Biomarkers in mangrove root crab Goniopsis cruentata for evaluating quality of tropical estuaries

Chapter 10. The Crab Ucides cordatus (Malacostraca, Decapoda, Brachyura) and Other Related Taxa as Environmental Sentinels for Assessment and Monitoring of Tropical Mangroves from South America

“…56 This is a more sensitive method to detect genomic microlesions, allowing individual identification of damage in most eukaryote cells, 57 and is used as an ecological indicator for diagnosis and monitoring of coastal areas. 58,59 Success has been obtained with this assay during environmental monitoring using vertebrates such as fishes, amphibians and mammals, as well as invertebrates such as decapod crustaceans. [60][61][62] The integrity of the lysosome membrane (neutral red retention time, NRRT) is an in vitro test that has been used as a chemical stress biomarker for the detection of xenobiotics' harmful effects in organelles.…”

“…Another important characteristic of decapod crustaceans is the selection of intermoult exemplars to use in biomarker evaluations because in the pre-and post-moult stages there are many metabolic demands, compromising the dynamics of absorption of pollutants and their defence system. 58 The larval development of U. cordatus comprises six instars of a zoea stage and one stage of megalopa, that last one moulting to juvenile. During the first juvenile stage the animals have reduced size, being attracted by conspecific odours that are left by adults in the sediment, aiming to attract individuals for recruitment in mangroves.…”

“…Therefore, the use of these species allows a comparison between polluted and pristine areas, and can provide valuable information about the status of diverse environmental matrices, including different trophic levels. 58,107 In addition, U. cordatus (Figure 10.1A) has an ecological similarity when compared with C. guanhumi (Figure 10.1E), considering the large contact with many environmental matrices in mangrove and restinga areas, respectively. However, guaiamú crabs (Cardisoma guanhumi) build their galleries several hundred meters offshore, particularly along estuaries and river banks, composed of sand, associated with adjacent coastal forests (e.g., Atlantic forest), 5 km from rivers.…”

Assessing legacy contaminants in sediments from marine protected areas of the central coast of São Paulo (Brazil)

“…The proper planning and management of MPAs rely on a set of actions and policies that must be implemented in order to ensure effective protection of the marine ecosystems. However, recently POZO et al (2009) and TERLIZZI et al(2004) have stated that MPAs located close to human activities are influenced by chemicals originating outside them, and recent literature has correlated the presence of contaminants within MPAs with negative effects on the biota (DAVANSO et al, 2013;RODRIGUES et al, 2013, CRUZ et al, 2014GUSSO-CHOUERI et al, 2015;NILIN et al, 2013). Thus, for an effective MPA management it is important to determine the pollution status of the area, which can be achieved by monitoring the concentrations of chemical substances in the environmental compartments.…”

Assessing the sediment quality of the Laje de Santos marine state park and other marine protected areas of the central coast of São Paulo (Brazil)

“…Threats to the MPAs include both internal factors -such as fishing and overcrowdingand external ones -such as the presence of polluting sources in the vicinity of the MPA (KELLEHER et al, 1995). MPAs located near human activities have experienced the phenomenon of transboundary movements of chemicals (POZO et al, 2009;TERLIZZI et al, 2004) and a few recent studies have demonstrated the negative biological effects of contaminants due to pollution (DAVANSO et al, 2013;RODRIGUES et al, 2013, ARAÚJO et al, 2013CRUZ et al, 2014;GUSSO-CHOUERI et al, 2015;NILIN et al, 2013). Therefore, knowing if and how contamination from external sources affects the environmental quality within MPAs emerges as a critical aspect that must be addressed for proper MPA management.…”