Harvest locations of goose barnacles can be successfully discriminated using trace elemental signatures.
European Union regulations state that consumers must be rightfully informed about the provenance of fishery products to prevent fraudulent practices. However, mislabeling of the geographical origin is a common practice. It is therefore paramount to develop forensic methods that allow all players involved in the supply chain to accurately trace the origin of seafood. In this study, trace elemental signatures (TES) of the goose barnacle Pollicipes pollicipes, collected from ten sites along the Portuguese coast, were employed to discriminate individual's origin. Barium (Ba), boron (B), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), lithium (Li), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), phosphorous (P), lead (Pb), strontium (Sr) and zinc (Zn) - were quantified using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Significant differences were recorded among locations for all elements. A regularized discriminant analysis (RDA) revealed that 83% of all individuals were correctly assigned. This study shows TES can be a reliable tool to confirm the geographic origin of goose barnacles at fine spatial resolution. Although additional studies are required to ascertain the reliability of TES on cooked specimens and the temporal stability of the signature, the approach holds great promise for the management of goose barnacles fisheries, enforcement of conservation policies and assurance in accurate labeling.
Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar (CESAM) &Departamento de Biologia, Universidade de Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.|MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, ESTM, Instituto Politécnico de Leiria, 2520-641 Peniche, Portugal.
Rui
R
Albuquerque
Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar (CESAM) &Departamento de Biologia, Universidade de Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
Henrique
H
Queiroga
School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.
Stephen E
SE
Swearer
Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar (CESAM) &Departamento de Biologia, Universidade de Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
Ricardo
R
Calado
MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, ESTM, Instituto Politécnico de Leiria, 2520-641 Peniche, Portugal.
Sérgio M
SM
Leandro
D000818:Animals; D001464:Barium / Q000032:analysis; D001895:Boron / Q000032:analysis; D002104:Cadmium / Q000032:analysis; D002857:Chromium / Q000032:analysis; D016002:Discriminant Analysis; D005398:Fisheries; D007854:Lead / Q000032:analysis; D008094:Lithium / Q000032:analysis; D008274:Magnesium / Q000032:analysis; D008345:Manganese / Q000032:analysis; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000032:analysis; D011174:Portugal; D013324:Strontium / Q000032:analysis; D001468:Thoracica / Q000737:chemistry*; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D015032:Zinc / Q000032:analysis
D014131:Trace Elements; D002104:Cadmium; D002857:Chromium; D001464:Barium; D010758:Phosphorus; D007854:Lead; D008345:Manganese; D008094:Lithium; D008274:Magnesium; D015032:Zinc; D001895:Boron; D013324:Strontium