Temporal and spatial biomonitoring of heavy metals in eastern Aegean coastal waters using Amphibalanus amphitrite

This biomonitoring study presents the spatial and temporal distributions of heavy metals in the soft tissues of a major fouling species Amphibalanus amphitrite living on hard substrate at different sites along the eastern Aegean coast. A. amphitrite has been chosen as a strong candidate for monitoring heavy metals. Sediment and seawater samples were also collected to detect their metal contents in order to gain more information on the environmental conditions and possible bioaccumulation patterns. The physicochemical characteristics of sampling stations have been measured in order to characterize the sampling area. The order of metal concentrations in barnacles, sediment and seawater decreased in the following order Cu > Fe > Zn > Mn > Cd > Cr > Pb > Hg, Fe > Mn > Zn > Cu > Pb > Cr > Hg > Cd and Fe > Zn > Mn > Cu > Pb > Cr > Cd > Hg, respectively. These results showed that barnacles accumulate Cu in a higher degree than both sediment and seawater. Moreover, metal concentrations in barnacle have the potential for use in any future regulatory framework monitoring and eventually controlling ambient metal pollution levels. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

<span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language: HI" lang="EN-GB">Impact of environmental conditions on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Posidonia oceanica</i> meadows in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea</span>

770-778<span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family: " times="" new="" roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"times="" roman";mso-bidi-font-family:="" mangal;mso-ansi-language:en-gb;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:="" hi"="" lang="EN-GB">In the meadow closer to the fish cages, total inorganic nitrogen, ammonium, chlorophyll-a concentrations and organic matter content in sediment were determined. It is relatively higher than those recorded at the control meadow. In order to test significant differences among stations, sampling periods and depths, environmental variables together with morphological characters of the both sites were analyzed by Canoco. Shoot density, adult leaf length, adult leaf surface area, and leaf area index (LAI) showed significant spatial and temporal changes. Additionally, except shoot density, the values obtained other morphological characters showed increasing trend towards deeper stations and further meadow from the cage activities. A coefficient values were relatively higher in the near cages and decreased related with depth.</span