Evaluation of Environmental Quality of Mediterranean Coastal Lagoons Using Persistent Organic Pollutants and Metals in Thick-Lipped Grey Mullet

Chiara Leone,Lorenzo Tancioni,Michela Contò,Claude Belpaire,Giulia Poma,Govindan Malarvannan,Adrian Covaci,Eleonora Ciccotti,Fabrizio Capoccioni

doi:10.3390/w12123450

Abstract

The evaluation of past and present anthropogenic impacts affecting the ecological quality status of transitional ecosystems is crucial from the perspective of protecting them from further deterioration, and to evaluate remediation and restoration measures. Contamination patterns of thick-lipped grey mullet from two Mediterranean coastal lagoons within a protected area in Italy were assessed and compared in order to evaluate their overall quality status and to collect information that can provide useful feedback on management choices aimed at enhancing environmental quality and biodiversity conservation. The quality status of the two lagoons was evaluated by an environmental assessment methodology based on indicators of direct and indirect human pressures, while a broad range of analyses were carried out to determine the presence and concentration of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and metals in fish muscle tissue. A good quality status resulted for both lagoons, and an overall limited anthropogenic impact in the surrounding area. This could account for POPs and metal contamination levels found in mullet, although limited, and relating to their patterns. The overlap of results achieved with the two evaluation approaches can provide support for management choices in Mediterranean lagoon environments, especially for those committed to the protection and conservation of biodiversity.

Highlights

Coastal lagoons are shallow aquatic environments which span from freshwater to hypersaline conditions depending on the water balance [1,2], and that show significant ecological gradients due to their intermediate position between the continental and marine domain
Several threats are increasingly affecting lagoons as a direct consequence of the multiple uses of inland and coastal aquatic ecosystems, relating to habitat degradation and loss. These have been progressively occurring in most coastal lagoons, in the Mediterranean and elsewhere, as a consequence of the additive effects of many anthropogenic impacts [14]
Materials and Methods coastal lagoons of Fogliano and Caprolace are included within the Circeo National Park

Summary

Introduction

Coastal lagoons are shallow aquatic environments which span from freshwater to hypersaline conditions depending on the water balance [1,2], and that show significant ecological gradients due to their intermediate position between the continental and marine domain. They support a high biodiversity of habitats suitable for birds, fish and invertebrate species [3], many of which are commercially or recreationally harvested all over the world, namely in the Mediterranean region [4,5,6]. Water pollution due to the input of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and toxic metals, as well as land use and reclamation, overexploitation of resources, introduction and spread of invasive species are the most relevant [7,13,15]

Methods

Results

Conclusion