Biological effects of contaminants: Sediment bioassay using the polychaete Arenicola marina

The method described here is a whole-sediment reworker bioassay using the polychaete Arenicola marina, a direct deposit feeder that is widely distributed in European coastal waters and on the east coast of North America. This method has been tested nationally in the UK as well as in ring tests under the Paris Commission. It is suitable for carrying out bioassays on field-collected sediments and also for toxicity testing. Bioassay endpoints include both mortality and a non-lethal indication of effect (inhibition of casting).