Wound repair and metal content of blue crabs, Callinectes sapidus, from the Albemarle-Pamlico Estuarine system / by John E. Weinstein.
| Author/creator | Weinstein, John E. author. |
| Other author | West, Terry L. (Terry Lynn), 1946- degree supervisor. |
| Other author | East Carolina University. Department of Biology. |
| Format | Theses and dissertations |
| Production | 1991. |
| Description | [x], 172 leaves : illustrations ; 28 cm |
| Supplemental Content | Access via ScholarShip |
| Subjects |
| Summary | The objectives of this research included: (1) a description of the cuticle repair process in blue crabs; (2) a comparison of wound repair between crabs from metal polluted (Pamlico River) and unpolluted (Albemarle Sound) habitats; and (3) measurement of tissue burdens of metals in crabs from polluted and unpolluted habitats. Wound repair in Callinectes sapidus consisted of the fol lowing events: (1) invasion of hemocytes into the hypodermis; (2) formation of a scab; (3) activation of the hypodermal epithelium; (4) synthesis of an amorphous repair deposition; and (5) production of a lamellate repair cuticle. Observations of microbial degradation of wounded cuticle suggested that the scab functions as an epicuticle. Mean repair cuticle thickness of Pamlico crabs ten and fifteen days after injury was only half that of Albemarle crabs. Pamlico crabs had significantly fewer hemocytes, a smaller proportion of eosinophilic granulocytes, and a threefold greater mortality than Albemarle crabs. Microbial degradation of the wounded cuticle also occurred at a faster rate in Pamlico crabs. Metal content of gill, hepatopancreas, and muscle were determined by ICP analyses on "healthy" Pamlico River crabs (no lesions), "diseased" Pamlico River crabs (bearing carapace lesions), and Albemarle Sound crabs (no lesions) during the Fall 1989 and Summer 1990. In general, manganese concentrations were highest in diseased Pamlico crabs, while concentrations of arsenic, aluminum, cobalt, nickel, titanium, and zinc were higher in either the diseased or healthy Pamlico crabs. Of these metals, arsenic, manganese, titanium, and vanadium are present at elevated concentrations in the sediments. Copper levels were always highest in the Albemarle crabs and nearly always lowest in the diseased Pamlico crabs. The results of these experiments suggest that heavy metal pollution does not directly cause lesion formation in Pamlico crabs, because the metals which are known to cause direct toxicity to the epithelium (cadmium and chromium) are not enriched in these crabs. Instead, the results suggest that the occurrence of shell disease in the Pamlico River is a symptom of a much broader health problem. |
| General note | Submitted to the faculty of the Department of Biology. |
| General note | Advisor: Terry L. West |
| Dissertation note | M.S. East Carolina University 1991 |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references (leaves 155-162). |
| Genre/form | dissertations. |
| Genre/form | Academic theses. |
| Genre/form | Academic theses. |
| Genre/form | Thèses et écrits académiques. |