title: Are red mullet efficient as bio-indicators of mercury contamination? A case study from the French Mediterranean.
abstract: Mercury (Hg) is one of the main chemicals currently altering Mediterranean ecosystems. Red mullet (Mullus barbatus and M. surmuletus) have been widely used as quantitative bio-indicators of chemical contamination. In this study, we reassess the ability of these species to be used as efficient bio-indicators of Hg contamination by monitoring during 18 months Hg concentrations in muscle tissue of mullet sampled from 5 French Mediterranean coastal areas. Mean concentrations ranged between 0.23 and 0.78 μg g(-1) dry mass for both species. Values were consistent with expected contamination patterns of all sites except Corsica. Results confirmed that red mullets are efficient bio-indicators of Hg contamination. Nevertheless, the observed variability in Hg concentrations calls for caution regarding the period and the sample size. Attention should be paid to environmental and biologic specificities of each studied site, as they can alter the bioaccumulation of Hg, and lead to inferences about environmental Hg concentrations.
authors.affiliation: IFREMER, Centre de Méditerranée, CS 20330, F-83507 La Seyne sur Mer, France; IFREMER, Centre Manche - Mer du Nord, BP 669, F-62321 Boulogne sur Mer, France. Electronic address: pierre.cresson@ifremer.fr.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cresson
authors.affiliation: IFREMER, Centre de Méditerranée, CS 20330, F-83507 La Seyne sur Mer, France.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bouchoucha
authors.affiliation: IFREMER, Centre de Méditerranée, CS 20330, F-83507 La Seyne sur Mer, France.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Miralles
authors.affiliation: IFREMER, Centre Manche - Mer du Nord, BP 669, F-62321 Boulogne sur Mer, France.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Elleboode
authors.affiliation: IFREMER, Centre Manche - Mer du Nord, BP 669, F-62321 Boulogne sur Mer, France.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mahé
authors.affiliation: IFREMER, Centre de Méditerranée, CS 20330, F-83507 La Seyne sur Mer, France; Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées, Laboratoire Géosciences Environnement Toulouse, CNRS/IRD/Université Toulouse III, 14 avenue Edouard Belin, 31400 Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Marusczak
authors.affiliation: Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire, PRP-ENV/SESURE/LERCM, CS 20330, F-83507 La Seyne sur Mer, France.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Thebault
authors.affiliation: IFREMER, Centre de Méditerranée, CS 20330, F-83507 La Seyne sur Mer, France; ISTerre, Université Joseph Fourier, BP 53, F-38041 Grenoble, France.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cossa
mesh_terms: D000365:Age Determination by Skeleton / Q000662:veterinary; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001837:Body Weights and Measures / Q000662:veterinary; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005602:France; D008522:Mediterranean Sea; D008628:Mercury / Q000378:metabolism*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism; D010037:Otolithic Membrane / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D023701:Smegmamorpha / Q000378:metabolism*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D008628:Mercury
keywords: Bio-indicator; Fish; Mediterranean; Mercury; Mullus spp.