Linking riverine metal and pesticide pollution to biochemical biomarker responses in the scleractinian coral Mussismilia hispida.
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abstract
Concentrations of metals (Cu, Cd, Cr, and Pb) were assessed in the skeleton (sCu, sCd, sCr, and sPb) and tissue (sCu, sCd, sCr, and sPb) of the scleractinian coral Mussismilia hispida, alongside pesticide (organophosphate and organochlorine) concentrations and biomarker (Ca-ATPase and carbonic anhydrase) responses in tissue samples. Corals were collected from four sites at varying distances (2.0-9.4 km) from the Buranhém River mouth towards the Recife de Fora Municipal Natural Park - RFMNP (Porto Seguro, Bahia, Brazil). sCu, tCu and sPb concentrations were higher in corals closer to the river mouth. Tissue pesticide concentrations and Ca-ATPase activity remained consistent across sampling sites and seasons. However, carbonic anhydrase activity was greater in corals from sampling sites closer to the river mouth. Biomarkers were not significantly related to seawater physicochemical parameters and pesticide concentrations regardless of the sampling site and season. However, Ca-ATPase activity was positively influenced by tCd and tPb concentrations and negatively affected by tCu and tCr concentrations. A positive influence of sCu and sPb on carbonic anhydrase activity was observed, especially towards the sampling sites closer to the river mouth. These findings point out the Buranhém River as source of chemical contaminants, posing biological risks to corals in the RFMNP. This study provides crucial data on metal and pesticide contamination in South Atlantic's coral reefs, contributing to the development of conservation and management strategies in coastal coral reefs. Notably, this is the first report of pesticide contamination in corals from the South Atlantic Ocean.
