TY - JOUR

T1 - Halophyte bio-optical phenotyping

T2 - A Multivariate Photochemical Pressure Index (Multi-PPI) to classify salt marsh anthropogenic pressures levels

AU - Cruz de Carvalho, Ricardo

AU - Feijão, E

AU - Kletschkus, Elia Angus

AU - Marques, J.C.

AU - Reis-Santos, P.

AU - Fonseca, V.F.

AU - Papenbrock, Jutta

AU - Caçador., I.

AU - Duarte, Bernardo

N1 - Funding information: The authors would like to thank Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) for funding the research via project grants PTDC/ CTA - AMB / 30056/2017 (OPTOX), UID/MAR/04292/2019 . The authors would also like thank to the MAR2020 program through the project RESTAURA2020 ( 16-01-04-FMP-0014 ). Additionally, the authors would also like to thank FCT- DAAD bilateral action EcoHalCon (Project reference 57397247 ). B. Duarte and V. Fonseca were supported by investigation contracts ( CEECIND/00511/2017 and DL57/2016/CP1479/CT0024). P. Reis-Santos was supported by FCT through a postdoctoral grant ( SFRH/BPD/95784/2013 ). The authors would like to thank Funda??o para a Ci?ncia e a Tecnologia (FCT) for funding the research via project grants PTDC/CTA-AMB/30056/2017 (OPTOX), UID/MAR/04292/2019. The authors would also like thank to the MAR2020 program through the project RESTAURA2020 (16-01-04-FMP-0014). Additionally, the authors would also like to thank FCT-DAAD bilateral action EcoHalCon (Project reference 57397247). B. Duarte and V. Fonseca were supported by investigation contracts (CEECIND/00511/2017 and DL57/2016/CP1479/CT0024). P. Reis-Santos was supported by FCT through a postdoctoral grant (SFRH/BPD/95784/2013).

PY - 2020/12

Y1 - 2020/12

N2 - Salt marsh ecosystems are extremely impacted by human activities whilst also acting as sinks of contaminants such as heavy metals. Halophytic plant species can survive and thrive in estuarine and coastal areas with higher salt conditions that are generally not favourable to most plants. Halophyte distribution and abundance clearly relate to anthropogenic pressure levels and thus the impact of heavy metals needs to be rapidly assessed and monitored in a fast-developing world. To assess and manage this impact the search for suitable and efficient biomarkers is of great importance, aiming to produce a clear picture of environmental quality. The present work aimed to evaluate the application of optical tools, like non-invasive chlorophyll a pulse amplitude modulated (PAM) fluorometry, in four halophytic species (Halimione portulacoides, Sarcocornia fruticosa, Spartina maritima and Spartina patens), from three salt marshes of the Tagus estuary with different degrees of contamination, to investigate biomarkers for inclusion in a Multivariate Photochemical Pressure Index (Multi-PPI) destined for ecological quality assessment. The application of this index allowed to distinguish between less (Alcochete) and more (Rosário and Seixal) heavy metal contaminated salt marshes. This was observed particularly for S. maritima, in which Multi-PPI was lower for the higher contaminated sites, albeit this pattern was similarly observed in S. patens and S. fruticosa. On the other hand, the Multi-PPI index for H. portulacoides, a phytoextractor species, increased with the contamination gradient along the three salt marshes, and therefore this strategy should be considered when applying this index. Therefore, since these species are well represented in the Mediterranean, the use of optical tools to generate an easy fast index will have a great impact on the future of transitional ecosystem pollution impact assessments as well as in ecotoxicology research.

AB - Salt marsh ecosystems are extremely impacted by human activities whilst also acting as sinks of contaminants such as heavy metals. Halophytic plant species can survive and thrive in estuarine and coastal areas with higher salt conditions that are generally not favourable to most plants. Halophyte distribution and abundance clearly relate to anthropogenic pressure levels and thus the impact of heavy metals needs to be rapidly assessed and monitored in a fast-developing world. To assess and manage this impact the search for suitable and efficient biomarkers is of great importance, aiming to produce a clear picture of environmental quality. The present work aimed to evaluate the application of optical tools, like non-invasive chlorophyll a pulse amplitude modulated (PAM) fluorometry, in four halophytic species (Halimione portulacoides, Sarcocornia fruticosa, Spartina maritima and Spartina patens), from three salt marshes of the Tagus estuary with different degrees of contamination, to investigate biomarkers for inclusion in a Multivariate Photochemical Pressure Index (Multi-PPI) destined for ecological quality assessment. The application of this index allowed to distinguish between less (Alcochete) and more (Rosário and Seixal) heavy metal contaminated salt marshes. This was observed particularly for S. maritima, in which Multi-PPI was lower for the higher contaminated sites, albeit this pattern was similarly observed in S. patens and S. fruticosa. On the other hand, the Multi-PPI index for H. portulacoides, a phytoextractor species, increased with the contamination gradient along the three salt marshes, and therefore this strategy should be considered when applying this index. Therefore, since these species are well represented in the Mediterranean, the use of optical tools to generate an easy fast index will have a great impact on the future of transitional ecosystem pollution impact assessments as well as in ecotoxicology research.

KW - Bio-optical tools

KW - Bioaccumulation

KW - Biomarkers

KW - Contamination

KW - Ecotoxicology

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85089237276&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.ecolind.2020.106816

DO - 10.1016/j.ecolind.2020.106816

M3 - Article

VL - 119

JO - Ecological Indicators

JF - Ecological Indicators

SN - 1470-160X

IS - 106816

M1 - 106816

ER -