Response of ecological indices to nutrient and chemical contaminant stress factors in Eastern Mediterranean coastal waters |
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| Institution: | 1. Institute of Oceanography, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, 46.7?km Athens-Sounio Ave., Mavro Lithari, P.O. Box 712, 19013, Anavissos, Attika, Greece;2. AZTI?Tecnalia, Marine Research Division, Muelle de la Herrera s/n, 20110, Pasajes, Spain;3. Institute of Oceanography, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, P.O. Box 2214, 71003 Heraklion, Greece;1. IMAGES_ESPACE-DEV, Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, 52 Avenue Paul Alduy, 66860 Perpignan, France;2. ESPACE-DEV UMR UG UA UM IRD, Maison de la télédétection, 500 Rue Jean-François Breton, 34093 Montpellier Cedex 5, France;3. CEFREM, CNRS, UMR 5110, Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, 52 Avenue Paul Alduy, 66860 Perpignan, France;4. Scottish Association for Marine Science, Scottish Marine Institute, Oban, UK;5. MIO, CNRS UMR 7294 – IRD 235, Université Aix-Marseille, 163 Avenue de Luminy Bat. Oceanomed 1 Pacific (26P043), 13288 Marseille Cedex 09, France;1. Fisheries Research Institute, Hellenic Agricultural Organization-Demeter, 64007 Nea Peramos, Kavala, Greece;2. Department of Chemistry, International Hellenic University, Kavala, Greece;3. TETRAΚΤYS Intelligence, Sintagmatos Kriton 7-9, 69100 Komotini, Greece;4. Dpt. of Animal Production, Fisheries & Aquaculture, University of Patras, Messolonghi, Greece;5. Department of Oceanography and Marine Biosciences, Faculty of Environment, University of the Aegean, University Hill, 81100 Lesvos Island, Greece;6. Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates;1. CESAM, Physics Department, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal;2. CESAM, Biology Department, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal;1. Department of Marine Science, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand;2. School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6140, New Zealand;3. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa;4. Key Laboratory of Freshwater Animal Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, PR China;5. Freshwater Aquaculture Collaborative Innovation Center of Hubei Province, Wuhan 430070, PR China;6. Wriggle Coastal Management Limited, P.O. Box 1622, Nelson 7001, New Zealand;1. Centro de Estudos do Mar, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Av. Beira-mar s/n°, Pontal do Paraná 83255-976, Brazil;2. Departamento de Geociências, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, 88040-900 Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil;3. Oceanografía y Ecología Marina, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República (UdelaR), Montevideo, Uruguay |
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| Abstract: | Environmental data produced throughout monitoring activities in the framework of the implementation of Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC (WFD) in Eastern Mediterranean (Greece) were used to assess the sensitivity and response of ecological indices against trace metals, eutrophication and multiple stress factors. The applied ecological indices include multi-metric eutrophication indices, a physicochemical status index applied for the first time in the Greek marine area, benthic indices, phytoplankton biomass index, and integrated status indices assessed through the application of the decision tree integration scheme. To investigate the exceedances in the eco-stoichiometric relationship between nutrients, considered a stressing factor, all physicochemical elements influenced directly or indirectly by eutrophication, such as nutrient concentrations, water transparency, oxygen saturation, particulates concentration, and sediment organic content, were related to ecological indices. Also, chemical contaminant stress factors represented by heavy metal concentrations in the water, as well as multiple stress factors represented by a pressure index, were related to ecological indices. A graphical visualization multivariate tool and statistical correlations were used to evaluate the sensitivity or explanatory power of the tested ecological indices against single and multiple stress factors. Results showed a strong response of all ecological indices to stress factors, although a diversification of sensitivity was evident. Primary production-related indices, i.e., macroalgae and chlorophyll-a indices, are more sensitive to particulates and nitrogen, while secondary production-related indices, i.e., benthic macroinvertebrates indices and eutrophication indices, including nutrients, are more sensitive to phosphates in the water column. The macroalgae index shows the strongest sensitivity to multiple stress factors. Among metals, mostly cadmium seems to match all indices? performance. Nutrient relationships were shown as critical to eutrophication and ecological status. |
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| Keywords: | Ecological indices Stress factors Radar plots Eutrophication Metals Water Framework Directive |
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