Amphipods in estuarine and marine quality assessment – a review

Summary Amphipods are a diverse and important group of invertebrates contributing to the functioning of aquatic ecosystems. In spite of their variety, many species of amphipods share important biological and ecological characteristics that make them suitable test organisms for assessment of the ecological quality of estuarine and marine sediments. Their pertinence as test organism includes ecological relevance, close association with sediments, sensitivity to environmental contaminants, and amenability for culture and experimentation. Amphipod bioassays are used to examine the effect of exposure to contaminants, as well as to assess whole sediment quality, improve bioassay methods, develop more sensitive endpoints, and compare sensitivity and utility of species in environmental quality assessment. This work reviews the developments in this area of research over the last decades, focusing on European amphipods. The most often used species, the type of bioassays and endpoints investigated, confounding factors influencing the bioassays outcome, and the main applications of the bioassays have been presented. This review also addresses some aspects of amphipod biology that are relevant for bioassay methods and results analysis.