The invasive lionfish, Pterois volitans, used as a sentinel species to assess the organochlorine pollution by chlordecone in Guadeloupe (Lesser Antilles).
In Guadeloupe, many marine organisms are affected by an organochlorine pollution used in the past by the banana industry to fight against the banana weevil. In the present study, we evaluated the level of contamination of the invasive Indo-Pacific lionfish, Pterois volitans, all around the island. Concentrations of chlordecone varied from 3 to 144μg.kg(-1) wet weight. The highest concentrations were recorded when samples were captured in the marine zones located downstream of the previous banana plantations. This contamination seemed to decrease rapidly with the distance from the coast. Mean concentration of chlordecone in Pterois volitans was higher than that of five other fish species collected in similar sites. Due to its position at the top of the trophic web, lionfish was affected by bioaccumulation of chlordecone and can be used as a sentinel species to assess and control the level of contamination of the marine environment by chlordecone.
UMR BOREA CNRS-7208, IRD-207, MNHN, UPMC, UCBN - DYNECAR, Université des Antilles, Campus de Fouillole, BP 592, 97159 Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe. Electronic address: cdromard@univ-ag.fr.
Dromard R
DR
Charlotte
UMR BOREA CNRS-7208, IRD-207, MNHN, UPMC, UCBN - DYNECAR, Université des Antilles, Campus de Fouillole, BP 592, 97159 Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe.
Bouchon-Navaro
BN
Yolande
UMR BOREA CNRS-7208, IRD-207, MNHN, UPMC, UCBN - DYNECAR, Université des Antilles, Campus de Fouillole, BP 592, 97159 Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe.
Sebastien
S
Cordonnier
UMR BOREA CNRS-7208, IRD-207, MNHN, UPMC, UCBN - DYNECAR, Université des Antilles, Campus de Fouillole, BP 592, 97159 Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe.
Bouchon
B
Claude
D000818:Animals; D007631:Chlordecone / Q000032:analysis*; D019430:Guadeloupe; D058865:Introduced Species; D010473:Perciformes; D000072739:Sentinel Species; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D007631:Chlordecone
Caribbean (Guadeloupe); Chlordecone; Contamination; Invasive species; Lionfish; Sentinel species