Reproductive and Developmental Effects of Contaminants in Oviparous Vertebrates (Setac Special Publications Series)

Concern has arisen in recent years about the potential effects of contaminants on reproduction and development in both human and wildlife populations. As a consequence, considerable attention has been given to various aspects of this broad issue by research scientists, environmental managers, and the general public. It was the purpose of this workshop to bring together experts from the fields of reproductive and developmental biology, environmental toxicology and chemistry, ecology, and risk assessment in order to focus on a key subset of this issue with great ecological significance-effects in both terrestrial and aquatic oviparous vertebrates. The workshop focused on mechanisms of contaminant exposure, effects on reproduction and development, organismal outcomes, and ecological ramifications, culminating in a discussion on ecological risk assessment focused on oviparous vertebrates. It was the intention of this workshop to provide for a clearer focus on reproduc! tive and developmental effects of contaminants on those species that hold the greatest promise for use in prospective and retrospective ecological risk assessments.