Effects of environmental stress on the condition of Littorina littorea along the Scheldt Estuary (the Netherlands)

The condition of the periwinkle Littorina littorea , expressed in terms of its shell morphology, reproductive impairment (i.e. female sterility/intersex, male penis shedding), trematode infestation load, lipid reserves and dry/wet weight ratio, was determined in function of environmental stress along the polluted Western and relatively clean Eastern Scheldt estuary (The Netherlands). The upstream increasing pollution and decreasing salinity levels along the Western Scheldt estuary (Fig. 1) are reflected in the dry/wet weight ratio and lipid content of the periwinkles. Compared to the Eastern S... Mehr ...