The role of echinoderms as bioindicators of seawater pollution: A case study from patraicos and corinthiacos Gulf,N. Peloponnesus,Greece |
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| Authors: | Portocali Ph J Iliopoulou‐Georgudaki V A Catsiki M Papapetropoulou |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Biology, Section of Animal Biology , University of Patras , Patra, 26 110, Greece;2. National Centre for Marine Research , Ag. Kosmas, Hellinikon, Athens, 16 604;3. Public Health Lab., ‐Environmental Microbiology , University of Patras , 26 500, Greece |
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| Abstract: | To determine the role of echinoderms as bioindicators of seawater pollution we collected sea‐water and urchin samples from two sites in N. Peloponnesus, Greece. One site was in Patraicos gulf (Patras) and was influenced by point source pollution (urban sewage outfalls) while the second was in Korinthiacos gulf (Akoli) with no evident habitat pollution. Three heavy metals (copper, nickel and zinc) have been measured in the gonads of two edible species of echinoderms, Arbacia lixula and Paracentrotus lividus. Statistical treatment of the results showed statistically significant differences in bioaccu‐mulation related to the dry‐weight of gonads, to species, to sex of echinoderms, to season of sampling and to sampling station. The concentrations of zinc were higher than those of Ni and Cu at in both sampling sites. Microbiological analysis showed that contamination of the urchins was correlated to that of the surrounding seawater. Finally both sampling sites seems to be influenced, directly or indirectly, by heavy metal and bacterial habitat pollution. |
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| Keywords: | Echinoderms bioindicators heavy metals microbiological pollution |
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