Pollutant body burdens and reproduction in Platichthys stellatus from San Francisco Bay. Annual progress report, year I

The effects of sublethal levels of pollutants in the tissues of estuarine fish on reproductive success were determined. The relationships among several measures of reproductive success (percent fertilization, hatching success, abnormal larvae) and biochemical measures of pollutant exposure (induced mixed-function oxidase) as well as direct measures of chemical pollutants in tissues were examined. Populations were sampled during active gametogenesis and during the spawning season. Tissues have been preserved for pollutant analyses. The reproductive success of captured spawning females was evaluated, and mixed-function oxidase (MFO) activity measured in captured fish. The results indicate the reproductive success of starry flounder in San Francisco Bay is being impaired by organic pollutants. 14 references, 8 figures, 11 tables.