| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4550930 | Marine Environmental Research | 2012 | 7 Pages |
Biomarkers are a common tool in the assessment of potential effects of contaminants in aquatic organisms. In order to identify the effects of anthropogenic pollution it is essential to identify background levels and to know the range of natural variability in the biomarker response. In this study, we examined various biomarkers of stress (glutathione S-transferase and metallothionein), damage (lipid peroxidation (LPO) and DNA damage (DNA)) and reproduction (vitellin-like proteins) in marine mussels (Mytilus spp.) from four locations along a vertical transect from high to low shore and compared them with cultivated long line mussels. High shore and cultivated mussels showed significantly higher LPO and DNA damage expression than the low shore mussels indicating a level of oxidative stress resulting from mussel location. Significant effects in physiological endpoints were also found. This study highlights the need to consider the diversity of natural environmental stress factors when using biomarkers in environmental assessment.
► Assessment of reference conditions using a range of biomarker response. ► Comparison of biomarker response between wild and cultivated mussels. ► Significant variability in the biochemical response within and between habitats. ► Study highlights the diversity of environmental stress factors for mussels.
