Acclimatory processes are likely responsible for metal tolerance in oyster embryos

We aimed to determine if offspring of oysters from contaminated locations were more tolerant to metals, and whether this tolerance could be attributed to acclimation. Oysters from 10 estuaries were sampled, representing a gradient in metal contamination. Tolerance to metals of the F₁ offspring from adults residing in these estuaries was assessed. Then, adults from these estuaries were translocated to a single estuary and their offspring tolerance reassessed. No linear relationship was found between the Cu concentrations of adults and their offspring's tolerance to Cu. A positive linear relationship was found between the Zn concentration of adults and the Zn EC₅₀'s of their offspring. Zn tolerance was lost after translocation. Zn EC₅₀ values of offspring from transplanted adults bore no relation to the Zn EC₅₀'s of their location of origin. Thus the initial tolerance observed could be attributed to acclimation transferred to the F₁ generation.