The Ascidian Ciona Intestinalis as Model Organism for Ecotoxicological Bioassays

The increase of pollutants in the oceans as well as the global change around the world is having a negative impact on the biodiversity of living organisms. There is a crescent alarm in the scientific community for the different types of pollution (biological, chemical and physical) and for the changes occurring at the level of species and communities. Many parameters endangering marine wildlife contribute to create an unhealthy marine environment that induces reproductive disorders that, in turn, may influence even the survival of marine wildlife.