The aim of this article is to attempt a concise review of the state of the art of the nondestructive biomarkers approach in vertebrates, establishing a consensus on the most useful and sensitive nondestructive biomarker techniques, and proposing research priorities for the development and validation of this promising methodology. The following topics are discussed: the advantages of the use of ...

There is mounting evidence that traditional investigations are no longer sufficient either to assess the ecological characteristics of a resource or to better understand the dynamics of an ecosystem. Reliable experimental data to be used for further investigation as well as for environmental corrective action are obtained using the traditional quantitative and qualitative biological methods. In...

1. Laboratory models Fish laboratory models covering different parts of the life cycle and different routes of exposure are continuously developed and modified in order to meet new challenges. The most important exposure routes are by injection, trough contaminated water or feed [1]. For laboratory studies zebrafish (Danio rerio), medaka (Oryzias latipes), fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) a...

Genetic ecotoxicology is a multifaceted discipline that examines the effects of xenobiotic compounds on the structure and function of DNA. This paper discusses the role of genetic ecotoxicology in environmental biomonitoring and risk assessment. Genetic ecotoxicology may include somatic effects (e.g., DNA damage) or population genetic effects (changes in genetic diversity or gene frequencies). ...

Laboratory research in toxicology has progressed far beyond reliance on measures of mortality to make use of sophisticated behavioral preparations that can evaluate the consequences of sublethal toxicant exposure. In contrast, field studies have not evolved as rapidly. Approaches developed by experimental psychologists and ethologists provide powerful and complementary methodologies to the stud...

Assessing the ecological risks of toxic chemicals is most often based on individual-level responses such as survival, reproduction or growth. Such an approach raises the following questions with regard to translating these measured effects into likely impacts on natural populations. (i) To what extent do individual-level variables underestimate or overestimate population-level responses? (ii) H...

This paper describes a Bayesian modeling approach to the estimation of the no effect concentration (NEC) and the hazardous concentration (HC(x)) as an alternative to conventional methods based on NOECs - the no observed effect concentration. The advantage of the proposed method is that it combines a plausible model for dose-response data with prior information or belief about the model's parame...

Variation is an essential feature of biological systems. Populations adapt to dynamic environments, in part, because of this variation. In this review, we re-examine phenotypic variation, especially in organisms living in polluted environments. A recent goal of ecotoxicology is to understand the sublethal effects of exposure to pollutants, e.g. responses to endocrine-disrupting contaminants. Wh...