Increasing amounts of pollutants entering the ocean are actively endangering the ecosystem and our human population. The purpose of this experiment is to observe the effects of a common pollutant, diesel, on the larval fertilization success rate and development of Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, sea urchins. Using two conditions and a control of varying proportions of diesel to seawater, we released eggs and sperms into each trial jar and allowed time for fertilization to occur. After two minutes, we gathered samples from each trial to view under compound and dissecting microscopes for fertilization envelopes. In intervals of ten minutes, we gathered samples from each trial to observe under the microscopes for lysed eggs and cleavage formation. The results showed a high number of lysed eggs among both condition groups. There were no lysed eggs found in the control group. We concluded that the presence of lysed eggs in the diesel groups was due to the diesel negatively affecting the gametes. The lack of cleavage in the diesel groups was attributed to abnormal fertilization and subsequent abnormal cellular development.
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