Diagnosing the level of stress on a mangrove species (Laguncularia racemosa) contaminated with oil: A necessary step for monitoring mangrove ecosystems

Monitoring the effects of pollution on mangrove vegetation is a challenge. A specific study using an oil spill simulation on mangrove species was conducted to address this challenge. We tested the effectiveness of the chlorophyll a fluorescence kinetics as a fast and robust method to diagnose the vitality of Laguncularia racemosa. We used L. racemosa plants contaminated with marine fuel oil in mangrove microcosm models. Several parameters of the JIP-test were capable of detecting the impairment of the photosynthetic function prior to the visual manifestation of symptoms in response to oil contamination. The results support the use of the chlorophyll fluorescence transient as a reliable, fast and easy to apply diagnostic method for evaluating oil-impacted mangroves. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first time that consistent data showing photosynthetic impairment in response to oil contamination is shown for a mangrove tree species.