The pink shrimp Farfantepenaeus duorarum, its symbionts and helminths as bioindicators of chemical pollution in Campeche Sound, Mexico

Abstract

The pink shrimp Farfantepenaeus duorarum may acquire pollutants, helminths and symbionts from their environment. Statistical associations were studied between the symbionts and helminths of F. duorarum and pollutants in sediments, water and shrimps in Campeche Sound, Mexico. The study area spatially overlapped between offshore oil platforms and natural shrimp mating grounds. Spatial autocorrelation of data was controlled with spatial analysis using distance indices (SADIE) which identifies parasite or pollutant patches (high levels) and gaps (low levels), expressing them as clustering indices compared at each point to produce a measure of spatial association. Symbionts included the peritrich ciliates Epistylis sp. and Zoothamnium penaei and all symbionts were pooled. Helminths included Hysterothylacium sp., Opecoeloides fimbriatus, Prochristianella penaei and an unidentified cestode. Thirty-five pollutants were identified, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), pesticides and heavy metals. The PAHs (2-3 ring) in water, unresolved complex mixture (UCM), Ni and V in sediments, and Zn, Cr and heptachlor in shrimps were significantly clustered. The remaining pollutants were randomly distributed in the study area. Juvenile shrimps acquired pesticides, PAHs (2-3 rings) and Zn, while adults acquired PAHs (4-5 rings), Cu and V. Results suggest natural PAH spillovers, and continental runoff of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), PCBs and PAHs (2-3 ring). There were no significant associations between pollutants and helminths. However, there were significant negative associations of pesticides, UCM and PCBs with symbiont numbers after controlling shrimp size and spatial autocorrelation. Shrimps and their symbionts appear to be promising bioindicators of organic chemical pollution in Campeche Sound.

The metazoan parasite communities of the shoal flounder ( Syacium gunteri ) as bioindicators of chemical contamination in the southern Gulf of Mexico

“…However, a possible synergistic effect, especially with porosity and total PAHs, cannot be ruled out because higher porosity indicates more interstitial space for PAHs, phosphorus and zinc. Our results are in accordance with those of VidalMartínez et al [14], who found negative correlations between the number of symbionts in the gills of pink shrimp (Penaeus duorarum) and the UCM concentrations in sediments from the Campeche Sound. UCM contains both aliphatic and polyaromatic hydrocarbons, which in turn are related to the total PAHs present in the sediments [55].…”

“…Sediment samples were placed in high-density polythene (HDPE) bags and maintained at 4°C for transport to CINVESTAV-IPN, Unidad Mérida. Hydrocarbon sampling procedures have been described elsewhere [14,17,18]. The physicochemical characteristics, hydrocarbon and metal concentrations of the sediment were determined in the Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry laboratories, respectively, by applying standardised methods [19][20][21].…”

Environmental parasitology: Parasites as accumulation bioindicators in the marine environment

“…For monitoring purposes in marine systems a large number of free living organisms is already established as sentinels, among them planktonic organisms (Zhou et al, 2008), molluscs (Azarbad et al, 2010;Boening, 1999), annelids Reish and Gerlinger, 1997), crustaceans (Klerks et al, 2007;Pourang and Dennis, 2005;Raissy et al, 2011;Reis et al, 2011;Vidal-Martínez et al, 2006), fish (Van der Oost et al, 2003) and mammals (Becker, 2000;Cáceres-Saez et al, 2013). These organisms do not only represent the most important groups of marine biota but they are also intimately connected with each other due to trophic interactions allowing us to estimate pollutant biomagnification along food webs (Fig.…”

The metazoan parasite communities of the shoal flounder (Syacium gunteri) as bioindicators of chemical contamination in the southern Gulf of Mexico

“…To monitor the effect of the contamination in the southern Gulf of Mexico produced by the oil industry and other environmental insults such as unregulated sewage discharge or pesticide transport by river run-off, studies have been performed on species of parasitic helminths and protozoans of the Mayan catfish Hexanematichthys assimilis [ 13 ], the pink shrimp Farfantepenaeus duorarum [ 14 ], and the pufferfish Spheroides testudineus [ 15 ]. These studies have concluded that chemical contamination influences parasite infection parameters.…”