Acronym ECOAPPROACH
Category
Fisheries
Title Metal contamination and ecological effects on benthic macrofauna communities: a multidisciplinary gene-to-community approach Programme Nat. Programme (supported by ESIF)
Instrument (FP6)
Contact Type (FP7)
Strand (Interreg)
NA
Theme (FP7)
Activity Area (FP6)
Regional Area (Interreg)
Action (COST)
NA
Specific Programme (FP7)
NA
Funding source National-European Coordinator Susana Isabel Almeida Alves Carvalho Coordinator email NA
Coordinator institution
INRB - National Institute of Biological Resources, IP (Portugal)
Institutions involved
CCMAR - Center of Marine Sciences (Portugal) ,
CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (Portugal) ,
Start year 2012 End year 2015 Funding (€) € 160,000 Website https://www.cesam-la.pt/projetos/ecoapproach-contaminacao-por-metais-e-efeitos-ecologicos-nas-comunidades-de-macrofauna-bentonica-uma-abordagem-multidisciplinar-do-gene-a-comunidade/ Summary "The relationship between metal contamination and ecological effects on benthic macrofauna communities is not always clear, and has been hampered by three main factors: (i) metals of natural and anthropogenic origin coexist in marine sediments; (ii) the mere quantification of metals in sediments does not mean that they are bioavailable; and (iii) mechanisms of tolerance to metals in marine organisms can be activated by exposure to them. On the other hand, directives for environmental quality assessment have been proposed on the basis of dose-response laboratory experiments. However, the ecological effects of contaminants depend on species density and diversity, as well as biological interactions and habitat characteristics. Consequently, in environmental impact assessment studies, significant ecological effects are usually detected below the proposed limits on the basis of ecotoxicological experiments. Thus, studies developed in the field, integrating different areas of knowledge, are crucial, to the extent that: i) they allow the evaluation of the potential ecological effects on a greater number of species with different functional attributes; and (ii) integrate environmental conditions. The present study will be carried out in the Tagus estuary, which was chosen taking into account the existence of an area highly contaminated by mercury (values reach 100 times the concentrations of other places in the estuary). On the other hand, in certain confined areas, concentrations of arsenic and lead are also high.
The main objectives of this project are: 1) to evaluate the effectiveness of a set of indicators in detecting significant ecological effects resulting from metal contamination; 2) ascertain which indicators are most sensitive to metal contamination; 3) assess the limits from which significant ecological effects can be detected in the Tagus estuary; and 4) assess potential impacts on ecosystem functioning. Along a well-defined contamination gradient, samples will be collected for the determination of i) metals and other descriptive parameters in the sediment; (ii) patterns of benthic macrofauna communities and populations; (iii) metals accumulated in tissues of benthic organisms; and iv) ecogenotoxicological indicators (e.g. oxidative stress, aneuploidy rate, micronuclei, structural chromosomal aberrations, metallothionine gene expression levels). Thus, the strategy chosen for the present study not only contemplates a multidisciplinary approach, but also foresees the identification of potential significant ecological effects at different levels of biological organization (gene, chromosome, cell, individual, species, population and community). At the community level, the functional attributes of the species (morphological, physiological and behavioural) will be taken into account. These attributes reflect their role in the ecosystem and allow them to assess the potential consequences of metal contamination on their functioning. On the other hand, at the molecular level, the analysis of the expression levels of metallothionine genes will allow us to know their involvement in the response of organisms to the environmental conditions in which they find themselves. Expecting a global response, by subtractive hybridization, several genes, some new, involved in these response mechanisms will be identified.
Data analysis and statistical modelling techniques will allow us to investigate the deterministic relationships between contamination levels and biological responses in a holistic approach. The indicators obtained at different levels of biological organisation will not be used as environmental indicators separately, but in an integrated way using numerical tools and contributing to the clarification of the choice of the best indicators and their effectiveness. The proposed advances in numerical tools will contribute to proving the efficiency of data analysis methods in environmental impact assessment studies, allowing better decision-making and deepening species-habitat relationships. To the best of our knowledge, a multidisciplinary approach covering all these disciplines has never been applied in the marine environment.
The aim of this study is to:
1) select the indicators most sensitive to the ecological effects of metal contamination;
2) indicate the ecological limits for the macrobentos of the Tagus estuary;
3) Identify the effects of metal contamination on estuarine processes. Thus, we hope to progress in the knowledge of the adaptive response of benthic organisms to metal contamination."
Keywords
Toxic substances;
Benthic communities;
Indicators;
Impacts;
Genetic;
Marine Region
38
Portuguese Waters (27.IXa,27.IXb)
1
Marine Region Map
