Baseline metals concentration in the sea star Anasterias minuta in San Matías Gulf, Atlantic Ocean

ARRIBAS LORENA PILAR; FEDERICO MARQUEZ; MARTIN IGNACIO BROGGER; BIGATTI, GREGORIO

Revista del Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales nueva serie

Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales

Lugar: Ciudad Autonoma de Buenos Aires; Año: 2023 vol. 25 p. 143 - 149

1853-0400

Environments contaminated with metals can induce accumulation of trace metals in soft tissues of marine fauna resulting in negative effects. The oral brooding sea star Anasterias minuta is one of the most conspicuous macro-invertebrate top-predator species in the Atlantic Patagonian rocky shores that could accumulate trace elements and be used as biomonitor of coastal metal pollution. The aim of this study was to quantify metals concentrations on gonads of A. minuta populations in an anthropogenic impacted and in a natural protected area. Sea stars A. minuta were collected from two rocky intertidal populations in San Matías Gulf, near an iron-ore loading wharf at Punta Colorada (PC), and in the Natural Protected Area Puerto Lobos (PL), located 35 km south to PC. The essential metals Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Cr and Ni, and the non-essential metal Cd and As were present in gonads of A. minuta from both populations. However, the essential metal Co and the non-essential metal Pb were only detected in the Natural Protected Area PL, with values below to quantification limit at PC. As high metal concentrations can impact negatively on sea star populations and shore habitats, this metal survey obtained from gonads of A. minuta populations could be useful as a reference to start a monitoring program in urbanized and marine protected areas.