Population and community level indicator in assessment of heavy metal contamination in seagrass ecosystem
| Main Author: | Ambo-Rappe, Rohani |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Bahasa: | eng |
| Terbitan: |
International Coastal Research Center Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute The University of Tokyo
, 2012
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: |
http://repository.unhas.ac.id/handle/123456789/1904 |
Daftar Isi:
- The aim of the study to determine whether the pollution in seagrass areas influences seagrass morphology and abundances of associated epifauna.
- Seagrasses reflect the concentration of heavy metals present in the environment and are considered good biomonitors of contaminants. The aim of our study was to determine whether the level of pollution in seagrass areas influences seagrass morphology and abundances of associated epifauna. The following hypotheses were tested: 1, the concentration of heavy metals would be significantly higher in seagrass from the polluted location than in seagrass from relatively clean locations; 2, seagrass morphology (shoot density, leaf density, leaf length, and biomass) would be different between polluted and control locations; 3, abundance and diversity of epifauna associated with seagrass would be different between polluted and non-polluted locations. We measured shoot density, leaf density, leaf length and biomass of seagrass, Zostera capricorni, as well as abundance and diversity of associated epifauna. Concentrations of metals (Cd, Cu, Pb, Se, and Zn) in roots and leaves of Z. capricorni were significantly higher in samples from polluted compared to control locations. There were no significant difference in shoot and leaf density, leaf length, and biomass of the seagrass between polluted and control locations. Abundance of gastropods was significantly lower in polluted location than in controls, whereas other epifaunal groups displayed no difference. The results are discussed in view of selecting non-costly bioindicators of heavy metal contamination.