Effect of Crude Oil on Early Life Stages of Native Fish Species of Kuwait

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Oil pollution in the marine environment is one of the major concerns in the Arabian Gulf States. Crude oil being a complex mixture of many different organic compounds exerts a variety of harmful effects in marine organisms and is known to disrupt the embryonic development in fish. Therefore, the proposed study aimed to determine the dose-response relationship between crude oil loading in seawater and the mortality and abnormalities set in the embryonated fish eggs and survival of larvae. The eggs and larvae of native fish species will be exposed to varying concentrations of water soluble fraction of Kuwait crude oil to determine LC50 values, no observable effect concentration (NOEC) and lowest observable effect concentration (LOEC). The maximum acceptable toxicant concentrations will be derived from NOEC and LOEC. The concentration and the type of abnormalities in eggs and larvae will also be mapped. The data will be helpful for the regulatory authorities in maintaining the environmental safety.