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Today's News
November 14, 2005: Intersex fish discovered off Southern California coast
Monday, November 14, 2005
Intersex fish discovered off Southern California coast
By: Associated Press Wire Reports
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Scientists have discovered sexually altered fish off the Southern California coast, raising concerns that treated sewage discharged into the ocean contains chemicals that can affect an animal's reproductive system.
Finding so-called intersex animals is not a new phenomenon, but most of the instances were in freshwater settings. Environmentalists say this is among the first studies to document the effects in a marine environment.
Last year, federal scientists reported finding egg-growing male fish in Maryland's Potomac River. They think the abnormality may be caused by pollutants from sewage plants, feedlots and factories.
In the latest studies presented at Monday's Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry in Baltimore, scientists caught 82 male English sole and hornyhead turbot off Los Angeles and Orange counties.
Of those, 11 possessed ovary tissue in their testes, said Doris Vidal of the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project, who led one of the studies.
Scientists do not yet know how such sexual defects affect the overall fish population.
Nearly a billion gallons of treated sewage are released into the Pacific Ocean every day through three underwater pipelines known as outfalls off Huntington Beach, Playa del Rey and Palos Verdes Peninsula.
Although the wastewater is filtered, it still contain contaminants that settle into the ocean floor.
Two related studies found that two-thirds of male fish near the Orange County outfall had egg-producing qualities. In a laboratory experiment, male fish exposed to sediment collected from outfalls also developed egg-producing traits.
Steve Weisberg, who heads the water research project, said the results are preliminary and warrant further study to determine whether sexually altered fish is a widespread phenomenon in ocean waters.
The group plans another study in the spring in which researchers will collect about 50 flatfish from five outfalls between Ventura and San Diego counties and compare them to fish from uncontaminated areas.
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2005/11/15/backpage/111405193549.txt
Topic(s): Ocean News, science news, Toxics and Health News, Wildlife News
Posted By EcoBC
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