to their increased immune resistance, the use of adult aquatic invertebrates to assess environmental stress can be useful to monitor long term changes and to test management practices in fast growing aquaculture industries. My project involves the use of adult echinoderms, especially sea urchins, and the stress responses displayed by their immune effector cells known as coelomocytes. By analysing the genes activated in specific abiotic and biotic conditions, it should be possible to develop specific genetic markers to track changes in the internal milieu of sea urchins corresponding to changes in the environment surrounding them.