Seagrass Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile as a marine biomarker: a metabolomic and toxicological analysis

Abstract

2018. Seagrass Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile as a marine biomarker: a metabolomic and toxicological analysis. Ecosphere 9(3):e02054. 10. 1002/ecs2.2054 Abstract. A human-made environmental disaster due to the shipwrecked of Costa Concordia cruise vessel on the Tuscan Island of Giglio (Italy) coast and the possible pollutants release has been feared, so requiring the activation of removal operations and the monitoring of the marine environment. In the present study, the seagrass Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile was used as a bioindicator for the impact of the Costa Concordia accident on the marine and coastal habitat. Different P. oceanica samples were collected in the shipwrecked site under different light conditions. Using high-performance thin-layer chromatography, metabolic analysis of the samples was carried out in order to highlight possible changes in the secondary metabolism due to the permanent shading and the presence of pollutant traces. Moreover, sample mutagenicity, as a consequence of the possible absorption of environmental toxicants leaked by the wreck, was assessed by the Ames test. The results highlighted the permanence of the Concordia-induced alteration in the plant secondary metabolites. However, absorption of chemical pollutants and carcinogens was not reported; this point was confirmed by the lack of mutagenic effects found for the samples tested. Our results clearly evidence that the environmental impact of Costa Concordia wreck and removal operations on P. oceanica was mainly due to the lack of light in the marine habitat. Present methodological approach, which combines metabolomic and genetic ecotoxicological analysis, could represent a suitable strategy to evaluate the impact of human disasters on the ecosystem and to monitor the environmental changes.

Colonization of transplanted Posidonia Oceanica: understanding the spatial dynamics through high-spatial resolution underwater photomosaics

“…The Costa Concordia shipwreck and its salvaging traumatically affected the P. oceanica meadow established within the wreck area, leading to its regression [16][17][18]. After the wreck removal and the cleaning operations, any source of disturbance linked to the phanerogam disappearance was eliminated and the regression ceased.…”

“…Fieldwork was carried out on the east side of Giglio Island (central Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy), inside the restricted area interested by the Concordia shipwreck (upper panel of Figure 1). The P. oceanica meadow settled within the area was mechanically and physically affected by the shipwreck and its removal, leading to the disappearance of 8427 m 2 of P. oceanica, and leaving on the seabed a dead matte substratum from 5 to 35 meters depth (olive green tone in the upper panel of Figure 1) [16][17][18].…”

“…The present study reports the spatial dynamic of P. oceanica transplanted during a large-scale seagrass restoration in a previously disturbed area of the Tyrrhenian Sea. This area is located on the site of the Concordia shipwreck and has been subjected to multiple disturbances resulting from the 2012 shipwreck and its removal, which have led to the loss of a well-preserved P. oceanica meadow [16][17][18].…”

High spatial resolution photo mosaicking for the monitoring of coralligenous reefs

“…Any touristic or recreational activity (i.e., diving, sailing, and swimming) was forbidden in the wreckage area to avoid any disturbance during the wreck removal phases and to maximize safety in the case of an accident. A brief description of the morphological features and the evolution of the study area is given by Avio et al (2017), Casoli et al (2016aCasoli et al ( , 2017Casoli et al ( , 2020, Mancini et al (2019), Piazzi et al (2019a), Regoli et al (2014), Toniolo et al (2018).…”

Advances in seagrass’ omics research

“…利用 色谱、同位素示踪等方法研究鳗草硫耐性代谢机制, 发现鳗草主要通过氧化硫化物以及将硫化物结合到植 物组织中来耐受硫 [64] . 利用代谢组学研究光强和紫贻 贝(Mytilus edulis)对鳗草的影响, 发现在强光下, 贻贝 促进鳗草的氮代谢和能量代谢; 相反, 在弱光下, 贻贝 阻碍其氮代谢和能量代谢, 增强对硫化物毒性的反应, 导致氧化能量代谢受抑和组织降解 [65] . 利用高效薄层 色谱法(high performance thin-layer chromatography, HPTLC)探讨意大利油轮失事对大洋波喜荡草代谢物 的影响, 发现油轮的长期遮盖, 降低光强, 导致大洋波 喜荡草叶片的聚合多酚降低, 而茎中的脂肪醇和脂肪 酸含量则增加 [66] .…”