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Variation patterns in individual fish responses to chemical stress among estuaries, seasons and genders: the case of the European flounder (Platichthys flesus) in the Bay of Biscay

  • Ecotoxicology of estuaries in France and Québec, Canada
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Abstract

The objective was to describe and model variation patterns in individual fish responses to contaminants among estuaries, season and gender. Two hundred twenty-seven adult European flounders were collected in two seasons (winter and summer) in four estuaries along the Bay of Biscay (South West France), focusing on a pristine system (the Ster), vs. three estuaries displaying contrasted levels of contaminants (the Vilaine, Loire and Gironde). Twenty-three variables were measured by fish, considering the load of contaminants (liver metals, liver and muscle persistent organic pollutants, muscle polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons); the gene expression (Cyt C oxydase, ATPase, BHMT, Cyt P450 1A1, ferritin); the blood genotoxicity (Comet test); and liver histology (foci of cellular alteration–tumour, steatosis, inflammation, abnormal glycogen storage). Canonical redundancy analysis (RDA) was used to model these variables using gender, season and estuary of origin as explanatory variables. The results underlined the homogeneity of fish responses within the pristine site (Ster) and more important seasonal variability within the three contaminated systems. The complete model RDA was significant and explained 35 % of total variance. Estuary and season respectively explained 30 and 5 % of the total independent variation components, whilst gender was not a significant factor. The first axis of the RDA explains nearly 27 % of the total variance and mostly represents a gradient of contamination. The links between the load of contaminants, the expression of several genes and the biomarkers were analysed considering different levels of chemical stress and a possible multi-stress, particularly in the Vilaine estuary.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the INTERREG program, DIESE, by the DEVIL-INERIS program and by the EVOLFISH project (ANR-VMCS).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire des Sciences de l’Environnement Marin LEMAR, Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer, Université Européenne de Bretagne, Université de Brest, UMR 6539 CNRS/UBO/IRD/Ifremer, 29280, Plouzané, France

    Jean Laroche, Olivier Gauthier, Louis Quiniou, Ricardo Riso & Vianney Pichereau

  2. USC INRA “Impact génotoxique sur les hydrosystèmes”, UMR LEHNA 5023, ENTPE, Rue Maurice Audin, 69518, Vaulx en Velin Cedex, France

    Alain Devaux & Sylvie Bony

  3. CEDRE, rue Alain Colas, CS 41836, 29218, Brest Cedex 2, France

    Estérine Evrard

  4. Université Bordeaux 1, EPOC UMR 5805, LPTC Group, Avenue de la Libération, 33405, Talence, France

    Jérôme Cachot, Marie Hélène Devier & Hélène Budzinski

  5. UMR 703 INRA/Oniris, Route de Gachet, 44307, Nantes Cedex 03, France

    Yan Chérel & Thibaut Larcher

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  1. Jean Laroche
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  2. Olivier Gauthier
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  3. Louis Quiniou
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  4. Alain Devaux
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  7. Jérôme Cachot
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  8. Yan Chérel
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  10. Ricardo Riso
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  11. Vianney Pichereau
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  12. Marie Hélène Devier
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  13. Hélène Budzinski
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Correspondence to Jean Laroche.

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Laroche, J., Gauthier, O., Quiniou, L. et al. Variation patterns in individual fish responses to chemical stress among estuaries, seasons and genders: the case of the European flounder (Platichthys flesus) in the Bay of Biscay. Environ Sci Pollut Res 20, 738–748 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-012-1276-3

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