ReviewUse of macroalgae to biomonitor pollutants in coastal waters: Optimization of the methodology

- In this review 445 papers using macroalgae in biomonitoring studies were consulted.
- The degree of standardization of the methodological aspects was evaluated.
- Nowadays protocols for application of the technique are not standardized.
- A protocol for use in routine macroalgae biomonitoring programs is proposed.

Although native macroalgae have been used for biomonitoring purposes since the 1950s, a standardized protocol that would enable widespread implementation of the technique has not yet been developed. The aim of this review study, in which 445 articles were consulted, was to evaluate the monitoring methods applied in coastal environments worldwide and to assess the degree of standardization of the techniques used. Finally, on the basis of the conclusions reached, we propose a standardized protocol for implementing the method.