title: Ecological relevance of Sentinels' biomarker responses: a multi-level approach.
abstract: In response to the need for more sensitive and rapid indicators of environmental quality, sublethal effects on the lowest levels of biological organization have been investigated. The ecological relevance of these responses assumes a prevailing role to assure effectiveness as indicator of ecological status. This study aimed to investigate the linkages between biomarker responses of caged bivalves and descriptive parameters of macrobenthic community structure. For this purpose a multi-level environmental assessment of marine and estuarine zones was performed in São Paulo coast, Brazil. Multivariate analysis was applied to identify linkages between biological responses and ecological indices, as well as to characterizing the studied stations. Individuals of the marine mussel Perna perna caged along Santos Bay showed signs of oxidative stress, lysosomal membrane destabilization, histological alterations and reduced embryonic development. The estuarine oyster Crassostrea rhizophorae caged along Santos Port Channel showed alterations on biotransformation enzymes and antioxidant system, DNA damage and lysosomal membrane destabilization. The benthic community analysis showed reduced richness and diversity in the same areas of the Santos bay and estuary where biomarker responses were altered. Our results revealed that xenobiotics are inducing physiological stress, which may lead to changes of the benthic community structure and deterioration of the ecological status over time. Integrating biomarker responses and ecological indexes improved certainty that alterations found at community level could be related to xenobiotic as stressors, which was very useful to improve the discriminatory power of the environmental assessment.
authors: Departamento de Ciências do Mar, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Av. Almirante Saldanha da Gama 89, 11030-490 Santos, SP, Brazil; Departamento de Ecotoxicologia, Universidade Santa Cecília, Av. Oswaldo Cruz 266, 11045-907 Santos, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: camilo.seabra@unifesp.br.
authors: Camilo D
authors: CD
authors: Seabra Pereira
authors: NEPEA, Campus do Litoral Paulista, Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho, Praça Infante Dom Henrique, s/n, 11330-900 Saão Vicente, SP, Brazil.
authors: Denis M S
authors: DM
authors: Abessa
authors: Departamento de Ciências do Mar, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Av. Almirante Saldanha da Gama 89, 11030-490 Santos, SP, Brazil.
authors: Rodrigo B
authors: RB
authors: Choueri
authors: Universidad de Cádiz, Polígono Río San Pedro s/n, 11510 Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain.
authors: Victor
authors: V
authors: Almagro-Pastor
authors: Departamento de Ciências do Mar, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Av. Almirante Saldanha da Gama 89, 11030-490 Santos, SP, Brazil; Departamento de Ecotoxicologia, Universidade Santa Cecília, Av. Oswaldo Cruz 266, 11045-907 Santos, SP, Brazil.
authors: Augusto
authors: A
authors: Cesar
authors: Universidad de Cádiz, Polígono Río San Pedro s/n, 11510 Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain.
authors: Luciane A
authors: LA
authors: Maranho
authors: Universidad de Cádiz, Polígono Río San Pedro s/n, 11510 Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain.
authors: María Laura
authors: ML
authors: Martín-Díaz
authors: Departamento de Ciências do Mar, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Av. Almirante Saldanha da Gama 89, 11030-490 Santos, SP, Brazil.
authors: Ronaldo J
authors: RJ
authors: Torres
authors: NEPEA, Campus do Litoral Paulista, Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho, Praça Infante Dom Henrique, s/n, 11330-900 Saão Vicente, SP, Brazil; Laboratório de Toxicologia Celular, Departamento de Biologia Celular, Universidade Federal do Paraná, CP19031, 81531-990 Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
authors: Paloma K
authors: PK
authors: Gusso-Choueri
authors: Departamento de Ciências do Mar, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Av. Almirante Saldanha da Gama 89, 11030-490 Santos, SP, Brazil.
authors: João E
authors: JE
authors: Almeida
authors: Departamento de Ecotoxicologia, Universidade Santa Cecília, Av. Oswaldo Cruz 266, 11045-907 Santos, SP, Brazil.
authors: Fernando S
authors: FS
authors: Cortez
authors: Laboratório de Biogeoquímica Ambiental, Departamento de Química, UFSCar, Rod. Washington Luiz, 13565-905 São Carlos, SP, Brazil.
authors: Antonio A
authors: AA
authors: Mozeto
authors: Instituto Oceanográfico da Universidade de São Paulo, Praça do Oceanográfico, 191, 05508-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors: Helcy L N
authors: HL
authors: Silbiger
authors: Instituto Oceanográfico da Universidade de São Paulo, Praça do Oceanográfico, 191, 05508-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors: Eduinetty C P M
authors: EC
authors: Sousa
authors: Universidad de Cádiz, Polígono Río San Pedro s/n, 11510 Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain.
authors: Tommas Angel
authors: TA
authors: Del Valls
authors: Departamento de Bioquímica, CCB, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC 88040-900, Brazil.
authors: Afonso C D
authors: AC
authors: Bainy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D061006:Bays; D044822:Biodiversity; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D001938:Brazil; D049896:Crassostrea / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D063366:Estuaries; D049883:Perna / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Biomarkers; Caged bivalves; Ecological status; Macrobenthic community