From data presented in this study, it seems clear that the distribution of cytosolic metals between HMW, MT and LMW pools can provide valuable information concerning the impact of metals on organisms. However, in organisms from the three stations chosen for this study, the range of metal levels was not sufficient to allow us to examine metal distributions under more stressed conditions where spill over might be expected to occur. Before this approach can be utilized for routine in situ assays, a more extensive examination of metal distributions and interactions in a variety of marine organisms, over a wider range of metal concentration, in both the field and laboratory, is required.It is also important that metal distributions be correlated with reproductive cycle and with other indicators of stress such as histopathology so that the toxicological significance of varying patterns of metal distribution may be determined.