Work

Characterizing the Health Status of European Hake (Merluccius merluccius) in Areas with Different Anthropic Impacts (NW Mediterranean Sea)

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: , from three areas of the Catalan coast (NW Mediterranean Sea) with different anthropogenic impacts (i.e., chemical pollution, litter, …) and assess if hake could serve as a sentinel species. We measured biomarkers of chemical exposure including B-esterases, antioxidant enzymes (GST, GR, GPx, CAT), biotransformation markers (EROD), lipid peroxidation, and macro-parasite assemblages. Hake showed, generally, a good health status across all areas with homogeneous patterns for most parameters. Tissue-specific differences included elevated gonadal cholinesterases and higher brain and hepatic carboxylesterase activities in the south, and increased hepatic EROD but lower lipid peroxidation in the central Barcelona area. Parasite assemblages were dominated by Digenea, Cestoda, and Nematoda, with higher cestode prevalence in both central and south zones. In summary, despite a greater prevalence of environmental pollution in the central region, there was a homogeneous pattern in hake health indicators throughout the three studied fishing zones. These results establish a baseline for hake health in Mediterranean waters and suggest that the species' high mobility and wide depth range may limit its utility to detect local-scale pollution impacts, though it may serve as a regional-scale bioindicator.

Source: Animals

DOI: 10.3390/ani16010014

Authors: Irene Brandts, Sergi Omedes, Carmen Gilardoni, Marc Balcells, Montserrat Solé, Eve Galimany

Institutions: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Institut de Ciències del Mar

Language: English

Topic: Environmental Toxicology and Ecotoxicology

Subfield: Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Life below water

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,896