Effect of the endocrine disrupter nonylphenol on the marine copepod Tisbe battagliai

The marine copepod Tisbe battagliai was exposed to the endocrine disrupter nonylphenol 31]500 mg ly1. in two life-table experiments. Data on fecundity, longevity, and rate of development were used to calculate the population growth rate rm. for exposed and unexposed cohorts of copepods. The highest concentrations tested 125 and 500 mg ly1 nonylphenol. were acutely lethal to the nauplii. When the copepods were exposed to 62 mg ly1 nonylphenol, only 6% survived to maturity. The surviving copepods, however, produced enough F1 and F2 offspring to increase the size of the population compared to the P-generation. There were no statistically significant effects on any life table parameter for T. battagliai at 31 mg ly1 nonylphenol, although rm was reduced in one of the experiments mainly due to reduced survival to maturity. There was no statistically significant change in the percentage of female in neither the P parent. nor the F1 offspring. generation exposed to 31 mg ly1 NP compared to the controls