Macroalgal biomonitoring - applying phenolic compounds as biomarkers for metal uptake characteristics in Irish coastal environments

This page displays all of the metadata information which describes this resource. This metadata information provides details of: the owners and creators of this resource; download links to any files which are available for downloading; geographical and temporal information about the datasets or project in general; other information such as a description of the project, experimental techniques used, data download restrictions, etc.

View other resources on SAFER owned/managed by the owner of this resource.

Files attached to this resource have been downloaded 40 times. View Download Timeline Graphic

Resource or Project Abstract

Metals occur naturally in seawater at low concentrations and some act as essential micronutrients for marine biota, but they become toxic when absorbed or ingested by plants and animals at high concentrations. Despite some recent research on metal contents in seaweeds from Ireland, few data exist regarding the metal contents in Irish coastal and transitional waters. The recent Discussion Document on a National Environmental Monitoring Programme for Transitional, Coastal and Marine Waters by the Environmental Protection Agency of Ireland proposes the inclusion of seaweeds in an extended assessment of metal concentrations future monitoring programs in Ireland and recommends the monitoring of hazardous substances and contaminants, including metals, by using biomonitoring organisms, such as shellfish and seaweeds. Currently no standardised monitoring protocol exists in Ireland, although some limited biomonitoring of metals using shellfish has been conducted. In this 3-year project, we observed seasonal, spatial and inter-site variations in phenol and metal (copper, zinc, cadmium, chromium) contents and in phenol composition in the ecologically and economically most important seaweeds in Ireland, Ascophyllum nodosum and Fucus vesiculosus, demonstrating their suitability as biomonitors of metal contamination. The experimental approach taken in this project established a quantitative link between physiological responses in intertidal brown seaweeds and phenol production, composition, exudation and their potential to bind metals under natural environmental conditions. The effect of copper enrichment and its interaction with salinity, and the effect of iron and zinc contamination were closely investigated. However, neither the intra-cellular phenol content of the seaweed, nor the phenol exudation could be used as biomarkers of metal contamination, whereas the cell-wall phenol content of brown seaweeds seems promising but needs further investigation. This project has produced data on the contaminative status of selected Irish coastal and transitional waters, including sites of active seaweed harvesting by the Irish seaweed industry. Finally some recommendations are proposed for the sampling methodology when using seaweeds as biomonitors of metal contamination, and some general comments on the utilisation of a series of biomonitors (seaweed, animal filter-feeder such as mussel, sediment) to characterise the metal contamination of a site in more detail.

Go back to top of page Top  Up Arrow Icon

Contact Information for This Resource

Dr. Solene Connan
NUI Gwalway

Dr. Dagmar Stengel
NUI Galway

Go back to top of page Top  Up Arrow Icon

Data, Files, Information Objects Related To This Project Resource

Please Read Carefully Before Downloading

It is important for the EPA and the Environmental Research Community to know that the data and information products we distribute are useful to the user community we support. One way of doing this is by tracking the use of data and information in publications. Parts of or all of the datasets, data, or digital information products available here can be freely downloaded for further use in scientific applications under the condition that the source will be properly quoted in published papers, journals, websites, presentations, books, etc. Whenever possible the EPA strongly urge you to cite the use of these data, information, and web resources in the reference section of your publications. For convenience an automatically generated citation is available below which can be used immediately for citation purposes.

EPA SAFER Data Download Disclaimer: Before downloading any of the data or information objects below you are kindly asked to read the data download disclaimer Read Disclaimer (Opens in New Window). Downloading data or information objects from SAFER-Data indicates an acceptance of the data download disclaimer and the conditions outlined within it.

Attachment Name and Download Link
Offline Print Quality Version    STRIVE_42_Connan_Phenoliccompounds_prn.pdf  (3.88 Mb)
Offline Print Quality Version    STRIVE_42_Connan_Phenoliccompounds_syn_prn.pdf  (1.39 Mb)
Project Report Optimised For Online Viewing    STRIVE_42_Connan_Phenoliccompounds_syn_web.pdf  (1.56 Mb)

Suggested Citation Information

The information supplied in the table below should be provided with all citations to this electronic resource. You are requested to format each of the fields below as required by the specific bibliographical style you are using.

Author(s)Connan, S. Stengel, D.
Title Of WebsiteSecure Archive For Environmental Research Data
Publication InformationMacroalgal biomonitoring - applying phenolic compounds as biomarkers for metal uptake characteristics in Irish coastal environments
Name of OrganisationEnvironmental Protection Agency Ireland
Electronic Address or URL https://eparesearch.epa.ie/safer/resource?id=5d1b4cdf-5abb-102c-b8f8-a124ce9eab80
Unique Identifier5d1b4cdf-5abb-102c-b8f8-a124ce9eab80
Date of AccessLast Updated on SAFER: 2024-12-13

An example of this citation in proper usage:

Connan, S. Stengel, D.   "Macroalgal biomonitoring - applying phenolic compounds as biomarkers for metal uptake characteristics in Irish coastal environments". Associated datasets and digitial information objects connected to this resource are available at: Secure Archive For Environmental Research Data (SAFER) managed by Environmental Protection Agency Ireland https://eparesearch.epa.ie/safer/resource?id=5d1b4cdf-5abb-102c-b8f8-a124ce9eab80 (Last Accessed: 2024-12-13)

*Permalink

Go back to top of page Top  Up Arrow Icon

Access Information For This Resource

SAFER-Data Display URL https://eparesearch.epa.ie/safer/iso19115/display?isoID=106
Resource Keywordsseaweed, metal, copper, contamination, ecophysiology, zinc, cadmium, chromium, culture experiment, biomonitoring, salinity, Phaeophyceae, phenolic compounds, Ireland, chlorophyll fluorescence
EPA/ERTDI/STRIVE Project Code2007-FS-35-M1
EPA/ERTDI/STRIVE Project ThemeWater Quality
Resource Availability: Any User Can Download Files From This Resource
Public-Open
Limitations on the use of this ResourceAny attached datasets, data files, or information objects can be downloaded for further use in scientific applications under the condition that the source is properly quoted and cited in published papers, journals, websites, presentations, books, etc. Before downloading, users must agree to the "Conditions of Download and Access" from SAFER-Data. These appear before download. Users of the data should also communicate with the original authors/owners of this resource if they are uncertain about any aspect of the data or information provided before further usage.
Number of Attached Files (Publicly and Openly Available for Download): 3
Project Start Date Wednesday 1st March 2006 (01-03-2006)
Earliest Recorded Date within any attached datasets or digital objects Tuesday 14th March 2006 (14-03-2006)
Most Recent Recorded Date within any attached datasets or digital objects Tuesday 2nd September 2008 (02-09-2008)
Published on SAFERThursday 5th March 2009 (05-03-2009)
Date of Last EditMonday 21st December 2009 at 11:37:24 (21-12-2009)
Datasets or Files Updated On Monday 21st December 2009 at 11:37:24 (21-12-2009)

Go back to top of page Top  Up Arrow Icon

Geographical and Spatial Information Related To This Resource

Description of Geographical Characteristics of This Project or Dataset
Ballyconneely (53°23.42N 10°02.47W) is a marine, moderately sheltered site, situated within the Connemara and facing the Atlantic Ocean with little anthropogenic impact. A. nodosum is harvested on this site for the Irish seaweed industry. Oranmore (53°16.15N 8°57.22W), Kinvara (53°08.28N 8°55.44W) and Finavara (53°09.25N 9°06.58W) are all situated within a Special Protection Area (SPA; Inner Galway Bay; SI No 349/1994) but they exhibit very different environment conditions. Oranmore and Kinvara are located in the inner part of the Bay and present higher nutrient enrichment than Finavara and contain mud on the lowest part of the shore. At Kinvara, a large fresh- ground- water river is emerging close to the castle and the sampling site resulting in dramatic changes of the salinity for the seaweed over a tide cycle: in few hours, this salinity varies between 32.6 at high tide down to 0.5 at low tide. On the other hand, Finavara is a typical marine site. In the industrialized Shannon Estuary, only Ringmoylan (52°40.09N 8°52.42W) is part of a SPA (River Shannon and River Fergus Estuaries; SI No 210/1997). This site is located in the inner part of the Estuary. Foynes (52°36.23N 9°09.26W) is situated in the middle part of the Estuary. At the entrance of the Estuary, Beal Point (52°34.77N 9°37.34W) and Carrig Island (52°34.35N 9°30.28W) are grouped as one site due to the absence of A. nodosum on Beal Point shore. The closest site in the estuary containing this seaweed species was Carrig Island. Cobh (51°51.41N 8°19.57W) is situated in the estuary of Cork Harbour, close to Passage West. It is influenced by anthropogenic impacts. The two sites in France were located in the Bay of Brest, Le Dellec (48°21.05N 4°34.11W) on the outer part of the Bay and Moulin Blanc (48°23.47N 4°25.24W) on the inner part of the Bay close to the nutrient enriched River Elorn and to the military and commercial harbours. At both sites only A. nodosum was present.

Go back to top of page Top  Up Arrow Icon

Supplementary Information About This Resource

In this section some supplementary information about this resource is outlined. Lineage information helps us to understand why this project was carried out, what policy or research requirements did it fulfil, etc. Lineage is important in understanding the rationale behind the carrying out of a project or the collection of a specific dataset etc. Links to web sites, applications, papers, etc are outlined to provide you with additional information or supplementary reading about the project or dataset

Lineage information about this project or dataset
Despite some recent research on metal contents in seaweeds from Ireland, few data exist regarding the metal contents in Irish coastal and transitional waters. The recent Discussion Document on a National Environmental Monitoring Programme for Transitional, Coastal and Marine Waters by the Environmental Protection Agency of Ireland proposes the inclusion of seaweeds in an extended assessment of metal concentrations future monitoring programs in Ireland and recommends the monitoring of hazardous substances and contaminants, including metals, by using biomonitoring organisms, such as shellfish and seaweeds.
Supplementary Information
Environmental parameters in the two French sites: data provided by Ifremer/Quadrige/REPOM hydrology for Moulin Blanc and ''Service d'Observation en Milieu Littoral, INSU-CNRS, Portzic? for le Dellec.

Parameters measured:
- copper, zinc, cadmium, chromium and phenol contents, phenol composition, and environmental parameters (pH, salinity, nutrients) (monitoring study),
- phenol content, composition and exudation in relation to temperature, salinity and combined treatments of temperature, salinity and desiccation
- copper, zinc, cadmium, chromium and phenol contents, phenol composition and exudation, and photosynthetic parameters in relation to salinity and copper contamination (laboratory experiments),
- copper, zinc, cadmium, chromium and phenol contents, phenol composition and exudation, and photosynthetic parameters in relation to zinc and iron contamination (laboratory experiments)




The authors would like to thank Dr Peter McLoughlin, Dr Brian Murphy, Dr Richard Walsh, Catherine Murphy and Adil Bakir (Estuarine Research Group, Waterford Institute of Technology) for their help with metal analyses; Dr Rachel Cave (Dept. of Earth and Ocean Science, NUIG) for her help with nutrient analyses; Dr Stephane Cerantola (NMR service laboratory, University of Western Brittany, France) for the NMR analyses; Dr Erwan Ar Gall (LEBHAM, University of Western Brittany, France) for the collection of seaweed samples from France; and John-Paul Tiernan and Sonya Welsh, undergraduate students who participated in the data collection.
Links To Other Related Resources
  http://www.epa.ie/whatwedo/monitoring/water/coastal/programme/ (Opens in a new window)
  http://www.nuigalway.ie/botany/ (Opens in a new window)

an image showing a web browser link icon Any links supplied by the resource owner are stored such that they will open in a new window. Following such a link may lead to a 3rd party website over which EPA has no control in regards to contents or suitability.

Go back to top of page Top  Up Arrow Icon

Similiar projects or datasets on SAFER with downloadable data files

The following is a list of projects, datasets, and resources on SAFER-Data from which users downloaded attachments from soon after downloading attachments from this resource Macroalgal biomonitoring - applying phenolic compounds as biomarkers for metal uptake characteristics in Irish coastal environments. You can view the full description for projects, datasets, and resources by using the links supplied.

Go back to top of page Top  Up Arrow Icon