EGU24-17814, updated on 11 Mar 2024
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-17814
EGU General Assembly 2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Hydrothermal Vents in Panarea, Italy: Investigating Mercury inputs and evaluating Biota Oxidative Stress Status with a focus on Phorcus turbinatus as a Bioindicator of Mediterranean Sea Health

Andreia C. M. Rodrigues1, Mariia V. Petrova2, Natalia Torres-Rodriguez1, Aurelie Dufour1, Claudia Cosio2, Deny Malengros1, Christian Marschal3, Gianluca Lazzaro4, Manfredi Longo4, and Lars-Eric Heimbürger-Boavida1
Andreia C. M. Rodrigues et al.
  • 1Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS/INSU, Université de Toulon, IRD, Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography (MIO); Marseille, France (dredrigues@gmail.com)
  • 2UMR I-02 SEBIO, Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, 51687 Reims, France
  • 3Aix Marseille Univ, Avignon Université, CNRS, IRD, IMBE, Marseille, France
  • 4Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, sezione di Palermo, Italy

Panarea, an island in the Tyrrhenian Sea, Mediterranean Sea, is distinguished for its hydrothermal vent ecosystems that substantially influence the local biodiversity. While hydrothermal vents are recognised for their mineral-rich composition, the potential release of mercury (Hg), a non-essential metal, into the surrounding environment raises environmental concerns. This study investigates the oxidative stress status and cellular energy allocation of the autochthonous marine gastropod Phorcus turbinatus (Born, 1778), collected from rocky shores at two distinct hydrothermal vents, Bottaro and La Calcara, characterized by different hydrothermal vent activities. Our results show a higher THg input at La Calcara vent (864 pM) when compared to Bottaro (45.9 pM), suggesting exposure by diet. Accordingly, significantly higher levels of oxidative damage, measured as lipid peroxidation (LPO), were observed in gastropods from La Calcara compared to their counterparts from Bottaro. This observation aligns with lower catalase (CAT) activity and total glutathione levels (tGSH) in these gastropods, indicating compromised antioxidant defenses against reactive oxygen species (ROS). No significant differences were observed in energy metabolism when comparing cellular energy allocation (CEA) between snails from the two locations. Nevertheless, gastropods from La Calcara exhibited significantly reduced levels of available sugars, suggesting potential energetic costs of dealing with higher levels of oxidative stress due to increased Hg exposure. Understanding the complex relationships among hydrothermal vent activity, Hg inputs, Hg transfer in food webs, and biota responses provides valuable insights for conservation and management efforts in these unique and fragile ecosystems. Future research should focus on elucidating the long-term effects of Hg exposure at several hydrothermal vent locations, their biodiversity, and ecosystem dynamics, contributing to the broader understanding of metal contamination in marine environments.

How to cite: Rodrigues, A. C. M., Petrova, M. V., Torres-Rodriguez, N., Dufour, A., Cosio, C., Malengros, D., Marschal, C., Lazzaro, G., Longo, M., and Heimbürger-Boavida, L.-E.: Hydrothermal Vents in Panarea, Italy: Investigating Mercury inputs and evaluating Biota Oxidative Stress Status with a focus on Phorcus turbinatus as a Bioindicator of Mediterranean Sea Health, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-17814, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-17814, 2024.