TY - JOUR
T1 - Response of benthic diatom assemblages to contamination by metals in a marine environment
AU - Martínez, Yuriko Jocselin
AU - Siqueiros-Beltrones, David Alfaro
AU - Marmolejo-Rodríguez, Ana Judith
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
PY - 2021/4
Y1 - 2021/4
N2 - Studies on marine benthic diatoms in environments contaminated by metals are scarce. The typical structure of benthic diatom assemblages (species richness, diversity, dominance, dominant taxa) from undisturbed environments may be used as reference for contrasting with contaminated environments in order to observe how said assemblages respond to such disturbance. Thus, the Ho that the structure of benthic diatom associations and morphology of their frustules under contamination by metals would be normal, as in unpolluted environments was tested. To do this, concentrations of 24 metals were surveyed in a coastal zone impacted by mining residues, and the structure of benthic local diatom assemblages was described. Metal concentrations measurements for 15 metals surpassed the normal values of the upper earth cortex, seven were under the low range effect, and three (Cd, Cu, Zn) surpassed the medium range effect values. At a control site no element concentration was above the reference values for low range effect (LRE) or medium range effect (MRE) standards. There, diatom species richness (S) was high, particularly on seaweeds; where, 397 diatom taxa were recorded. In contrast, at the contaminated area 217 diatom taxa were recorded, but diversity (H’) ranged from 2.4 to 4.3. Relative high frequencies of deformed diatom valves mainly of Achnanthes spp. were recorded in contaminated sediments. In general, diatom taxocenoses presented a typical structure for non-contaminated environments. However, scarceness of specimens, lower S, and frequency of deformed valves suggest responses to metal contamination. For marine environments, the latter values corresponding to A. longipes may be considered a reliable reference to the response of benthic diatoms to metal contamination.
AB - Studies on marine benthic diatoms in environments contaminated by metals are scarce. The typical structure of benthic diatom assemblages (species richness, diversity, dominance, dominant taxa) from undisturbed environments may be used as reference for contrasting with contaminated environments in order to observe how said assemblages respond to such disturbance. Thus, the Ho that the structure of benthic diatom associations and morphology of their frustules under contamination by metals would be normal, as in unpolluted environments was tested. To do this, concentrations of 24 metals were surveyed in a coastal zone impacted by mining residues, and the structure of benthic local diatom assemblages was described. Metal concentrations measurements for 15 metals surpassed the normal values of the upper earth cortex, seven were under the low range effect, and three (Cd, Cu, Zn) surpassed the medium range effect values. At a control site no element concentration was above the reference values for low range effect (LRE) or medium range effect (MRE) standards. There, diatom species richness (S) was high, particularly on seaweeds; where, 397 diatom taxa were recorded. In contrast, at the contaminated area 217 diatom taxa were recorded, but diversity (H’) ranged from 2.4 to 4.3. Relative high frequencies of deformed diatom valves mainly of Achnanthes spp. were recorded in contaminated sediments. In general, diatom taxocenoses presented a typical structure for non-contaminated environments. However, scarceness of specimens, lower S, and frequency of deformed valves suggest responses to metal contamination. For marine environments, the latter values corresponding to A. longipes may be considered a reliable reference to the response of benthic diatoms to metal contamination.
KW - Diatoms
KW - Marine
KW - Metals
KW - Pollution
KW - Teratology
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85104936531&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/jmse9040443
DO - 10.3390/jmse9040443
M3 - Artículo
AN - SCOPUS:85104936531
SN - 2077-1312
VL - 9
JO - Journal of Marine Science and Engineering
JF - Journal of Marine Science and Engineering
IS - 4
M1 - 443
ER -