title: Metals in benthic macrofauna and biogeochemical factors affecting their trophic transfer to wild fish around fish farm cages.
abstract: Benthic macroinvertebrates and wild fish aggregating in the vicinity of four Mediterranean fish farms were sampled. Concentrations of metals and other elements were measured in macrofaunal taxa and in fish tissues (muscle, liver, gills, bone, gonad, stomach, intestine, and stomach content). Biological and geochemical characteristics play an important role in metal accumulation in benthic invertebrates, and consequently in metal transfer to higher trophic levels. Macroinvertebrates accumulated lower concentrations of most metals and elements than their respective sediment, except As, P, Na, Zn and Cd. Elemental concentrations of benthic organisms increased with increasing sediment metal content, except Cd, and with % silt, refractory organic matter and chlorophyll-a of sediment due to the influence of sediment geochemistry on metal bioavailability. Tolerant species were found to accumulate higher concentrations of most metals and elements, except for Cd, than equilibrium species. The ecological and morphological characteristics of the benthic invertebrates can affect the bioaccumulation of metals and elements in macrobenthos. Hg and P were found to increase their concentrations from zoobenthos to wild fish aggregating around fish cages feeding on macrofauna.
authors.affiliation: Biology Department, University of Crete, Voutes University Campus, 71003 Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kalantzi
authors.affiliation: Biology Department, University of Crete, Voutes University Campus, 71003 Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Papageorgiou
authors.affiliation: Biology Department, University of Crete, Voutes University Campus, 71003 Heraklion, Crete, Greece; Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Institute of Oceanography, P.O. Box 2214, 71003 Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sevastou
authors.affiliation: Scottish Association for Marine Science, Scottish Marine Institute, Oban PA34 1QA, Scotland, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: K D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Black
authors.affiliation: Chemistry Department, University of Crete, Voutes University Campus, 71003 Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Pergantis
authors.affiliation: Biology Department, University of Crete, Voutes University Campus, 71003 Heraklion, Crete, Greece. Electronic address: karakassis@biology.uoc.gr.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Karakassis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017756:Aquaculture; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005399:Fishes / Q000378:metabolism; D020387:Food Chain; D007448:Invertebrates / Q000737:chemistry*; D008670:Metals / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D008670:Metals; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Functional traits; Geochemistry; Macrofauna; Metals; Tolerance; Trophic chain