Seagrasses as indicators for coastal trace metal pollution: A global meta-analysis serving as a benchmark, and a Caribbean case study

Abstract

28Seagrass beds are highly productive coastal ecosystems providing a large array of 29 ecosystem services including fisheries and carbon sequestration. As seagrasses are known 30 to be highly sensitive to anthropogenic forcing, we evaluated the use of trace metal 31 concentrations in seagrasses as bioindicators for trace metal pollution of coastal regions at 32 both global and local scale. We carried out a meta-analysis based on literature data to 33 provide a global benchmark list for trace metal accumulation in seagrasses, which was 34 lacking in literature. We subsequently carried out a case study at the Caribbean islands of 35Curaçao and Bonaire to test for local-scale differences in trace metal concentrations in 36 seagrasses, and internal metal allocation. The benchmark and local study show that trace 37 metal concentrations in seagrass leaves, regardless of the species, can vary over a 100 to Billions of people live in coastal areas all over the world and it is expected that, in a couple of 50 decades, even more than 50 % of the expanding human population will be living within 150 51 km from the shore (Cohen, 2003; Cohen et al., 1997; Small and Nicholls, 2003). This leads 52 to a steep increase in anthropogenic activities in coastal areas such as dredging, 53 aquaculture, industrial activities and pollution, sewage discharge, and deforestation (Cohen, 54 2003; Mora, 2008). These activities severely threaten coastal ecosystems including coral 55 reefs (Mumby et al., 2006; Mumby et al., 2007), mangroves (Valiela et al., 2001) and 60To get insight into the extent and the spatial variation of anthropogenic pressure on 61 coastal ecosystems and to locate sources of pollution, there is a strong need for good 62 indicators. Bioindicators, including a variety of organisms such as clams, plants, copepods 63 and microorganisms, can be used to identify anthropogenic disturbances and preferentially 64provide early warning signals for pollution or degradation (Linton and Warner, 2003). As they 65 accumulate pollutants, these organisms also reflect low intensity, but chronic impacts, in 66 contrast to physical or chemical parameters which often only present a snapshot of 67 environmental conditions (Linton and Warner, 2003). Additionally, bioindicators can provide 68 information on multiple spatial scales, as most ecosystems are heterogeneous, and are able 69 to differentiate between natural variation and anthropogenic disturbance (Markert et al., 70 1999; Martínez-Crego et al., 2008). 71Seagrasses are known to be good bioindicators (Lee et al., 2004; Orth et al., 2006) 72 as they are widespread and sensitive to environmental changes (Bhattacharya et al., 2003; 73 Ferrat et al., 2003; Udy and Dennison, 1997; Walker and McComb, 1992), and are able to 74 integrate ecological conditions and processes over various timescales from weeks to years 75 4 (Gonzalez-Correa et al., 2005; Madden et al., 2009; Meehan and West, 2000 Royo et al., 2011; Montefalcone, 2009; Moreno et al., 2001; Romero et al., 2...

Heavy metal spatial variation, bioaccumulation, and risk assessment of Zostera japonica habitat in the Yellow River Estuary, China

“…Heavy metals may be incorporated into seagrass tissues from the water or sediments (Lyngby et al, 1982;Ward, 1987). The potential of heavy metal accumulation in seagrass has been investigated for bioremediation purposes (e.g., Bunluesin et al, 2007;Govers et al, 2014). Although some of elements are essential to plant growth (e.g., Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Zn), several studies have shown that heavy metals negatively impact seagrass photosynthetic physiology (Prange and Dennison, 2000;Macinnis-Ng and Ralph, 2002;Papathanasiou et al, 2015).…”

Physiological Response of Thallasia hemprichii on Antrophogenic Pressure In Pari Island, Seribu Islands, DKI Jakarta

“…Increased bioaccumulation of heavy metal will give toxic and resistant effect for seagrass (MacInnis-Ng and Ralph, 2004). Heavy metals in seagrass may accumulate in seagrass grazing biota (Govers et al, 2014).…”

Spatial variations in trace element concentrations of the sea urchin, Paracentrotus lividus, a first reference study in the Mediterranean Sea

“…A better understanding of these pressures will allow managers to act at the source and reduce the degradation or improve the ecological quality of water bodies (Blanfuné et al, 2017). As proposed by Govers et al (2014), from a research perspective, it could be interesting to study the importance of seasonality and physiological status for the use of sea urchins and other marine organisms as bioindicators for TE pollution.…”