Individual, population and community level effects of subtle anthropogenic contamination in estuarine meiobenthos.
The study presented here searched for the level of taxonomic resolution required to detect the effects of low-level chronic pollution on estuarine meiobenthic communities. Meiofauna from two sites, with special attention to harpacticoid copepods, was analysed at different taxonomic levels of aggregation using uni- and multivariate methods. Adaptation processes that could buffer biodiversity disruptions were also considered through the analysis of fitness-related and tolerance traits in the harpacticoid copepod Paronychocamptus nanus. Results showed that uni- and multivariate analyses could be inadequate when assessing subtle anthropogenic contamination. Instead, the assessment of inter-population differences in tolerance to the main source of stress rises as a required procedure if potential effects of this type of contamination are being investigated. Specifically, a 96 h acute toxicity test performed with populations from the affected site appears as a faster and reliable general tool to assess impacts of low-level chronic pollution in estuaries.
Rubal
Marcos
M
Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Universidade do Porto, Laboratório de Ecotoxicología, Rua dos Bragas 289, 4050-123 Porto, Portugal.
Guilhermino
Lúcia M
LM
Medina
Matías H
MH
D000818:Animals; D044822:Biodiversity; D033342:Copepoda / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D005260:Female; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D011174:Portugal; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry; D012623:Seawater / Q000032:analysis; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*
D019216:Metals, Heavy; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical