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Metal and metallothionein concentrations in Paracentrotus lividus from Amvrakikos gulf (Ionian Sea-Greece)

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Abstract

Concentrations of Cd, Cu, Cr, Ni, Zn, Fe and metallothioneins (MTs) were measured in the gonads of Paracentrotus lividus from Amvrakikos gulf (Ionian Sea, Greece). Three natural populations were selected; two of them, growing inside the gulf (Agios Thomas and Koronisia), presented higher density and smaller body size than the population living in a coastal area just outside the gulf (Mytikas). Metal and MT levels were not elevated, with the exception of Zn, showing high values related to the reproduction stage of the sea urchins. Significant geographical variations were recorded in the concentrations of Cu, Zn, Cd, Cr and MTs. The highest mean and maximum values of Cu, Zn and MTs were recorded in Agios Thomas while Cd and Cr were higher in Mytikas population. Copper, Zn, Fe and MT concentrations were negatively correlated to the sea urchin body size, while a positive concentration-size relationship was observed for Cd. Although all studied populations grow in a low metal level marine environment, urchins with smaller body size living in a food limited marine environment showed higher gonadosomatic index, metal concentrations and MT levels in their gonads (Agios Thomas and Koronisia) than larger specimens growing in a food unlimited area (Mytikas).

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Dr V.A. Catsiki for providing laboratory facilities for metal analysis. Financial support was provided by the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Institute of Oceanography, P.O. Box 712, Mavro Lithari, 19013, Anavissos, Greece

    Evangelia Strogyloudi & Maria-Antonietta Pancucci–Papadopoulou

  2. Biomedical Sciences Research Center “Alexander Fleming”, Institute of Molecular Oncology, P.O. Box 74145, 16602, Varkiza, Greece

    Giorgio L. Papadopoulos

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  1. Evangelia Strogyloudi
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  2. Maria-Antonietta Pancucci–Papadopoulou
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  3. Giorgio L. Papadopoulos
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Correspondence to Evangelia Strogyloudi.

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Strogyloudi, E., Pancucci–Papadopoulou, MA. & Papadopoulos, G.L. Metal and metallothionein concentrations in Paracentrotus lividus from Amvrakikos gulf (Ionian Sea-Greece). Environ Monit Assess 186, 5489–5499 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-014-3798-2

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