Objective - Development of a better knowledge about biological mechanisms developed by marine organisms in the coastal environment under the effects of contaminants by in vitro and in situ experiments.- Investigation of the relationship between biochemical markers measured in marine organisms and chemical pollutants (aromatic compounds, polychlorobiphenyls, pesticides) determined in the marine environment (sediment, waters, biota).- Characterization of the criteria and physiological/biochemical/cellular parameters for an efficient coastal contamination biomonitoring programme based on biomarkers.Biological markers are measurements at the molecular, biochemical or cellular level in either wild populations from contaminated habitats or in organisms experimentally exposed to pollutants that indicate the magnitude of the organism's response to the contaminants.Biomarkers of exposure (MFO systems, Acetylcholinesterase activity), biomarkers of pollutant effects (DNA adducts, DNA damages) and non-specific toxicity tests (immune response, phagocystis, reproduction parameters, Mutatox), will be studied in various marine/estuarine organisms (mussels, fish, marine plants, sea stars, sea urchins, crayfish). In addition, chemical measurements of organic pollutants associated to body burden (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, PCE, pesticides) will be measured in sediments, waters and organisms to investigate relationships between chemical concentrations and biological effects.Laboratory experiments will be performed to establish dose-dependent relationships between exposure, biomarker responses and toxic effects in sentinel species. A number of field sites (Western Scheldt estuary, Elbe estuary (North Sea), Arcachon Bay (Atlantic Ocean), Cannes Bay, Costa Dorada, Napoli Bay (Mediterranean Sea) have been selected to test the power of the biomarkers to identify the contribution of different levels and character of exposure. Fields of science natural sciencesbiological sciencesgeneticsDNAnatural scienceschemical sciencesorganic chemistryhydrocarbonsmedical and health sciencesbasic medicineimmunologynatural sciencesbiological sciencesecologyecosystemsnatural scienceschemical sciencesorganic chemistryaromatic compounds Programme(s) FP3-ENV 1C - Specific research and technological development programme (EEC) in the field of the environment, 1990-1994 Topic(s) 040204 - Risks to health and the environment from chemical substances Call for proposal Data not available Funding Scheme CSC - Cost-sharing contracts Coordinator Université de Bordeaux I Address 351 cours de la libération 33405 Talence France See on map EU contribution € 0,00 Participants (6) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all AquaSence Lab. BV Netherlands EU contribution € 0,00 Address 411 a,kruislaan 411 a 1098 SJ Amsterdam See on map Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas Spain EU contribution € 0,00 Address 18-26,jordi girona 18-26 08034 Barcelona See on map Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori Italy EU contribution € 0,00 Address Via m. semmola 12 80131 Napoli See on map NERC Centre of Coastal and Marine Sciences United Kingdom EU contribution € 0,00 Address Prospect place west hoe PL1 3DH Plymouth See on map Technische Universität Berlin Germany EU contribution € 0,00 Address Goerzallee 253 14167 Berlin See on map Université de Nice - Sophia Antipolis France EU contribution € 0,00 Address Avenue de vallombrose 06107 Nice See on map