The use of pelagic fish as proxies of environmental contamination: a case study with sardine populations

Abstract

Event Abstract Back to Event The use of pelagic fish as proxies of environmental contamination: a case study with sardine populations Bruno S. Nunes1*, Rita Travasso2, Fernando Gonçalves2 and Bruno B. Castro2 1 Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar, Laboratório Associado (CESAM - LA), Department of Biology, Portugal 2 Universidade de Aveiro, Department of Biology, Portugal The use of bioindicators to analyze marine ecosystems contamination is often made difficult due to the absence of appropriate species. Pelagic fish species, captured by commercial fishing fleets around the world, can be successfully used to assess contaminant levels, by determining their body burden in specific compounds. However the study of biological responses elicited by such compounds, through the analysis of biomarkers, is highly dependent on the physiological and reproductive status of the organisms. Such confounding factors elicit seasonal fluctuations that difficult the extrapolation of data. Sardine (Sardina pilchardus) is a marine species common in the North Atlantic Ocean, being easily available through commercial fisheries. The present work intended to explore the potential of this species in biomonitoring studies, by simultaneously using enzymatic biomarkers and condition indices determined in fish landed in three commercial harbors along the west coast of Portugal. This strategy allowed devising spatial and temporal patterns in the sardine metapopulation. Results evidenced significant variability in both biochemical and physiological profiles of the fish, which were coherent among all sampling sites. Throughout the year, large seasonal differences for most markers were reported, which were strongly linked to the reproductive cycle and its physiological consequences (acquisition of energy, mobilization of energy reserves, etc.). It was possible to conclude that seasonality acts as a strong factor underlying chronological physiological adaptations, influencing biochemical markers that are usually employed as indicators of contamination. These effects can limit the usefulness of such a biomarker approach unless seasonality is not accounted for, and if no background values are known from previous studies. In this sense, studies such as this are pivotal to establish a baseline for biomonitoring studies. Also, despite the difficulty in interpreting the obtained biomarker profiles, our data suggest that S. pilchardus may be a successful candidate species to serve as bioindicator in oceanic biomonitoring studies. The use of individuals captured by commercial fisheries is a promising approach for environmental assessments, and studies on other pelagic species should follow. Keywords: Sardine, biomarkers, seasonality and natural variation, physiology and reproduction, Diffuse pollution, biomonitoring Conference: XV European Congress of Ichthyology, Porto, Portugal, 7 Sep - 11 Sep, 2015. Presentation Type: Oral Presentation Topic: Physiology, Behavior and Toxicology Citation: Nunes BS, Travasso R, Gonçalves F and Castro BB (2015). The use of pelagic fish as proxies of environmental contamination: a case study with sardine populations. Front. Mar. Sci. Conference Abstract: XV European Congress of Ichthyology. doi: 10.3389/conf.FMARS.2015.03.00225 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 15 Dec 2015; Published Online: 15 Dec 2015. * Correspondence: Dr. Bruno S Nunes, Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar, Laboratório Associado (CESAM - LA), Department of Biology, Aveiro, 3810-193, Portugal, nunes.b@ua.pt Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Bruno S Nunes Rita Travasso Fernando Gonçalves Bruno B Castro Google Bruno S Nunes Rita Travasso Fernando Gonçalves Bruno B Castro Google Scholar Bruno S Nunes Rita Travasso Fernando Gonçalves Bruno B Castro PubMed Bruno S Nunes Rita Travasso Fernando Gonçalves Bruno B Castro Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.