title: Level of contamination by metallic trace elements and organic molecules in the seagrass beds of Guadeloupe Island.
abstract: Seagrass bed ecosystems occupy the most important part of coastal shelf in the French West Indies. They also constitute nurseries for many invertebrates and fishes harvested by local fisheries. In Guadeloupe, coastal fish stocks are declining meanwhile several agroecosystems revealed to be heavily contaminated by pollutants (agricultural lands, rivers, mangroves, seagrass beds, and coral reefs). Considering these facts, a study of the contamination of seagrass beds (8000 ha) of the Grand Cul-de-Sac Marin (GCSM) bay was conducted on their sediments and marine phanerogams. The analyses concerned six metals (Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb, V, Zn), tributyltin, 18 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), eight polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), 38 polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs), dithiocarbamates (CS2 residues), and 225 pesticide molecules.Overall, the level of contamination of the seagrass beds was low for both sediments and phanerogams. Metallic trace elements were the main pollutants but with higher concentrations recorded in coastal sites, and their distribution can be explained by the proximity of river mouths and current patterns. The level of contamination was lower in plants than in sediments. However, the level of contamination between these two compartments was significantly correlated. The conclusion of this study is that, unlike other coastal ecosystems of Guadeloupe such as mangroves, the seagrass beds in the GCSM present a low degree of pollution. The observed level of contaminants does not seem to threaten the role of nursery played by the seagrass beds and does not likely present a risk for the reintroduction of manatees.
authors.affiliation: UMR BOREA CNRS-7208, IRD 207, MNHN, UPMC, UCBN, Université des Antilles, DYNECAR, Labex CORAIL, Campus de Fouillole, BP 592, 97159, Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe. claude.bouchon@univ-ag.fr.
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bouchon
authors.affiliation: UMR BOREA CNRS-7208, IRD 207, MNHN, UPMC, UCBN, Université des Antilles, DYNECAR, Labex CORAIL, Campus de Fouillole, BP 592, 97159, Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe.
authors.forename: Soazig
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lemoine
authors.affiliation: UMR BOREA CNRS-7208, IRD 207, MNHN, UPMC, UCBN, Université des Antilles, DYNECAR, Labex CORAIL, Campus de Fouillole, BP 592, 97159, Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe.
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dromard
authors.affiliation: UMR BOREA CNRS-7208, IRD 207, MNHN, UPMC, UCBN, Université des Antilles, DYNECAR, Labex CORAIL, Campus de Fouillole, BP 592, 97159, Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe.
authors.forename: Yolande
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bouchon-Navaro
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005398:Fisheries; D019430:Guadeloupe; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers / Q000032:analysis; D031321:Hydrocharitaceae; D008670:Metals / Q000032:analysis*; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D010575:Pesticides / Q000032:analysis; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000032:analysis*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D014900:West Indies
chemical_list: D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers; D008670:Metals; D010575:Pesticides; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D014131:Trace Elements; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls
keywords: Antilles; Metallic contaminants; PAH; Persistent organic pollutants; Pollution; Seagrass beds