This study evaluated the health of the marine ecosystem in Lavaca Bay, Texas using the Eastern oyster (
Crassostrea virginica) as the sentinel species. Lavaca Bay has a history of having gradients of concentrations of pollutants present with some
areas containing concentrations high enough to pose a threat to marine ecosystem health. The Comet assay was used to evaluate
for the presence of genotoxic response in oyster hematocytes. Bayesian geostatistical analysis was then used to determine
if the DNA damage in oyster hematocytes was spatially oriented and to develop continuous surface maps of the risk of DNA damage
in this sentinel species. Results indicated that proximity to industrial facilities increased the locational risk of genotoxicity
in this species.
Keywords Spatially oriented genotoxic response - Genotoxicity - DNA damage