P.G. Cardoso

The effect of different primary producers on Hydrobia ulvae population dynamics: a case study in a temperate intertidal estuary

The effect of macroalgal blooms and the consequent disappearance of Zostera noltii meadows on Hydrobia ulvae population dynamics and production was studied in the Mondego estuary based on data obtained from January 1993 to September 1995. Sampling was carried out at a non-eutrophicated area, covered with Z. noltii, and also at an eutrophicated area, where seasonal Enteromorpha spp. blooms occur. Stable populations represented by individuals of all age classes were found only at the Z. noltii meadows throughout the study period. On the contrary, at the eutrophicated area, during most of the time, solely juveniles were present, with adults appearing only during the macroalgal bloom (>1.5 mm width). During the algal bloom (e.g. 1993), H. ulvae population density was clearly higher in the eutrophicated area due to the combined effect of stronger benthic recruitments (99% of veliger larvae newly recruited) and dispersion of juveniles proceeding from the Z. noltii meadows to this area. On the other hand, in the absence of macroalgae (spring of 1994), 98.9% of veliger larvae was recruited in the Z. noltii meadows. Therefore, H. ulvae seems to respond rapidly to macroalgal dynamics and its presence at the eutrophicated area depends on the existence of green macroalgae. H. ulvae presented the same benthic recruitment pattern at the two sampling areas, with new cohorts being produced in March, June, July and September. Depending on the time of the year in which the recruitment took place, cohorts showed different growth rhythms. However, after 12 months they reached a similar size. A three-generation life cycle involving a short-lived (16 months), fast growing spring generation, a medium growing (17–19 months) summer generation and a longer-lived (20 months) slower growing generation that overwinters is identified. As a general trend, productivity and mean population standing biomass were higher at the Z. noltii meadows, during the entire study, except for a short period, during the macroalgal bloom, when production was higher at the eutrophicated area. On the contrary, P/B ratios were higher at the eutrophicated area. According to our results, H. ulvae population structure and yearly productivity are clearly affected by eutrophication, namely by the dynamics of macroalgal blooms. In the long run, we may infer that, following the disappearance of the Z. noltii meadows, due to eutrophication, H. ulvae would also tend to disappear, since reproductive adults were almost exclusively found in this area.

The impact of extreme weather events on the seagrass Zostera noltii and related Hydrobia ulvae population

Coastal areas are typically subjected to a range of stressors, but they now face the additional stressor of climate change, manifested in part by an increased intensity and frequency of extreme weather events. Thus, the Mondego estuary (Portugal) has experienced organic enrichment (eutrophication) issues and these are potentially exacerbated by extreme weather events (floods, droughts and heat waves). In this paper, we explore the impact of interactions of these different stressors on the ecology of the system, specifically on the two key components, the seagrass Zostera noltii and the mud snail Hydrobia ulvae. Extreme events affected different components of the estuarine ecosystem (primary producers and macrofauna) differently. Whilst the floods directly impacted on H. ulvae, by wiping out part of its population, they did not directly affect the biomass of Z. noltii. In contrast, drought events, through their effects on salinity, directly impacted the biomass of Zostera, which had knock-on effects on the dynamics of H. ulvae. We conclude that over the period when the estuary experienced eutrophication, extreme weather events contributed to the overall degradation of the estuary, while during the recovery phase following the introduction of a management programme, those extreme weather episodes delayed the recovery process significantly.

Implications of nutrient decline in the seagrass ecosystem success

The Mondego estuary (Portugal) suffered major changes in environmental quality due to eutrophication, however, in the late 1990 s a restoration project was implemented in order to return the system to its original condition. The main goal of this paper is to evaluate the ecosystem response to the restoration measures applied at three different levels: water quality, primary producers and primary consumers. In post-restoration period a clear decline was observed in dissolved inorganic nitrogen which was reflected in the gradual recovery of Zostera noltii and a concomitant decline in green macroalgae. Macrobenthic assemblages responded variably to the recovery process. In the seagrass bed and intermediate area, there was a large increase in total biomass, but in the eutrophic area species diversity increased. Despite improvement in the ecological status of the system, full recovery has not been achieved yet, possible due to hysteresis in the dynamics of this system.

The macrobenthic community along a mercury contamination in a temperate estuarine system (Ria de Aveiro, Portugal)

Mercury is a widely distributed environmental pollutant and a toxic element to all living organisms. This study represents an attempt to evaluate its correlation with the macrobenthic community structure in a temperate estuarine system, the Ria de Aveiro (Portugal). The macrobenthic community structure showed significant differences along the mercury gradient. Overall, the increase of mercury contamination was associated with reduced total abundance, lower species richness, and dominance of tolerant taxa. The polychaetes Hediste diversicolor and Alkmaria romijni, and the isopod Cyathura carinata were associated with high levels of mercury in sediment, while the bivalves Scrobicularia plana, Cerastoderma edule and Abra alba showed higher density in lesser contaminated sites. Furthermore, highly contaminated sites showed substantially lower abundances of surface-deposit feeders and herbivores, and higher abundances of subsurface-deposit feeders and omnivores. Salinity was also a significant factor affecting the community, being responsible for seasonal variations in the macrobenthic assemblages.

Different mercury bioaccumulation kinetics by two macrobenthic species: The bivalve Scrobicularia plana and the polychaete Hediste diversicolor

Mercury is a global priority pollutant and given its huge relevance in terms of environmental damage and a threat to human health, it is important to study the bioaccumulation processes at the level of macrobenthic organisms and evaluate possible consequences for the trophic chain. In this work we evaluate the mercury accumulation rates of two distinct and economically important macrobenthic species, the polychaete Hediste diversicolor and the bivalve Scrobicularia plana, through a mesocosms laboratory experiment. The present experiment demonstrated different bioaccumulation kinetics for each species: while S. plana has a rapid accumulation after 48 h of exposure to contaminated sediments and then reaches a steady state, H. diversicolor has a linear mercury accumulation throughout the experiment time (31 days). The different patterns observed can be related to different feeding strategies and assimilation efficiencies. In addition, we can conclude that independently of the mercury concentration in the sediments, the two studied species in both contaminated sediments reached the same percentage (25%) of mercury accumulated at the end of the experiment when compared to the maximum concentrations recorded in the field. This experiment highlights that the mercury bioaccumulation rate by these two economically and ecologically important macrobenthic species is a reasonably rapid process which can promote serious consequences for the higher trophic levels, constituting a severe risk to the natural environment and ultimately to human health.

Temporal characterization of mercury accumulation at different trophic levels and implications for metal biomagnification along a coastal food web

The main goal of this study was to assess temporal mercury variations along an estuarine food web to evaluate the mercury contamination level of the system and the risks that humans are exposed to, due to mercury biomagnification. The highest mercury concentrations in the sediments and primary producers (macrophytes) were observed during winter sampling. Instead, the highest mercury concentrations in the water, suspended particulate matter as well as in the zooplanktonic and suprabenthic communities were observed during summer sampling. Evidences of mercury biomagnification along the food web were corroborated by the positive biomagnification factors, particularly for omnivorous macrobenthic species. Comparing the mercury levels at distinct components with several environmental quality criteria it suggests that sediments, water and edible species (e.g., bivalve Scrobicularia plana and the crustacean Carcinus maenas) presented higher mercury levels than the values accepted by legislation which represent a matter of concern for the environment and human health.

Long-term changes in amphipod population dynamics in a temperate estuary following ecosystem restoration

The Mondego estuary (Portugal) has suffered severe ecological stress over the last two decades, as manifested in the replacement of seagrasses by opportunistic macroalgae, degradation of water quality and increased turbidity. A restoration plan was implemented in 1998, which aimed to reverse the eutrophication effects, and especially to restore the original natural seagrass (Zostera noltii) community. This article explores the long-term changes in Ampithoe valida and Melita palmata (Amphipoda) populations in response to eutrophication (with consequent seagrass loss and macroalgal proliferation) and to the subsequent restoration plan (with progressive seagrass recovery and macroalgal biomass decline). Until the early 1990s, high densities of A. valida and M. palmata were recorded in the Mondego estuary, especially during the occurrence of the macroalgal bloom and during all the periods in which green macroalgae were available. After the implementation of the restoration plan, species abundance, biomass and production levels decreased considerably due to the progressive decline of green macroalgae. This implied the virtual disappearance of the amphipod population, mainly A. valida. Distinct behaviours displayed by the two species could be related to different food strategies and habitat preferences. Ampithoe valida showed feeding preferences for ephemeral softer, filamentous or bladed algae (e.g. Ulva sp.) due to its high caloric content, using the Z. noltii bed only as a habitat for protection against predators or shelter from wave action. On the other hand, M. palmata did not suffer a strong decline in its population density, biomass and production, which may indicate that this species is probably not a primary consumer of green macroalgae and may readily shift to alternative ecological niches.

Mercury bioaccumulation and decontamination kinetics in the edible cockle Cerastoderma edule

Mercury bioaccumulation and decontamination kinetics in the edible cockle Cerastoderma edule were studied through a mesocosms experiment after a medium-term exposure to the metal. The results revealed that the bivalve presented distinct bioaccumulation kinetics according to the different tissues. While the gills showed a linear accumulation pattern, the digestive gland and the entire organism presented a saturation model, with higher accumulation during the first 7d of exposure and lower during the rest of the time. In addition, the bioaccumulation rate was not proportional to the Hg concentration, since the organisms under lower contamination presented higher bioconcentration factors than the ones under higher contamination. Gills were the tissues with higher mercury accumulation capability. Concerning the decontamination phase, C. edule lost approximately 80% of the mercury after 24h exposure in clean seawater. Nevertheless, never reached the original condition, showing in the final (20 d detox), Hg levels (>0.5 ppm) higher than those allowed by the legislation regulating human food consumption. This represents a matter of concern for Human health.

Organochlorine accumulation on a highly consumed bivalve (Scrobicularia plana) and its main implications for human health

Contamination by polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) was investigated along a spatial gradient in water, sediments and in commercially important bivalve species Scrobicularia plana, from Ria de Aveiro (Portugal). Organochlorines dissolved in water were below detection limit and concerning suspended particulate matter, only PCBs were quantified, ranging from 3.8 to 5.8 ng∙g(-1) DW (Σ13PCBs). There was a distinct spatial gradient regarding PCB accumulation in sediments. The highest concentrations were found in deeper layers and closest to the pollution source, decreasing gradually along a 3 km area. Contamination in sediments exceeded the Canadian and Norwegian sediment quality guidelines, inducing potential toxic effects in related biota. PCBs tended to bioaccumulate throughout S. plana lifespan but with different annual rates along the spatial gradient. The maximum values were found in older individuals up to 3+ years old, reaching 19.4 ng∙g(-1) DW. HCB concentrations were residual and no bioaccumulation pattern was evident. Congeners 138, 153 and 180 were the most accumulated due to their abundance and long-term persistence in the environment. In the inner area of the Laranjo Bay (0.6 km(2)), the species was able to remove up to 0.4 g of PCBs annually from sediments into their own tissues, which is consequently free for trophic transfer (biomagnification). Concerning human health, and despite the high concentrations found in sediments, PCB levels in bivalves do not exceed the limit established by the European Union for fishery products and are largely below tolerable daily intake. Although PCBs in Scrobicularia plana are present at low levels, their impact to human health after consumption over many years might be harmful and should be monitored in future studies.

The faunal role in the degradation of the common intertidal salt marsh plant Scirpus maritimus

The aim of this work was to evaluate the role of different environmental conditions (oxic and anoxic), and the presence of macrofauna and/or meiofauna during the different steps of Scirpus maritimus L. decomposition/mineralization under controlled laboratory conditions. The results showed no significant differences between the anaerobic and the aerobic degradation of plant material, under the presence of bacteria or meiofauna. Nevertheless, under anoxic conditions sediment mineralization was enhanced, with an increase concentration of phosphorus and ammonium in the water phase. Concerning the presence of fauna, results show that, although bacterial activity was responsible for 70% of the S. maritimus leaves degradation, the presence of macrofauna together with meiofauna enhanced the leaves mineralization up to 90%. Moreover, the presence of macrofauna together with meiofauna significantly affected the decomposition of phosphorus and of nitrogen, as well as the leaves lesser labile structural parts, by increasing the mineralization of plant carbon, and raised the nutrient turnover within the system.The present study reinforces the functional link between fauna levels on the nutrient dynamics in salt marshes ecosystems, namely at the vegetation detritus/water column interface.