Sex-specific impacts on the accumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and the development of offspring of sea urchins exposed to heavy fuel oil

Abstract

The sensitivity of female and male individuals of the same species to environmental stress is often different. The present study investigated sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus intermedius) of both sexes that were exposed to water-accommodated fractions of heavy fuel oil (HFO-WAF) for 7 d. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) bioaccumulation in sea urchin gonad tissue was significantly increased following the exposure to HFO-WAF. However, PAHs bioaccumulation significantly differed between females and males, which may be related to the lipid content of gonad tissue. We found a significant increase in the percentage of anomalies in their larvae 24 h post fertilization. This indicates that parental exposure to HFO-WAF can have an adverse effect on the offspring, which may consequently affect population recovery and maintenance.