Behavior of Corophium volutator (Crustacea, Amphipoda) exposed to the water-accommodated fraction of oil in water and sediment.

We investigated the short-term effects of the water accommodated fraction (WAF) of weathered Forties crude oil on the behavior of Corophium volutator in the Multispecies Freshwater Biomonitor (MFB). When exposing C. volutator to 25 and 50% WAF in aqueous exposures, hyperactivity with an additional increase in ventilation was detected, whereas exposure to 100% WAF led to hypoactivity (narcosis). In a sediment exposure with 100% WAF, there was an increased tendency toward hyperactivity. In a pulse experiment, hyperactivity appeared at and after a 130-min exposure to 50% WAF in a majority of cases. Our experiments suggest that the behavior of C. volutator as measured in the MFB may be an appropriate parameter for coastal monitoring.