Abstract
To assess the temporary effects of the increased copper ion inflow on estuarine microphytobenthic communities, ecotoxicological tests were conducted using natural microphytobenthic assemblages obtained from an artificial substratum exposed to the waters of the southern Baltic Sea (Gulf of Gdańsk). The applied copper ion concentrations reflected permitted copper values established for waters of a good ecological status (2·10–5 g Cu·dm−3), and the maximum copper concentrations which, according to the current environmental regulations, are allowed to be discharged into the environment (2·10–3 g Cu·dm−3).
In the studied communities, diverse responses of single species to CuCl2 exposure were recorded, including both growth inhibition and stimulatory effects as well. Despite the shift in the community composition and structure, total cell number remained at a similar level. The results of our investigations suggest that microphytobenthic assemblages are resistant to CuCl2 which is facilitated by the shift in the community composition resulting from the increasing cell number of copper tolerant species.
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Acknowledgements
We would like to express our gratitude to Professor Adam Latała for his valuable suggestions during the development of this research work.
Funding
This research was funded by a Research Project for Young Scientists from the Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, University of Gdańsk (No. 538-G245-B209-16).
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Conceptualization, ZS, AZ, and FP; methodology, ZS, AZ, and FP; software, ZS; validation, ZS, AZ, and FP; formal analysis, ZS, AZ, and FP; investigation, ZS; resources, ZS and AZ; writing — original draft preparation, ZS, AZ, and FP; writing — review and editing, ZS, AZ, and FP; visualization, ZS; supervision, AZ; project administration, ZS; funding acquisition, ZS and AZ. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
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Highlights
• Algae assemblages in the high CuCl2 concentration change their structure.
• High concentration CuCl2 does not decrease growth assemblages.
• Tested taxa have higher resistance in assemblages than tested particular species.
Appendices
Appendix 1. List of taxa
Taxa | Author | |
|---|---|---|
Bacillariophyta | Achnanthes adnata | Bory |
Achnanthes lemmermannii | Hustedt | |
Amphora pediculus | (Kützing) Grunow | |
Amphora sp. | Kützing | |
Bacillaria paxillifera | (O.F. Müller) T. Marsson | |
Brebissonia lanceolata | (C. Agardh) R.K. Mahoney and Reimer | |
Cocconeis pediculus | Ehrenberg | |
Cyclotella sp. | (F.T. Kützing) A. de Brébisson | |
Cylindrotheca closterium | (Ehrenberg) Reimann and J.C. Lewin | |
Diatoma moniliformis | (Kützing) D.M. Williams | |
Diploneis didyma | (Ehrenberg) Ehrenberg | |
Diploneis interrupta | (Kützing) Cleve | |
Entomoneis paludosa | (W. Smith) Reimer | |
Epithema sp. | Kützing | |
Fallacia sp. | Kütz | |
Gomphonema olivacea | (Hornemann) Rabenhorst | |
Grammatophora marina | (Lyngbye) Kützing | |
Halamphora coffeiformis | (C. Agardh) Mereschkowsky | |
Licmophora gracilis | (Ehrenberg) Grunow | |
Melosira moniliformis | C. Agardh | |
Melosira nummuloides | C. Agardh | |
Navicula gregaria | Donkin | |
Navicula meniscus | Schumann | |
Navicula palpebralis | Brébisson ex W. Smith | |
Navicula perminuta | Grunow | |
Navicula ramosissima | (C. Agardh) Cleve | |
Nitzschia dissipata | (Kützing) Rabenhorst | |
Pleurosigma sp. | W. Smith | |
Proschkinia poretzkajae | (Koretkevich) D.G. Mann | |
Rhoicosphenia abbreviata | (C. Agardh) Lange-Bertalot | |
Rhopalodia gibba | (Ehrenberg) O. Müller | |
Surirella brebissonii | Krammer and Lange-Bertalot | |
Tabularia fasciculata | (C. Agardh) D.M. Williams and Round | |
Cyanobacteria | Dolichospermum flosaquae | (Brébisson ex Bornet and Flahault) P. Wacklin, L. Hoffmann and J. Komárek |
Merismopedia sp. | (Turpin) Meneghini | |
Nodularia sp. | Mertens ex Bornet and Flahault | |
Spirulina subsalsa | Oersted ex Gomont | |
Chlorophyta | Pseudopediastrum boryanum | (Turpin) E. Hegewald |
Scenedesmus sp. | Meyen |
Appendix 2. Table with the abundance of all species
Taxa | K_0 | K_3 | K_7 | 2·10–5 _3 | 2·10–5 _7 | 2·10–3 _3 | 2·10–3 _7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Achnanthes adnata | 700 | 667 | 933 | 323 | 818 | 900 | 600 |
Achnanthes lemmermanni | 0 | 1500 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Halamphora coffeiformis | 592 | 1250 | 217 | 1158 | 492 | 1575 | 567 |
Amphora pediculus | 15 | 0 | 0 | 200 | 0 | 50 | 0 |
Amphora sp. | 150 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 200 |
Dolichospermum flosaquae | 31 | 29 | 0 | 27 | 78 | 21 | 15 |
Bacillaria paxillifera | 9383 | 9350 | 9367 | 9583 | 6713 | 7450 | 7817 |
Brebissonia lanceolata | 25 | 50 | 125 | 50 | |||
Cocconeis pediculus | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 190 | 50 | 100 |
Cyclotella sp. | 0 | 50 | 0 | 50 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Diatoma moniliformis | 4533 | 5650 | 4833 | 6250 | 3500 | 5208 | 5867 |
Diploneis didyma | 25 | 50 | 123 | ||||
Diploneis interrupta | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50 | 0 | 50 | 50 |
Entomoneis paludosa | 342 | 383 | 133 | 325 | 48 | 267 | 75 |
Epithema sp. | 100 | 50 | 100 | ||||
Fallacia sp. | 200 | ||||||
Tabularia fasciculata | 13,992 | 12,158 | 10,350 | 6350 | 6472 | 6975 | 7867 |
Gomphonema olivaceum | 50 | 50 | 75 | 50 | 0 | 200 | 175 |
Grammatophora marina | 833 | 175 | 233 | 533 | 508 | 750 | 617 |
Licmophora gracilis | 733 | 833 | 567 | 700 | 820 | 658 | 650 |
Melosira moniliformis | 165 | 400 | 200 | 100 | 0 | 283 | 0 |
Melosira nummuloides | 4325 | 2050 | 3083 | 1683 | 3006 | 2492 | 2250 |
Merismopedia sp. | 150 | 2025 | 0 | 4325 | 200 | 1608 | 0 |
Navicula gregaria | 913 | 825 | 783 | 700 | 1309 | 875 | 750 |
Navicula meniscus | 50 | 100 | 150 | 100 | 0 | 100 | 0 |
Navicula palpebralis | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Navicula perminuta | 2050 | 1225 | 983 | 1067 | 1471 | 1050 | 1550 |
Navicula ramosissima | 400 | 150 | 50 | 467 | 145 | 125 | 350 |
Nitzschia closterium | 450 | 133 | 100 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 0 |
Nitzschia dissipata | 67 | 50 | 75 | 50 | 0 | 92 | 0 |
Nodularia sp. | 0 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 0 |
Pediastrum sp. | 0 | 100 | 0 | 50 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Pleurosigma sp. | 175 | 125 | 75 | 50 | 298 | 0 | 50 |
Proshkinia porotzkaje | 67 | 175 | 0 | 100 | 174 | 238 | 75 |
Rhoicosphenia abbreviata | 192 | 183 | 150 | 475 | 300 | 667 | 338 |
Rhopalodia gibba | 0 | 150 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 300 | 0 |
Rhopalodia brebissonii | 738 | 483 | 250 | 517 | 609 | 750 | 400 |
Scenedesmus sp. | 100 | 400 | 300 | 325 | 380 | 692 | 500 |
Spirulina subsalsa | 11 | 242 | 10 | 155 | 7 | 290 | 6 |
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Sylwestrzak, Z., Zgrundo, A. & Pniewski, F. Copper chloride (II) effect on the composition and structure of marine microphytobenthic communities. Environ Monit Assess 194, 443 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-022-10106-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-022-10106-8