Seasonal antioxidant responses in the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck 1816) used as a bioindicator of the environmental contamination in the South-East Mediterranean

• Published in: Marine pollution bulletin Vol. 122; no. 1-2; pp. 392 - 402
• Main Authors: Amri, Sandra, Samar, Mohamed-Faouzi, Sellem, Fériel, Ouali, Kheireddine
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 15.09.2017
• Subjects: Animals; Biomarkers; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Environmental Pollution - analysis; Gonads; Gulf of Annaba; Mediterranean Sea; Oxidative stress; Paracentrotus - physiology; Pesticides; Reproduction; Sea urchin; Seasons; Oxidative stress; Reproduction; Pesticides; Biomarkers; Sea urchin; Gulf of Annaba; Mediterranean Sea
• ISSN: 0025-326X; 1879-3363
• DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.06.079

In this study, sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus were sampled seasonally at three stations during 2012 in the coastal areas of the Gulf of Annaba (southeast Mediterranean). For all sea urchins, the gonad index was calculated to determine sea urchin reproductive status. Moreover, a set of biochemical parameters, including biomarkers and oxidative stress parameters, was measured in gonads. The pesticides and physiochemical parameters were measured and dosed in sea water. The results obtained highlighted that the levels of pesticide were generally low and below those commonly applied by environmental quality standards (EQS), indicating that no alarm state is currently present in the Gulf of Annaba. In addition to pollution, seasonal change is an important factor influencing biomarker activity, and the significant increases in biomarker levels in spring are a major observed trend. This activity may also be related to reproductive status. Seasonal variability was confirmed by the significant results of the Kruskal-Wallis test and by the high degree of divergence between seasons in PCA, with a total of 83.83% of variance explained. These results indicate that environmental factors that vary seasonally may affect the antioxidant status of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus. •The seasonal variability of physicochemical parameters of sea water was strongly influenced by seasonal events.•The pesticides assayed have not reached an alarming in Gulf of Annaba.•Seasonal change is an important factor influencing the biomarker activity in gonads of sea urchin of Paracentrotus lividus.•In reproduction period the sea urchin maintaining their antioxidant systems at high levels.