Subtle effects of environmental stress observed in the early life stages of the common frog, Rana temporaria

Strong, Rebecca; Martin, Francis L.; Jones, Kevin C.; Shore, Richard F.; Halsall, Crispin J.. 2017 Subtle effects of environmental stress observed in the early life stages of the common frog, Rana temporaria. Scientific Reports, 7, 44438. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep44438

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/srep44438

Abstract/Summary

Worldwide amphibian populations are declining due to habitat loss, disease and pollution. Vulnerability to environmental contaminants such as pesticides will be dependent on the species, the sensitivity of the ontogenic life stage and hence the timing of exposure and the exposure pathway. Herein we investigated the biochemical tissue ‘fingerprint’ in spawn and early-stage tadpoles of the Common frog, Rana temporaria, using attenuated total reflection-Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy with the objective of observing differences in the biochemical constituents of the respective amphibian tissues due to varying water quality in urban and agricultural ponds. Our results demonstrate that levels of stress (marked by biochemical constituents such as glycogen that are involved in compensatory metabolic mechanisms) can be observed in tadpoles present in the pond most impacted by pollution (nutrients and pesticides), but large annual variability masked any inter-site differences in the frog spawn. ATR-FTIR spectroscopy is capable of detecting differences in tadpoles that are present in selected ponds with different levels of environmental perturbation and thus serves as a rapid and cost effective tool in assessing stress-related effects of pollution in a vulnerable class of organism.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1038/srep44438
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:	Shore
ISSN:	2045-2322
Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:	Open Access paper - full text available via Official URL link.
NORA Subject Terms:	Ecology and Environment Zoology
Date made live:	22 Mar 2017 13:42 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/516600

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

https://doi.org/10.1038/srep44438

UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:

Shore

ISSN:

2045-2322

Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:

Open Access paper - full text available via Official URL link.

NORA Subject Terms:

Ecology and Environment
Zoology