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Lemesle P, Jouanneau W, Cherel Y, Legroux N, Ward A, Bustamante P, Chastel O. Mercury exposure and trophic ecology of urban nesting black-legged kittiwakes from France. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 363:142813. [PMID: 38986774 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.142813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2024] [Revised: 07/01/2024] [Accepted: 07/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
Seabirds are increasingly used as bioindicators for assessing the chemical contamination of marine ecosystems, including by mercury (Hg) worldwide. However, some geographical areas are still poorly documented, as metropolitan France that is home to 28 seabird species including the black-legged kittiwake Rissa tridactyla, in the part of the southern limit of the North Atlantic range of the species. Here, we investigated Hg contamination and trophic ecology of black-legged kittiwakes breeding in the harbour of Boulogne-sur-Mer, Northern France. Mean blood Hg concentration was 4.81 ± 1.20 μg g-1 dw (dry weight), 3.66 ± 0.75 μg g-1 dw and 0.43 ± 0.07 μg g-1 dw for adult males, adult females, and chicks, respectively. According to Hg toxicity benchmarks for avian blood, 30% of the sampled adults were considered to be at moderate risk to Hg toxicity. Stable isotope and food analyses showed that highest δ15N values (reflecting a higher trophic position) were related to highest blood Hg concentrations in adult birds, and that Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) and Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) were the main prey. Adult kittiwakes from Boulogne-sur-Mer showed Hg levels three times higher than those found in Arctic nesting kittiwakes, where sublethal effects have been documented. This study provides a first description of Hg contamination of black-legged kittiwakes breeding in France and calls for future ecotoxicological research to assess the vulnerability of this species in the southern part of its distribution range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prescillia Lemesle
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS - La Rochelle Université, 79360 Villiers-en-Bois, France; Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS - La Rochelle Université, 2 rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000 La Rochelle, France.
| | - William Jouanneau
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS - La Rochelle Université, 79360 Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Yves Cherel
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS - La Rochelle Université, 79360 Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Nathan Legroux
- Groupe ornithologique et naturaliste (agréé Hauts-de-France), 5 rue Jules de Vicq, 59000 Lille, France
| | - Alain Ward
- Groupe ornithologique et naturaliste (agréé Hauts-de-France), 5 rue Jules de Vicq, 59000 Lille, France
| | - Paco Bustamante
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS - La Rochelle Université, 2 rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000 La Rochelle, France
| | - Olivier Chastel
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS - La Rochelle Université, 79360 Villiers-en-Bois, France
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2
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Francescangeli F, Ferraro L, Frontalini F, Da Prato S, Rubino F. Exploring the underwater life in transitional environments: Benthic foraminifera, ostracods, and dinoflagellate cysts - Biotic trends and EcoQS assessment in the Mar Piccolo of Taranto (Ionian sea, southern Italy). MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 198:106545. [PMID: 38749196 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2024.106545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Coastal areas have historically thrived as centers of human activities due to their resources, economic opportunities, and natural allure. The rapid growth of coastal populations has however brought forth a multitude of challenges to tackle, with pollution emerging as a significant and far-reaching issue. Our study focuses on the Mar Piccolo of Taranto (Ionian Sea, Southern Italy), a lagoon-like coastal basin (separated in two sub-basins) that, since decades, has been heavily affected by human activities and aquaculture, leading to environmental deterioration. Although past studies have looked at environmental conditions in the Mar Piccolo from a chemical perspective, the biological component (e.g., biological indicators) has been mostly neglected. In this study, we firstly aim to examine the distribution and diversity of foraminifera, ostracods, and dinoflagellate cysts in December 2016 and compare our findings with data collected in December 2011. Foraminiferal and ostracod communities exhibit similar patterns in the two sampling campaigns, while the communities of encysted dinoflagellates show differences concerning both densities and diversity. Then, we evaluate the Ecological Quality Status (EcoQS) using ecological indices. While the indices in the inner basin appear to reflect an actual ecological degradation, they yield conflicting results in the outer basin. In the outer basin, indeed, the indices overestimate the EcoQS. This study highlights the potential of these indices for characterizing the EcoQS but emphasizes the need for improvements in their reliability. This research also contributes to a more holistic understanding of environmental condition in the Mar Piccolo and underscores the importance of integrating biological quality elements into ecosystem management and remediation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Francescangeli
- Department of Geosciences, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 6, 1700, Fribourg/Freiburg, Switzerland
| | - L Ferraro
- Institute of Marine Sciences, CNR Calata Porta di Massa, 80133, Naples, Italy.
| | - F Frontalini
- Department of Pure and Applied Sciences, Urbino University, 61029, Urbino, Italy
| | - S Da Prato
- Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources, CNR Via Moruzzi 1, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - F Rubino
- Institute for Water Research, CNR, via Roma 3, 74123, Taranto, Italy
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3
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Golikova E, Varfolomeeva MA, Kursheva A, Morgunova I, Aristov D, Renaud PE, Granovitch A, Korsun S. Measuring ecological quality status in low-diversity Arctic intertidal foraminiferal assemblages using a diversity-based index. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 203:116473. [PMID: 38820879 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 05/04/2024] [Accepted: 05/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024]
Abstract
EcoQS assessment of the marine intertidal zone based on its fauna is challenging because the assemblages have a low diversity and consist of stress tolerant species. The new approach we propose is to pool foraminiferal diversity (effective number of species exp(H'bc)) across the whole intertidal zone including the salt marsh and tidal flat. In seven fjordheads studied in northern Fennoscandia, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations indicated low levels of pollution (EcoQSPAH Excellent to Moderate). Jadammina or Balticammina dominated the salt marsh, Elphidium albiumbilicatum, Elphidium williamsoni, Elphidium clavatum, and Buccella frigida occurred in the tidal flat. Ovammina opaca thrived in both belts. While foraminiferal test abnormalities are often proposed to measure pollution impacts, we did not detect any correlation with PAHs. EcoQS based on foraminiferal diversity (EcoQSforam Excellent to Good) matched EcoQS based on PAHs suggesting that pooled foraminiferal diversity reliably measures intertidal EcoQS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Golikova
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology, St. Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya nab. 7/9, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia.
| | - Marina A Varfolomeeva
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology, St. Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya nab. 7/9, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Anna Kursheva
- Academician I.S. Gramberg All-Russian Scientific Research Institute for Geology and Mineral Resources of the Ocean (FSBI "VNIIOkeangeologia"), 190121, Angliyskiy Av. 1, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Inna Morgunova
- Academician I.S. Gramberg All-Russian Scientific Research Institute for Geology and Mineral Resources of the Ocean (FSBI "VNIIOkeangeologia"), 190121, Angliyskiy Av. 1, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Dmitry Aristov
- Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Universitetskaya emb. 1, St. Petersburg 199034, Russia
| | - Paul E Renaud
- Akvaplan-niva, Fram Centre for Climate and Environment, N-9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Andrei Granovitch
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology, St. Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya nab. 7/9, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Sergei Korsun
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology, St. Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya nab. 7/9, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia; Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Nakhimovskiy pr. 36, 117997 Moscow, Russia
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Sousa SHM, de Jesus MSDS, Yamashita C, Mendes RNM, Frontalini F, Siegle E, Kim B, Ferreira PAL, Renó R, Martins MVA, Nascimento JLPM, Figueira RCL, de Mahiques MM. Benthic foraminifera as proxies for assessing the effects of a pier marina construction: A case study in the naturally stressed environment of the Saco da Ribeira (Flamengo Bay, SE Brazil). MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2023; 194:115225. [PMID: 37531796 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
Brazilian coastal areas have been exposed to various anthropic influences including physical alteration such as marina construction. To assess the impact of the pier marina construction in the Saco da Ribeira cove (Flamengo Bay, SE Brazil), sedimentological (grain size), geochemical (organic and trace elements) parameters and benthic foraminifera were analyzed on a 50-cm-long dated sediment core covering the last century. The multiproxy approach applied to a numerical hydrodynamic model shows that the circulation in the study area underwent an overall reduction (ca. 30 %) after the pier marina construction in the 1970s, promoting an increase of mud accumulation and higher concentrations of total organic carbon and trace elements (i.e., Enrichment Factor Cu from 0.80 to 1.4) as well as a shift in the benthic foraminiferal assemblages (i.e., foraminiferal density from 63 to 23.20 specimens per 10 cm3 and dominance from 0.13 to 0.73). On the basis of these integrated data, better environmental conditions occurred before the 1970s, then an overall increase in environmental stress took place after the pier's marina construction. Our results provide a baseline for future biomonitoring projects in a stressed region and exemplify the strong capability and reliability of benthic foraminifera as bioindicators of paleoenvironmental changes in coastal environments and for understanding how human pressure might induce such changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia H M Sousa
- Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo, Praça do Oceanográfico, 191, 05508-120 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | | | - Cintia Yamashita
- Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo, Praça do Oceanográfico, 191, 05508-120 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | - Rafaela N M Mendes
- Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo, Praça do Oceanográfico, 191, 05508-120 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | - Fabrizio Frontalini
- Universitá degli Studi di Urbino "Carlo Bo", DiSPeA, Campus Scientifico Enrico Mattei, Località Crocicchia, 61029 Urbino, Italy.
| | - Eduardo Siegle
- Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo, Praça do Oceanográfico, 191, 05508-120 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | - Bianca Kim
- Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo, Praça do Oceanográfico, 191, 05508-120 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | - Paulo A L Ferreira
- Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo, Praça do Oceanográfico, 191, 05508-120 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | - Raquel Renó
- Faculdade de Oceanografia, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, R. São Francisco Xavier 524 - 4008E - Pav. João Lyra, Campus Maracanã, 20550-900 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
| | - Maria Virgínia Alves Martins
- Laboratório de Micropaleontologia (LMP-UERJ), Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro - UERJ, Faculdade de Geologia, Departamento de Estratigrafia e Paleontologia, Av. São Francisco Xavier, 524, sala 4037F, Maracanã, 20550-013 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; Unidade de Investigação GeoBioTec, Departamento de Geociências, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
| | - Jorge L P M Nascimento
- Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo, Praça do Oceanográfico, 191, 05508-120 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | - R C L Figueira
- Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo, Praça do Oceanográfico, 191, 05508-120 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | - Michel M de Mahiques
- Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo, Praça do Oceanográfico, 191, 05508-120 São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Instituto de Energia e Ambiente, Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida Professor Luciano Gualberto, 1289, 05508-010 São Paulo, Brazil.
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Bouchet VMP, Seuront L, Tsujimoto A, Richirt J, Frontalini F, Tsuchiya M, Matsuba M, Nomaki H. Foraminifera and plastic pollution: Knowledge gaps and research opportunities. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 324:121365. [PMID: 36858101 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Plastic has become one of the most ubiquitous and environmentally threatening sources of pollution in the Anthropocene. Beyond the conspicuous visual impact and physical damages, plastics both carry and release a cocktail of harmful chemicals, such as monomers, additives and persistent organic pollutants. Here we show through a review of the scientific literature dealing with both plastic pollution and benthic foraminifera (Rhizaria), that despite their critical roles in the structure and function of benthic ecosystems, only 0.4% of studies have investigated the effects of micro- and nano-plastics on this group. Consequently, we urge to consider benthic foraminifera in plastic pollution studies via a tentative roadmap that includes (i) the use of their biological, physiological and behavioral responses that may unveil the effects of microplastics and nanoplastics and (ii) the evaluation of the indicative value of foraminiferal species to serve as proxies for the degree of pollution. This appears particularly timely in the context of the development of management strategies to restore coastal ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent M P Bouchet
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, IRD, UMR8187, LOG, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, Station Marine de Wimereux, 59000, Lille, France.
| | - Laurent Seuront
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, IRD, UMR8187, LOG, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, Station Marine de Wimereux, 59000, Lille, France; Department of Marine Energy and Resource, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, 4-5-7 Konan, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 108-8477, Japan; Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, 6140, South Africa
| | - Akira Tsujimoto
- Faculty of Education, Shimane University, 1060 Nishikawatsu-cho, Matsue-shi, Shimane, 690-8504, Japan
| | - Julien Richirt
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, IRD, UMR8187, LOG, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, Station Marine de Wimereux, 59000, Lille, France; X-star, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), 2-15 Natsushima-cho, Yokosuka, 237-0061, Japan
| | - Fabrizio Frontalini
- Department of Pure and Applied Sciences, Urbino University, 61029, Urbino, Italy
| | - Masashi Tsuchiya
- Research Institute for Global Change (RIGC), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), 2-15 Natsushima-cho, Yokosuka, 237-0061, Japan
| | - Misako Matsuba
- Biodiversity Division, National Institute of Environmental Studies, 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8506, Japan
| | - Hidetaka Nomaki
- X-star, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), 2-15 Natsushima-cho, Yokosuka, 237-0061, Japan
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Nunes M, Alves Martins MV, Frontalini F, Bouchet VMP, Francescangeli F, Hohenegger J, Figueira R, Senez-Mello TM, Louzada Castelo WF, Damasceno FL, Laut L, Duleba W, Mello E Sousa SHD, Antonioli L, Geraldes MC. Inferring the ecological quality status based on living benthic foraminiferal indices in transitional areas of the Guanabara bay (SE Brazil). ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 320:121003. [PMID: 36623785 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Revised: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Using benthic foraminifera, we evaluate the ecological quality status (EcoQS) of transitional waters of the Guanabara Bay (SE Brazil) by applying the diversity-based index exp (H'bc) and the sensitivity-based Foram-AMBI for the first time in South America. The Guanabara Bay was selected for this study as it is one of the largest transitional ecosystems in the State of Rio de Janeiro and has been severely impacted by anthropogenic activities. Concentrations of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) were assessed by sequential chemical extraction in three phases (i.e., dissolved in water, adsorbed on organic matter, and Mn oxy-hydroxides). Total organic carbon, total nitrogen, and stable isotope (δ13C and δ15N) signatures of organic matter were analyzed to trace environmental stress. The Ammonia/Elphidium ratio suggests hypoxic conditions at most of the sampled sites. Principal component analysis identifies the first component as environmental stress underlying organic matter and PTE enrichment (in all three phases), which is positively related to Foram-AMBI and negatively to exp (H'bc). The exp (H'bc) and Foram-AMBI indices reveal that stations near the Governador Island and Niterói margin have the worst EcoQS, showing medium to extreme pollution. Additionally, Foram-AMBI and exp (H'bc) provide a congruent EcoQS classification for ∼64% of the sites. Although these results are promising, they suggest that a significant effort should be made to obtain better knowledge of foraminiferal ecological requirements to employ benthic foraminifera as a biomonitoring and management method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Márcia Nunes
- Universidade Do Estado Do Rio de Janeiro, UERJ, Faculdade de Geologia, Av. São Francisco Xavier, 524, Sala 2020A, Maracanã, 20550-013, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
| | - Maria Virgínia Alves Martins
- Universidade Do Estado Do Rio de Janeiro, UERJ, Faculdade de Geologia, Av. São Francisco Xavier, 524, Sala 2020A, Maracanã, 20550-013, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; Universidade de Aveiro, GeoBioTec, Departamento de Geociências, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal.
| | - Fabrizio Frontalini
- Department of Pure and Applied Sciences, Università degli Studi di Urbino "Carlo Bo", 61029, Urbino, Italy.
| | - Vincent M P Bouchet
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte D'Opale, IRD, UMR8187, LOG, Laboratoire D'Océanologie et de Géosciences, Station Marine de Wimereux, F 59000, Lille, France.
| | - Fabio Francescangeli
- Department of Geosciences, University of Fribourg, Chemin Du Musée 6, 1700 Fribourg/Freiburg, Switzerland.
| | - Johann Hohenegger
- Universität Wien, Institut für Paläontologie, Althanstrasse 17, A 1090, Wien, Austria.
| | - Rubens Figueira
- Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo (IOUSP), Address: Pça. Do Oceanográfico, 191, Butantã, São Paulo, 05508 120, Brazil.
| | - Thaise M Senez-Mello
- Universidade Do Estado Do Rio de Janeiro, UERJ, Faculdade de Geologia, Av. São Francisco Xavier, 524, Sala 2020A, Maracanã, 20550-013, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; Marine Geology Lab, LAGEMAR, Federal Fluminense University (UFF), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
| | - Wellen Fernanda Louzada Castelo
- Universidade Do Estado Do Rio de Janeiro, UERJ, Faculdade de Geologia, Av. São Francisco Xavier, 524, Sala 2020A, Maracanã, 20550-013, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
| | - Fabrício Leandro Damasceno
- Universidade Do Estado Do Rio de Janeiro, UERJ, Faculdade de Geologia, Av. São Francisco Xavier, 524, Sala 2020A, Maracanã, 20550-013, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
| | - Lazaro Laut
- Universidade Federal Do Estado Do Rio de Janeiro, UNIRIO, Laboratório de Micropaleontologia, Av. Pasteur 458, S. 500, Urca, Rio de Janeiro, 22290-240, Brazil.
| | - Wania Duleba
- Escola de Artes, Ciências e Humanidades da Universidade de São Paulo, Rua Arlindo Bettio, 1000, Vila Guaraciaba, São Paulo - SP, Brazil.
| | - Silvia Helena de Mello E Sousa
- Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo (IOUSP), Address: Pça. Do Oceanográfico, 191, Butantã, São Paulo, 05508 120, Brazil.
| | - Luzia Antonioli
- Universidade Do Estado Do Rio de Janeiro, UERJ, Faculdade de Geologia, Av. São Francisco Xavier, 524, Sala 2020A, Maracanã, 20550-013, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
| | - Mauro César Geraldes
- Universidade Do Estado Do Rio de Janeiro, UERJ, Faculdade de Geologia, Av. São Francisco Xavier, 524, Sala 2020A, Maracanã, 20550-013, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
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7
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Gözel F, Belivermiş M, Sezer N, Kurt MA, Sıkdokur E, Kılıç Ö. Chronology of trace elements and radionuclides using sediment cores in Golden Horn Estuary, Sea of Marmara. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 315:120359. [PMID: 36216182 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Trace elements and radionuclides are substantial pollutants in marine environment since they are non-biodegradable and can be harmful even in minute concentrations. The Golden Horn estuary, where is an inlet of Bosphorus and two creeks, has been seriously polluted by untreated municipal and industrial dischargers for several decades. Since 1998, a large restoration and rehabilitation efforts have been undertaken in the estuary to mitigate the pollution. In the present study, four sediment cores were taken from the Golden Horn estuary to assess the historical accumulation of trace elements and radionuclides. Radiometric dating was implemented by 210Pb and 137Cs radionuclides and CRS model. Sedimentation rates were calculated in the range of 0.92-0.97 cm yr-1 in the estuary. The distribution of radionuclides (40K, 226Ra, and 228Ra) indicated some slight variations which ascribes to the geological characteristics of sediment along the cores. The concentrations of the anthropogenic elements were relatively higher in the intensive industrialization period. Their concentrations reduced in the latest 15-20 years thanks to the large-scale rehabilitation project in the estuary. The pollution indices, namely EF, Igeo, CF, and PLI showed that the concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Sb, and Sn were above the world averages. Our results provide an insight on the long-term accumulation trends of trace element in the Golden Horn, which revealed that the estuary remains moderately polluted. We suggest that preventive countermeasures are much more important than post pollution remediation in the case of metallic pollution in the estuaries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Furkan Gözel
- Vocational School of Health Services, Bahçeşehir University, Beşiktaş, 34353, Istanbul, Türkiye; Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Istanbul University, Vezneciler, 34134, Istanbul, Türkiye.
| | - Murat Belivermiş
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Istanbul University, Vezneciler, 34134, Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Narin Sezer
- Medical Services and Techniques Department, Istanbul Arel University, 34295, Sefaköy, Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Mehmet Ali Kurt
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, 33343, Mersin University, Mersin, Türkiye
| | - Ercan Sıkdokur
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Koç University, 34450, Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Önder Kılıç
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Istanbul University, Vezneciler, 34134, Istanbul, Türkiye
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8
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Al-Enezi E, Francescangeli F, Balassi E, Borderie S, Al-Hazeem S, Al-Salameen F, Boota Anwar A, Pawlowski J, Frontalini F. Benthic foraminifera as proxies for the environmental quality assessment of the Kuwait Bay (Kuwait, Arabian Gulf): Morphological and metabarcoding approaches. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 833:155093. [PMID: 35421459 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The rapid urbanization and industrialization of Kuwait and the consequent effluent discharges into marine environments have resulted in a degradation of water and sediment quality in the coastal marine ecosystems such as in the Kuwait Bay. This study investigates the ecological response of benthic foraminifera (protists) to environmental stress in the Kuwait Bay. The traditional morphological approach was compared to the innovative environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding to evaluate the ecological quality status (EcoQS). Forty-six surface sediment samples were collected from selected stations in the Kuwait Bay. To detect the pollution gradient, environmental parameters from water (e.g., salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen) and sediment (e.g., grain-size, trace metals, total organic carbon, total petroleum hydrocarbons) were measured at each station. Although the foraminiferal assemblages were different in the morphological and molecular datasets, the species turnover was congruent and statistically significant. Diversity-based biotic indices derived from both morphological and metabarcoding approaches, reflect the environmental stress gradient (i.e., organic and metal contaminations) in the Kuwait Bay. The lowest values of EcoQS (i.e., bad to poor) are found in the innermost part (i.e., Sulaibikhat Bay and Ras Kazmah), while higher EcoQS values occur in the outer part of the bay. This study constitutes the first attempt to apply the foraminiferal metabarcoding to assess the EcoQS within the Arabian Gulf and presents its advantages compared to the conventional morphological approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eqbal Al-Enezi
- Environment & Life Sciences Research Center, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, Safat 13109, Kuwait
| | - Fabio Francescangeli
- Centre for Earth System Research and Sustainability, Institute for Geology, University of Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany; Department of Geosciences, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 6, 1700 Fribourg/Freiburg, Switzerland.
| | - Eszter Balassi
- Department of Pure and Applied Sciences, Urbino University, 61029 Urbino, Italy
| | - Sandra Borderie
- Department of Geosciences, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 6, 1700 Fribourg/Freiburg, Switzerland
| | - Shaker Al-Hazeem
- Environment & Life Sciences Research Center, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, Safat 13109, Kuwait
| | - Fadila Al-Salameen
- Environment & Life Sciences Research Center, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, Safat 13109, Kuwait
| | - Ahmad Boota Anwar
- Environment & Life Sciences Research Center, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, Safat 13109, Kuwait
| | - Jan Pawlowski
- ID-Gene ecodiagnostics Ltd, 1228 Plan-les-Ouates, Switzerland; Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 81-712 Sopot, Poland
| | - Fabrizio Frontalini
- Department of Pure and Applied Sciences, Urbino University, 61029 Urbino, Italy
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9
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Silva LCD, Alves Martins MV, Figueira R, Frontalini F, Pereira E, Senez-Mello TM, Castelo WFL, Saibro MB, Francescangeli F, Mello e Sousa SH, Bergamaschi S, Antonioli L, Bouchet VMP, Terroso D, Rocha F. Unraveling Anthropocene Paleoenvironmental Conditions Combining Sediment and Foraminiferal Data: Proof-of-Concept in the Sepetiba Bay (SE, Brazil). Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.852439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The Sepetiba Bay (SB), located in the state of Rio de Janeiro (SE Brazil), is a transitional ecosystem highly anthropized. Because of its great environmental, economic, and social importance, the SB has been the target of several studies to investigate the sources of pollution and their environmental impact. However, studies on the response of foraminifera to pollution are rare. This study applies for the first time in the SB the Ecological Quality Ratio (EQR) based on the biotic index exp(H’bc), related to foraminiferal diversity, coupled with granulometric, mineralogical, and geochemical data and a robust age model (based on 210Pb and 137Cs activity). This study aims to evaluate the paleo-ecological quality status (PaleoEcoQS) along core SP5, collected in the inner central region of the SB. In the sedimentary record of the first half of the 20th century, no foraminifera were found, and the moderate enrichment in lithogenic elements was probably related not only to weathering and erosion of rocks but also to mining activities in the region. From the second half of the 20th century, the study area was under higher marine influence. Progressive siltation took place because of anthropogenic interventions in river courses, eutrophication, and metal pollution. Weak hydrodynamic conditions favored the accumulation of fine-grained sediments and organic matters. In the same period, low diversified benthic foraminiferal assemblages, including mainly opportunist species, were developed. Paleo-ecological conditions inferred by the biotic index exp(H’bc) were poor around 1970 and worsened after the metal spill released by Companhia Ingá Mercantil (a zinc ore processing plant). After that, progressively recovery has led to good ecological conditions in 2015. This study shows how benthic foraminiferal methods could represent a very useful tool to track changes in the evaluation of PaleoEcoQS.
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10
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Rostami MA, Frontalini F, Giordano P, Francescangeli F, Alves Martins MV, Dyer L, Spagnoli F. Testing the applicability of random forest modeling to examine benthic foraminiferal responses to multiple environmental parameters. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 172:105502. [PMID: 34638002 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2021.105502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Revised: 09/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The main environmental variables controlling benthic foraminiferal distributions were identified and used to assess their influence on ecological indices developed as predictors of Ecological Quality Status (EcoQS) in marine ecosystems. Gradient forest and random forest models were applied to assess the predictive value of a selection of abiotic (environmental) and biotic (foraminifera) variables in a costal marine area in the central Adriatic Sea (Italy). This approach yields evidence that the predictor variables sand, silt, Pollution Load Index, and TN have the greatest influence on the distribution of benthic foraminifera in this area. In addition, we identify thresholds for the most important environmental variables that influence ecological indices. These findings contribute to efforts to determine how to best improve sediment quality and environmental stability for marine conservation. Further application of these approaches represents a useful tool for policymakers to survey the diversity of marine organisms and to improve the ability to protect and restore marine ecosystems by identifying predictors of diversity and identifying key thresholds in these predictors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masoud A Rostami
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV, 89557, USA.
| | - Fabrizio Frontalini
- Department of Pure and Applied Sciences, Università degli Studi di Urbino "Carlo Bo", 61029, Urbino, Italy
| | - Patrizia Giordano
- Istituto di Scienze Polari, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, 40129, Bologna, Italy
| | - Fabio Francescangeli
- University of Hamburg, Institute for Geology, Centre for Earth System Research and Sustainability, Bundesstraße, 55, 20146, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Maria Virginia Alves Martins
- Rio de Janeiro State University (UERJ), R. São Francisco Xavier, 524, LabMicro 4037F, Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, 20550-900, Brazil; Aveiro University, Department of Geosciences, GeoBioTec, Campus de Santiago, 3810-197, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Lee Dyer
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV, 89557, USA
| | - Federico Spagnoli
- Istituto per le Risorse Biologiche e le Biotecnologie Marine, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, 60125, Ancona, Italy; School of Science and Technology, Geology division, University of Camerino, 62032, Camerino, Italy
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11
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Cavaliere M, Barrenechea Angeles I, Montresor M, Bucci C, Brocani L, Balassi E, Margiotta F, Francescangeli F, Bouchet VMP, Pawlowski J, Frontalini F. Assessing the ecological quality status of the highly polluted Bagnoli area (Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy) using foraminiferal eDNA metabarcoding. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 790:147871. [PMID: 34098278 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.147871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2021] [Revised: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Morphology-based benthic foraminifera indices are increasingly used worldwide for biomonitoring the ecological quality of marine sediments. The recent development of foraminiferal eDNA metabarcoding offers a reliable, time-, and cost-effective alternative to morphology-based foraminiferal biomonitoring. However, the practical applications of these new tools are still highly limited. In the present study, we evaluate the response of benthic foraminifera and define the ecological quality status (EcoQS) in the Bagnoli area (Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy) based on a traditional morphology-based approach and eDNA metabarcoding. The geochemical data show that several sites in front of the former industrial plant contain higher concentrations of potentially toxic elements than the effect range median and are characterized by the highest total organic carbon (TOC) content, whereas the distantly located sites can be considered relatively low- to unpolluted. Significant differences (i.e., diversity and assemblage composition) in both morphological and molecular datasets were found between the relatively low- to unpolluted and the most polluted areas. Similarly, the selected ecological indices of both morphological and molecular datasets strikingly and congruently resulted in a clear separation following the environmental stress gradient. The molecular indices (i.e., g-exp(H'bc), g-Foram AMBI, and g-Foram AMBI-MOTUs) reliably identified poor-to-bad EcoQS in the polluted area in front of the former industrial plant. On the other hand, the Foram-AMBI based on morphology well identified an overall trend but seemed to overestimate the EcoQS if the traditional class boundaries were considered. The congruent and complementary trends between morphological and metabarcoding data observed in the case of the Bagnoli site further support the application of foraminiferal metabarcoding in routine biomonitoring to assess the environmental impacts of heavily polluted marine areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Cavaliere
- Dipartimento di Scienze Pure e Applicate, Università degli Studi di Urbino "Carlo Bo", 61029 Urbino, Italy.
| | - I Barrenechea Angeles
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Earth Sciences, University of Geneva, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - M Montresor
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, 80122 Naples, Italy
| | - C Bucci
- Dipartimento di Scienze Pure e Applicate, Università degli Studi di Urbino "Carlo Bo", 61029 Urbino, Italy
| | - L Brocani
- Dipartimento di Scienze Pure e Applicate, Università degli Studi di Urbino "Carlo Bo", 61029 Urbino, Italy
| | - E Balassi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Pure e Applicate, Università degli Studi di Urbino "Carlo Bo", 61029 Urbino, Italy
| | - F Margiotta
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, 80122 Naples, Italy
| | - F Francescangeli
- University of Hamburg, Institute for Geology, Centre for Earth System Research and Sustainability, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - V M P Bouchet
- University of Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, UMR 8187, LOG, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, Station Marine de Wimereux, F 59000 Lille, France
| | - J Pawlowski
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland; ID-Gene ecodiagnostics, Campus Biotech Innovation Park, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland; Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 81-712 Sopot, Poland
| | - F Frontalini
- Dipartimento di Scienze Pure e Applicate, Università degli Studi di Urbino "Carlo Bo", 61029 Urbino, Italy
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12
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Benthic Foraminiferal Indices and Environmental Quality Assessment of Transitional Waters: A Review of Current Challenges and Future Research Perspectives. WATER 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/w13141898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Transitional waters straddle the interface between marine and terrestrial biomes and, among others, include fjords, bays, lagoons, and estuaries. These coastal systems are essential for transport and manufacturing industries and suffer extensive anthropogenic exploitation of their ecosystem services for aquaculture and recreational activities. These activities can have negative effects on the local biota, necessitating investigation and regulation. As a result of this, EcoQS (ecological quality status) assessment has garnered great attention as an essential aspect of governmental bodies’ legislative decision-making process. Assessing EcoQS in transitional water ecosystems is problematic because these systems experience high natural variability and organic enrichment and often lack information about their pre-human impact, baseline, or “pristine” reference conditions, knowledge of which is essential to many commonly used assessment methods. Here, foraminifera can be used as environmental sentinels, providing ecological data such as diversity and sensitivity, which can be used as the basis for EcoQS assessment indices. Fossil shells of foraminifera can also provide a temporal aspect to ecosystem assessment, making it possible to obtain reference conditions from the study site itself. These foraminifera-based indices have been shown to correlate not only with various environmental stressors but also with the most common macrofaunal-based indices currently employed by bodies such as the Water Framework Directive (WFD). In this review, we firstly discuss the development of various foraminifera-based indices and address the challenge of how best to implement these synergistically to understand and regulate human environmental impact, particularly in transitional waters, which have historically suffered disproportionate levels of human impact or are difficult to assess with standard EcoQS methods. Further, we present some case studies to exemplify key issues and discuss potential solutions for those. Such key issues include, for example, the disparate performance of multiple indices applied to the same site and a proper assignment of EcoQS class boundaries (threshold values) for each index. Disparate aptitudes of indices to specific geomorphologic and hydrological regimes can be leveraged via the development of a site characteristics catalogue, which would enable the identification of the most appropriate index to apply, and the integration of multiple indices resulting in more representative EcoQS assessment in heterogenous transitional environments. In addition, the difficulty in assigning threshold values to systems without analogous unimpacted reference sites (a common issue among many transitional waters) can be overcome by recording EcoQS as an ecological quality ratio (EQR). Lastly, we evaluate the current status and future potential of an emerging field, genetic biomonitoring, focusing on how these new techniques can be used to increase the accuracy of EcoQS assessment in transitional systems by supplementing more established morphology-based methods.
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13
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Bouchet VMP, Frontalini F, Francescangeli F, Sauriau PG, Geslin E, Martins MVA, Almogi-Labin A, Avnaim-Katav S, Di Bella L, Cearreta A, Coccioni R, Costelloe A, Dimiza MD, Ferraro L, Haynert K, Martínez-Colón M, Melis R, Schweizer M, Triantaphyllou MV, Tsujimoto A, Wilson B, Armynot du Châtelet E. Indicative value of benthic foraminifera for biomonitoring: Assignment to ecological groups of sensitivity to total organic carbon of species from European intertidal areas and transitional waters. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2021; 164:112071. [PMID: 33549924 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Revised: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
This work contributes to the ongoing work aiming at confirming benthic foraminifera as a biological quality element. In this study, benthic foraminifera from intertidal and transitional waters from the English Channel/European Atlantic coast and the Mediterranean Sea were assigned to five ecological groups using the weighted-averaging optimum with respect to TOC of each species. It was however not possible to assign typical salt marsh species due to the presence of labile and refractory organic matter that hampers TOC characterization. Tests of this study species' lists with Foram-AMBI on two independent datasets showed a significant correlation between Foram-AMBI and TOC, confirming the strong relation between foraminifera and TOC. For one of the validation datasets, associated macrofaunal data were available and a significant correlation was found between the foraminiferal Foram-AMBI and the macrofaunal AMBI. The here proposed lists should be further tested with sensitivity-based indices in different European regional settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent M P Bouchet
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, UMR 8187, LOG, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, Station Marine de Wimereux, F 59000 Lille, France.
| | - Fabrizio Frontalini
- Univ. Urbino Dipartimento di Scienze Pure e Applicate (DiSPeA), Università degli Studi di Urbino "Carlo Bo", Campus Scientifico Enrico Mattei, Località Crocicchia, 61029 Urbino, Italy
| | - Fabio Francescangeli
- University of Hamburg, Institute for Geology, Centre for Earth System Research and Sustainability, Bundesstraße, 5520146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Pierre-Guy Sauriau
- La Rochelle Université, CNRS, Littoral Environnement et Sociétés, UMR 7266 LIENSs, 2 rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000 La Rochelle, France
| | - Emmanuelle Geslin
- UMR 6112 LPG-BIAF, Univ. Angers, Univ. Nantes, CNRS, 2 Bd Lavoisier, F 49000 Angers, France
| | - Maria Virginia Alves Martins
- Rio de Janeiro State University (UERJ), R. São Francisco Xavier, 524, Lab 1006, Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro 20550-900, Brazil; Aveiro University, Department of Geosciences, GeoBioTec, Campus de Santiago, 3810-197 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Ahuva Almogi-Labin
- Geological Survey of Israel, Yesha'yahu Leibowitz 32, Jerusalem 9692100, Israel
| | | | - Letizia Di Bella
- Dipartimento di Scienze Della Terra, Sapienza Università di Roma, Italy
| | - Alejandro Cearreta
- Departamento de Geología, Universidad del País Vasco UPV/EHU, Apartado 644, 48080 Bilbao, Spain
| | - Rodolfo Coccioni
- Univ. Urbino Dipartimento di Scienze Pure e Applicate (DiSPeA), Università degli Studi di Urbino "Carlo Bo", Campus Scientifico Enrico Mattei, Località Crocicchia, 61029 Urbino, Italy
| | - Ashleigh Costelloe
- BioStratigraphic Associates (Trinidad) Limited, 113 Frederick Settlement, Old Southern Main Rd., Caroni, Trinidad and Tobago
| | - Margarita D Dimiza
- National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Faculty of Geology and Geoenvironment, Panepistimioupolis, 15784 Athens, Greece
| | - Luciana Ferraro
- CNR, Institute of Marine Sciences, National Research Council of Italy, Calata Porta di Massa, Naples, Italy
| | - Kristin Haynert
- University of Göttingen, J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Michael Martínez-Colón
- Florida A&M University, School of the Environment, FSH Science Research Center, RM306B, 1515 South MLK Blvd, Tallahassee, FL 32307, USA
| | - Romana Melis
- Department of Mathematics and Geosciences, 34127 Trieste, Italy
| | - Magali Schweizer
- UMR 6112 LPG-BIAF, Univ. Angers, Univ. Nantes, CNRS, 2 Bd Lavoisier, F 49000 Angers, France
| | - Maria V Triantaphyllou
- National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Faculty of Geology and Geoenvironment, Panepistimioupolis, 15784 Athens, Greece
| | - Akira Tsujimoto
- Faculty of Education, Shimane University, 1060 Nishikawatsucho, Matsue, Shimane 690-8504, Japan
| | - Brent Wilson
- Cedar Lodge, Maenygroes, Cei Newydd, Ceredigion, Wales SA45 9RL, UK
| | - Eric Armynot du Châtelet
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, UMR 8187, LOG, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, F 59000 Lille, France
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14
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S Dos S de Jesus M, Frontalini F, Bouchet VMP, Yamashita C, Sartoretto JR, Figueira RCL, de Mello E Sousa SH. Reconstruction of the palaeo-ecological quality status in an impacted estuary using benthic foraminifera: The Santos Estuary (São Paulo state, SE Brazil). MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 162:105121. [PMID: 32846319 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2020.105121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Revised: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The Santos Estuary (SE Brazil) is a coastal ecosystem with a high ecological importance and has been strongly impacted by human activities over the last century. A multiproxy analysis of sediment core dated by 137Cs, 210Pb and 226Ra activities and based on sediment geochemistry and benthic foraminifera is here used to reconstruct the environmental changes and the variations of the Palaeo-Ecological Quality Status (Palaeo-EcoQS) during the last ~120 years. The Palaeo-EcoQS was reconstructed by applying the diversity index Exp(H'bc) based on the benthic foraminiferal fauna. Specifically, the Ecological Quality Ratio (EQR) allowed to assess the Palaeo-EcoQS during the last ~120 years using local reference conditions. Based on our data, the pre-industrial period (~1883-1902) represents the reference conditions with "Good" Palaeo-EcoQS. The ~1902-1972 period coincides with the beginning of industrial operations and intensification of coastal urbanization leading to a deterioration of the environmental quality and Palaeo-EcoQS shifting to "Moderate" conditions. Dredging operations in 1972 led to increase the influences of adjacent sea that ultimately resulted in a "Good" Palaeo-EcoQS persisting up to the 1990s. Despite the preservation actions and recovery programs, the 1993-2012 period was characterized by an overall deterioration of the environmental conditions. Indeed, the reconstructed "Poor" to "Bad" Palaeo-EcoQS suggest the ineffectiveness of the remediation actions. This work confirmed that benthic foraminifera are reliable to evaluate EcoQS and Palaeo-EcoQS in estuarine ecosystems. Based on the present findings and previous studies showing the potential of fossil foraminifera to define in situ reference conditions, we recommend the inclusion of foraminifera in the list of biological quality elements within legislations concerning transitional and marine habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Márcio S Dos S de Jesus
- Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo, Praça Do Oceanográfico, 191, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | - Fabrizio Frontalini
- Università Degli Studi di Urbino "Carlo Bo", DiSPeA, Campus Scientifico Enrico Mattei, Località' Crocicchia, 61029, Urbino, Italy
| | - Vincent M P Bouchet
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte D'Opale, UMR 8187, LOG, Laboratoire D'Océanologie et de Géosciences, F 59000, Lille, France
| | - Cintia Yamashita
- Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo, Praça Do Oceanográfico, 191, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Juliê R Sartoretto
- Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo, Praça Do Oceanográfico, 191, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Rubens C L Figueira
- Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo, Praça Do Oceanográfico, 191, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Silvia H de Mello E Sousa
- Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo, Praça Do Oceanográfico, 191, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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15
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Francescangeli F, Quijada M, Armynot du Châtelet E, Frontalini F, Trentesaux A, Billon G, Bouchet VMP. Multidisciplinary study to monitor consequences of pollution on intertidal benthic ecosystems (Hauts de France, English Channel, France): Comparison with natural areas. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 160:105034. [PMID: 32907737 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2020.105034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Revised: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The intertidal areas of the Hauts-de-France (English Channel - France) stand out for the occurrence of fragile ecosystems that are exposed to natural and human-induced stress. Over the last two centuries, the northern part of this region has experienced a strong human pressure, with the settlement of numerous activities (i.e., metallurgic factories, harbors, embankments). On the contrary, the southern part includes mostly natural areas. The whole region is influenced by a macrotidal regime. A multidisciplinary approach based on sedimentological (grain-size), geochemical (trace metals, biomarkers) and biological (foraminifera) proxies was used to unravel the contrasting environmental conditions in the Hauts-de-France. Three foraminiferal-types communities, which reflect different ecological characteristics at regional scale, were identified: 1) estuarine macrotidal assemblages (Haynesina germanica associated to Elphidiidae) in low impacted estuaries; 2) industrial-perturbed assemblages (H. germanica and Cribroelphidium excavatum) in harbor areas; and 3) infaunal-dominant assemblages (Bolivina variabilis and B. pseudoplicata) in embankment areas. The outcomes of this study show that a multiproxy procedure needs to be adopted for properly characterizing intertidal ecosystems, where human impacts and natural stresses overlap and are hard to disentangle.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Francescangeli
- University of Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte D'Opale, UMR 8187, LOG, Laboratoire D'Océanologie et de Géosciences, F 59 000, Lille, France; University of Hamburg, Institute for Geology, Centre for Earth System Research and Sustainability, Germany.
| | - M Quijada
- University of Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte D'Opale, UMR 8187, LOG, Laboratoire D'Océanologie et de Géosciences, F 59 000, Lille, France
| | - E Armynot du Châtelet
- University of Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte D'Opale, UMR 8187, LOG, Laboratoire D'Océanologie et de Géosciences, F 59 000, Lille, France
| | - F Frontalini
- University of Urbino, Dipartimento di Scienze Pure e Applicate (DiSPeA), 61029, Urbino, Italy
| | - A Trentesaux
- University of Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte D'Opale, UMR 8187, LOG, Laboratoire D'Océanologie et de Géosciences, F 59 000, Lille, France
| | - G Billon
- University of Lille, CNRS, UMR 8516 - LASIRE - Laboratoire de Spectroscopie pour Les Interactions, La Réactivité et L'Environnement, F-59000, Lille, France
| | - V M P Bouchet
- University of Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte D'Opale, UMR 8187, LOG, Laboratoire D'Océanologie et de Géosciences, F 62 930, Wimereux, France
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16
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Hess S, Alve E, Andersen TJ, Joranger T. Defining ecological reference conditions in naturally stressed environments - How difficult is it? MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 156:104885. [PMID: 32174339 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2020.104885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Revised: 01/12/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The present study performed in Horten Inner Harbor (southern Norway) shows that foraminifera link the present-day Ecological Quality Status (EcoQS) to EcoQS of former times and, this way, bridge an important knowledge gap concerning determination of reference conditions, even in naturally stressed environments such as transitional waters and oxygen depleted habitats. In Horten Inner Harbor, geochemical data in the oldest deposits showed stable background concentrations for about 200 years (from about 1600 to 1800) before human activity became noteworthy, reflecting 'good' to 'high' status. Hence, it is reasonable that organisms, which lived in the area during the same nearly un-impacted time interval, represent the biologically defined reference conditions, irrespectively of whether the biotic indices are classified as 'good' or 'bad'. The present paper illustrates, with a conceptual model, how the retrospective foraminiferal biomonitoring method can be used to detect environmental perturbations in estuaries and meet the difficulties of the Estuarine Quality Paradox.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Hess
- Department of Geosciences, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1047, Blindern, 0316, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Elisabeth Alve
- Department of Geosciences, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1047, Blindern, 0316, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Thorbjørn J Andersen
- Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Oester Voldgade 10, 1350, Copenhagen K, Denmark.
| | - Tore Joranger
- Norwegian Defense Estates Agency (Forsvarsbygg), P.O. Box 405, Sentrum, 0103, Oslo, Norway.
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17
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Armynot du Châtelet E, Francescangeli F, Bouchet VMP, Frontalini F. Benthic foraminifera in transitional environments in the English Channel and the southern North Sea: A proxy for regional-scale environmental and paleo-environmental characterisations. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2018; 137:37-48. [PMID: 29503106 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2018.02.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2017] [Revised: 02/12/2018] [Accepted: 02/18/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
On the basis of the available databases including 700 sampling stations from subtidal to salt marsh areas, the purpose of this paper is to synthesise the regional distribution of living benthic foraminifera in transitional environments along the English Channel and southern North Sea. Indicator species analyses assign 37 foraminiferal taxa to high salt marsh, middle salt marsh, low salt marsh, tidal flat, tidal channel, and subtidal environmental units. Species are indicator of a single unit (e.g., Elphidium gunteri for tidal flat) up to four units (e.g., Haynesina germanica from tidal flat to middle marsh). The outcomes of the present study enhance future high-resolution paleo-environmental interpretations based on benthic foraminifera in transitional environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Armynot du Châtelet
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, UMR 8187, LOG, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, F 59 000, Lille, France.
| | - F Francescangeli
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, UMR 8187, LOG, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, F 59 000, Lille, France; Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, UMR 8187, LOG, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, F 62 930, Wimereux, France.
| | - V M P Bouchet
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, UMR 8187, LOG, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, F 62 930, Wimereux, France.
| | - F Frontalini
- Univ. Urbino Dipartimento di Scienze Pure e Applicate (DiSPeA), Università degli Studi di Urbino "Carlo Bo", Campus Scientifico Enrico Mattei, Località Crocicchia, 61029, Urbino, Italy.
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Bouchet VMP, Telford RJ, Rygg B, Oug E, Alve E. Can benthic foraminifera serve as proxies for changes in benthic macrofaunal community structure? Implications for the definition of reference conditions. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2018; 137:24-36. [PMID: 29503108 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2018.02.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2018] [Revised: 02/16/2018] [Accepted: 02/18/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Benthic macrofauna is one of the most widely used biological groups to assess the ecological status of marine systems. Lately, attention has been paid to similar use of benthic foraminifera. In this study, distribution patterns of benthic foraminiferal and macrofaunal species were investigated simultaneously in 11 fjords in southeastern Norway in order to assess correlations and responses to environmental conditions. Selected fjords allowed to investigate contrasted environmental conditions from low total organic carbon (TOC) content (sediment TOC < 2.7%) in normoxia (bottom-water [O2] > 2 mL O2.L-1) up to high TOC content (> 3.4%) in severe hypoxia (< 0.5 mL O2.L-1). Environmental parameters comprised bottom-water dissolved oxygen, grain size, total organic carbon, total nitrogen (TN), pigments and depth below threshold (DBT). Foraminiferal and macrofaunal community data were significantly correlated (Procrustes analysis m2 = 0.66, p = 0.001). Hence, benthic foraminiferal distribution patterns mirror those of benthic macrofauna. However, as opposed to the foraminifera, macrofauna was not recorded at the most oxygen-depleted stations and, hence, was more sensitive to severe oxygen depletion. With regard to assigning species to ecological groups for ecological quality status assessment, the results suggest that species, e.g. Spiroplectammina biformis (foraminifera), Scalibregma inflatum (macrofauna), may exhibit different ecological requirements depending on their habitat. Considering the observed congruent patterns of benthic foraminifera and macrofauna, palaeo-communities of benthic foraminifera could be used as indicators of reference conditions for benthic macrofaunal community structure. This would however need further developments of algorithms to perform such a translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent M P Bouchet
- Department of Geosciences, University of Oslo, PO Box 1047, Blindern 0316 Oslo, Norway; Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, UMR 8187, LOG, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, F 62930 Wimereux, France.
| | - Richard J Telford
- Department of Biology, University of Bergen, Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, Allegaten 41, 5007 Bergen, Norway
| | - Brage Rygg
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Gaustadallèen 21, 0349 Oslo, Norway
| | - Eivind Oug
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Region South, Jon Lilletuns vei 3, 4879 Grimstad, Norway
| | - Elisabeth Alve
- Department of Geosciences, University of Oslo, PO Box 1047, Blindern 0316 Oslo, Norway
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