Abstract:
With the increasing use of new techniques to assess toxic stress and the effects of pollution, it is important to ensure that any â¿¿â¿¿newâ¿¿â¿¿ endpoint employed is able to demonstrate a level of eco-relevance. Though recent application of chlorophyll a fluorescence parameters to macroalgal bioassays has been successful, a level of eco-relevance for such use has not been experimentally shown. As such, this article presents a series of experiments designed to establish a link between fluorescence parameters and higher-level effects (supra-individual level). The results show that fluorescence parameters are capable of predicting germination success of macroalgal gametes and can do so much sooner than the actual event of germination. Furthermore, a decline in DF=F0m is shown to be strongly associated with a reduced germination success. Thus, a level of eco-relevance has been established for the fluorescence endpoint that is at least equal to that of the widely accepted germination-based macroalgal bioassays.
