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Assessing the effect of mercury pollution on cultured benthic foraminifera community using morphological and eDNA metabarcoding approaches.
- Source :
-
Marine pollution bulletin [Mar Pollut Bull] 2018 Apr; Vol. 129 (2), pp. 512-524. Date of Electronic Publication: 2017 Oct 14. - Publication Year :
- 2018
-
Abstract
- Mercury (Hg) is a highly toxic element for living organisms and is known to bioaccumulate and biomagnify. Here, we analyze the response of benthic foraminifera communities cultured in mesocosm and exposed to different concentrations of Hg. Standard morphological analyses and environmental DNA metabarcoding show evidence that Hg pollution has detrimental effects on benthic foraminifera. The molecular analysis provides a more complete view of foraminiferal communities including the soft-walled single-chambered monothalamiids and small-sized hard-shelled rotaliids and textulariids than the morphological one. Among these taxa that are typically overlooked in morphological studies we found potential bioindicators of Hg pollution. The mesocosm approach proves to be an effective method to study benthic foraminiferal responses to various types and concentrations of pollutants over time. This study further supports foraminiferal metabarcoding as a complementary and/or alternative method to standard biomonitoring program based on the morphological identification of species communities.<br /> (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)
- Subjects :
- Biodiversity
DNA, Protozoan genetics
Foraminifera classification
Foraminifera genetics
Geologic Sediments chemistry
Italy
Mediterranean Sea
Mercury toxicity
Seawater chemistry
Water Pollutants, Chemical toxicity
DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic methods
Environmental Monitoring methods
Foraminifera drug effects
Mercury analysis
Water Pollutants, Chemical analysis
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1879-3363
- Volume :
- 129
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Marine pollution bulletin
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 29033170
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.10.022