the observed effects on behavior may be due to oil-induced changes in 

 chemoreception. At higher exposure levels (1 ppm range), the behavioral 

 effects appear neuromuscular, with a loss of coordination and equilibrium. 



These preliminary results are being corroborated at different exposure levels. 

 In additional experiments, we will attempt to provide a correlation between 

 behavioral and neurophysiological results of oil exposure to determine if the 

 observed behavioral effects of oil are caused by a malfunctioning 

 chemoreceptor system. 



ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 



We would like to thank L. Ashkenas, B. Bryant and T. Dourdeville for 

 expert technical assistance. We are indebted to B. Melzianand D. Stenzler 

 for help in designing and construction of the flow-through oil dosing 

 system. Dr. B. Ache and B. Johnson provided us with the design and 

 training for the neurophysiological recordings. We would also Hke to thank 

 Dr. D.C. Miller for valuable discussions during the course of these 

 experiments. Financial support was provided by grants from the U.S. 

 Environmental Protection Agency (R-803833) and the U.S. Energy 

 Research and Development Administration (E(ll-1)2546). 



REFERENCES 



1. Atema, J. 1976. Sublethal Effects of Petroleum Fractions on the Behavior 

 of the Lobster, Homams americanus, and the Mud Snail, Nassarius 

 obsoletus. In: Estuarine Processes; Uses, Stresses and Adaptation to the 

 Estuary, Wiley, M. (ed.), Academic Press, New York, Vol. 1. pp. 302-312. 



2. Atema, J. 1977. The Effects of Oil on Lobsters. Ocean us 20: 67. 



3. Atema, J. and L. Stein. 1974. Effects of Crude Oil on the Feeding Behavior 

 of the hohsteT , Homams americanus. Envir. Poll. 6: 77. 



4. Blumer, M. 1970. Oil Contamination and the Living Resources of the Sea. 

 FAO Technical Conference on Marine Pollution and Its Effects on Living 

 Resources and Fishing, Rome, December 9-18. 



5. Blumer, M. and J. Sass. 1972. Oil Pollution: Persistence and Degradation of 

 Spilled Fuel Oil. Science 176: 1120. 



6. Dethier, V.G. 1971. A Surfeit of StimuH: A Paucity of Receptors. Amer. 

 Sci. 59: 706. 



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