The AmphiREPRO project focuses on methodologies for assessing biological effects of hazardous substances in the Baltic Sea region. This particular method focuses on reproductive abbreviations of amphipods, shrimp-like crustacea that are common in most freshwaters.
The knowledge of the effects of hazardous substances on the ecosystem in the Baltic Sea is not sufficient. The project stresses that a systematic set of indicators for biological response to disturbances is necessary. Moreover, the project suggests that it is essential to collaborate across the borders. For instance, the status of the Gulf of Finland cannot be determined without assessments of Russian waters.
At the core of the AmphiREPRO project is a method that uses reproductive disorders in amphipods as an indicator of biological effects of sedimentary contaminants. The project wants to develop this method further. The goal is to provide improved instruments for reducing the effects of hazardous substances in the Baltic Sea. The project will invite experts in zoology, developmental biology, genotoxicity, ecology and ecotoxicology. The activities include inventory of the Baltic populations of amphipods suitable for indicator, study visits and a workshop to finalize the guidelines for the AmphiREPRO indicator assessment.