Department of Biology, Chemistry and Environmental Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
Department of Biology, Chemistry and Environmental Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
Mar Pollut Bull. 2023 Oct;195:115442. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115442. Epub 2023 Sep 1.
The United Arab of Emirates (UAE) hosts valuable coastal and marine biodiversity, and oysters are one of the habitants of its marine ecosystem. Oysters play an essential role in the nearshore coasts where they work as an active filter. They filter nutrients, phytoplankton, sediments, heavy metals, and toxins out of the water, which improves the water quality. This is the first study that characterizes oyster bed habitats in the UAE by analyzing water quality parameters, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs)and heavy metals in water, sediments and oyster samples collected from five locations along the coasts of Sharjah, Ajman, and Umm al Quwain. Oyster bed areas supported a diverse assemblage of benthic life including oysters, scallops, pen shells, hard corals, and macroalgae. Mobile species in these habitats included groupers, emperors, snappers, sea snakes, among others. The phytoplankton assemblages were dominated by diatoms, dinoflagellates, and small cryptophytes. Harmful diatom Pseudonitzschia was found in all locations. No detectable concentrations of PAHs and OCPs were reported in this study, and water quality parameters were within the acceptable levels for the region. On the other hand, water quality index was reported marginal, mostly due to the presence of higher than acceptable concentrations of chromium and mercury in all sites studied. Bioconcentration factors concluded that oysters were able to bioconcentrate metals such as arsenic, cadmium, chromium, and zinc, when compared to water. No detectable concentrations of lead and mercury were reported in oysters, suggesting higher depuration rates for those metals.
阿拉伯联合酋长国（阿联酋）拥有宝贵的沿海和海洋生物多样性，牡蛎是其海洋生态系统的居民之一。牡蛎在近岸海岸发挥着重要作用，它们是一种活跃的滤食者。它们过滤掉水中的营养物质、浮游植物、沉积物、重金属和毒素，从而改善水质。这是首次通过分析水质参数、多环芳烃（PAHs）、有机氯农药（OCPs）和沿沙迦、阿治曼和乌姆盖万海岸采集的五个地点的水、沉积物和牡蛎样本中的重金属，对阿联酋牡蛎床生境进行特征描述的研究。牡蛎床区域支持着包括牡蛎、扇贝、笔贝、硬珊瑚和大型藻类在内的多种底栖生物的组合。这些栖息地中的移动物种包括石斑鱼、皇帝鱼、鲷鱼、海蛇等。浮游植物群落主要由硅藻、甲藻和小型隐藻组成。所有地点都发现了有害硅藻拟菱形藻。本研究未报告可检出浓度的 PAHs 和 OCPs，且水质参数在该地区可接受范围内。另一方面，水质指数报告为边缘性，主要是因为在所研究的所有地点，铬和汞的浓度都高于可接受水平。生物浓缩因子表明，与水相比，牡蛎能够浓缩砷、镉、铬和锌等金属。牡蛎中未检出铅和汞的浓度，表明这些金属的净化率较高。
