ABSTRACT
This chapter suggests that biochemical measurements of bacterial exoenzyme activity in natural sediments can be used to monitor conditions at ocean disposal and/or industrial sites such as offshore drilling platforms to ascertain conditions operations; and determine the size of benthic impact zones. The environmental impact of contaminants in aquatic ecosystems cannot be assessed accurately with a single species biotest, as it cannot represent the range of sensitivity of all biota within an ecosystem. To fully assess the potential impact of physical disturbances and contaminant additions on the environment, effects must be examined at the ecosystem level, not just the population and community level. Organic matter in aquatic environments consists mostly of large, high-molecular-weight compounds, such as proteins, polysaccharides, nucleic acids, and humic materials that cannot be incorporated directly by bacteria. The observed inconsistency in sensitivity patterns between the various assays is undoubtedly due to the physicochemical variation between enzymes and differences in the modes of action by toxicants.
