Small is useful in endocrine disrupter assessment--four key recommendations for aquatic invertebrate research

As we enter the 21st "biocentury", with issues such as biodiversity and biotechnology growing in public profile, it is important to reflect on the immense ecological, medical and economic importance of invertebrates. Efforts to understand the diverse biology of invertebrates come from many directions, including Nobel Prize winning developmental biology, research to control insects that threaten human health and food supplies, aquaculture opportunities and also within ecotoxicology. In the latter context, this special journal volume highlights the importance of addressing endocrine disruption in aquatic invertebrates, from molecular and cellular biomarkers to population-relevant adverse effects. The contributors to this special volume have provided an excellent assessment of both the fundamental endocrinology and applied ecotoxicology of many aquatic invertebrate groups. On the premise that reproductive success is ultimately the vital population parameter, this chapter gives a personal view of key gaps in knowledge in invertebrate reproductive and developmental endocrinology and ecotoxicology. Based on current knowledge, there are four key issues that need to be prioritised within aquatic ecotoxicology: (1) a wider assessment of the reproductive status of invertebrates in both freshwater and coastal ecosystems; (2) prioritisation of laboratory studies in OECD and other regulatory test organisms, including basic endocrinology and ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion) research; (3) development and validation of mechanistic biomarkers that can be used as "signposts" to help prioritise species and chronic test endpoint selection, and help link data from laboratory and field studies; and (4) develop a comparative invertebrate toxicology database utilising the prioritised reference chemicals from the EDIETA workshop, encompassing the diverse modes-of-action pertinent to endocrine disrupter testing in both aquatic arthropod and non-arthropod invertebrates.