Vol. 53 - Alaska Resources Library and Information Services

discussed by participants at the St. George Basin Lease Area Synthesis
Meeting, April 1981, Anchorage; North Aleutian Shelf Synthesis meeting,
March 1982).
Predictions from these models may seriously underestimate
possible larval mortality caused by an oil mishap (even in the St.
George Basin) because of incorrect assumptions concerning larval sensitivity
to oil and aspects of larval life history and ecology (these are
discussed later in this section).
8.2 Oil Toxicity to Crustacean Larvae
Oil is a highly complex pollutant of water soluble and insoluble
fractions and aromatic compounds that may stress organisms over a spectrum
of effects from mechanical impacts to subtle biochemical impairments.
Its effects on aquatic resources may be manifested in several
ways (Curl and Manen 1982):
1) rapid mortality resulting from acute
exposures to high doses via external contact, inhalation and asphyxiation,
or assimilation of hydrocarbon compounds that become toxic on a
cellular and biochemical level; 2) bioaccumulation of sublethal amounts
that cause a decline in general vigor evidenced in reduced growth, susceptibility
to disease, inhibition of feeding (anorexia) (effects of
this nature will likely become lethal to organisms); 3) impaired reproduction,
reduced broods and viability of progeny; 4) carcinogenic and
mutagenic causes of tumors and morphological abnormalities; and 5)
uptake of hydrocarbons causing tainting of commercial crab sold as food.
802