title: Ecotoxicity and genotoxicity of cadmium in different marine trophic levels.
abstract: Cadmium ecotoxicity and genotoxicity was assessed in three representative species of different trophic levels of marine ecosystems - the calanoid copepod Acartia tonsa, the decapod shrimp, Palaemon varians and the pleuronectiform fish Solea senegalensis. Ecotoxicity endpoints assessed in this study were adult survival, hatching success and larval development ratio (LDR) for A. tonsa, survival of the first larval stage (zoea I) and post-larvae of P. varians, egg and larvae survival, as well as the presence of malformations in the larval stage of S. senegalensis. In vivo genotoxicity was assessed on adult A. tonsa, the larval and postlarval stage of P. varians and newly hatched larvae of S. senegalensis using the comet assay. Results showed that the highest sensitivity to cadmium is displayed by A. tonsa, with the most sensitive endpoint being the LDR of nauplii to copepodites. Sole eggs displayed the highest tolerance to cadmium compared to the other endpoints evaluated for all tested species. Recorded cadmium toxicity was (by increasing order): S. senegalensis eggs < P. varians post-larvae < P. varians zoea I < S. senegalensis larvae < A. tonsa eggs < A. tonsa LDR. DNA damage to all species exposed to cadmium increased with increasing concentrations. Overall, understanding cadmium chemical speciation is paramount to reliably evaluate the effects of this metal in marine ecosystems. Cadmium is genotoxic to all three species tested and therefore may differentially impact individuals and populations of marine taxa. As A. tonsa was the most sensitive species and occupies a lower trophic level, it is likely that cadmium contamination may trigger bottom-up cascading effects in marine trophic interactions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology & CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal. Electronic address: maria.pavlaki@ua.pt.
authors.forename: Maria D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Pavlaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology & CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Mário J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Araújo
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology & CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Diogo N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Cardoso
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology & CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ana Rita R
authors.initials: ARR
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology & CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Andreia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cruz
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology & CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Sónia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mendo
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology & CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Amadeu M V M
authors.initials: AMVM
authors.lastname: Soares
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology & CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Calado
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology & CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Susana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Loureiro
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D059001:Aquatic Organisms / Q000187:drug effects*; D002104:Cadmium / Q000633:toxicity*; D020552:Comet Assay; D033342:Copepoda / Q000187:drug effects*; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000187:drug effects*; D054750:Ecotoxicology; D005412:Flatfishes; D007814:Larva / Q000187:drug effects*; D033541:Palaemonidae / Q000187:drug effects*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D002104:Cadmium
keywords: Acartia tonsa; Comet assay; DNA damage; Ionic cadmium; Palaemon varians; Solea senagalensis