Lethal and sub-lethal chronic effects of the herbicide diuron on seagrass

• We performed chronic exposures of two seagrass species to the herbicide diuron.
• Diuron affected photosystem II (PSII) at 0.3 μg l−1 and growth at 7.2 μg l−1.
• Biomarkers indicated that carbon-assimilation from photosynthesis dropped following 0.6 μg l−1 diuron exposure.
• Energetic reserves in the seagrass were halved at 1.7 μg l−1 after 11 weeks.
• Chronic exposure to diuron is likely to enhance the impacts of low light stress during flood plumes

Photosystem II herbicides from agricultural sources have been detected throughout nearshore tropical habitats including seagrass meadows. While PSII herbicides have been shown to inhibit growth in microalgae at low concentrations, the potential impacts of chronic low concentration exposures to seagrass health and growth have not been investigated. Here we exposed two tropical seagrass species Halodule uninervis and Zostera muelleri to elevated diuron concentrations (from 0.3 to 7.2 μg l−1) over a 79-day period followed by a 2-week recovery period in uncontaminated seawater. PAM fluorometry demonstrated rapid effect of diuron on photosystem II (PSII) in both seagrass species at 0.3 μg l−1. This effect included significant inhibition of photosynthetic efficiency (ΔF/Fm′) and inactivation of PSII (Fv/Fm) over the 11 week exposure period. Significant mortality and reductions in growth was only observed at the highest exposure concentration of 7.2 μg l−1 diuron. However, biochemical indicators demonstrated that the health of seagrass after this prolonged exposure was significantly compromised at lower concentrations. For example, the drop in C:N ratios (0.6 μg l−1) and reduced δ13C (1.7 μg l−1) in seagrass leaves indicated reduced C-assimilation from photosynthesis. Critically, the energetic reserves of the plants (as measured by starch content in the root-rhizome complex) were approximately halved following diuron exposure at and above 1.7 μg l−1. During the 2-week recovery period, the photosynthetic capacity of the seagrass improved with only plants from the highest diuron treatment still exhibiting chronic damage to PSII. This study shows that, although seagrass may survive prolonged herbicide exposures, concentrations ≥0.6 μg l−1 diuron equivalents cause measureable impacts on energetic status that may leave the plants vulnerable to other simultaneous stressors. For example, tropical seagrasses have been heavily impacted by reduced light from coastal flood plumes and the effects on plant energetics from light limitation and diuron exposure (highest in flood plumes) are very similar, potentially leading to cumulative negative effects.