Reduction of imposex levels in the Port of Sines (SW Portugal)

Event Abstract Back to Event Reduction of imposex levels in the Port of Sines (SW Portugal) Cristina Espírito Santo1*, Susana Celestino1, Marta Mamede1, André Costa1, Nuno Mamede1, Alina Sousa1, Eugénio Sousa1, Teresa Silva1, Teresa Cruz1, 2 and João Castro1, 2 1 MARE – Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Laboratório de Ciências do Mar, Escola de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade de Évora, Apartado 190, 7521-903 Sines, Portugal 2 Departamento de Biologia, Escola de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade de Évora, Portugal The Port of Sines is an open deep-water multipurpose harbor located in the SW coast of continental Portugal. Operating since 1978, the new industrial harbor handles crude and its derivatives, coal, natural gas and containerized cargo. Within a monitoring program of marine environments of the Port of Sines, imposex levels in Nassarius reticulatus (Mollusca Gastropoda) have been assessed as integrative indicators of contamination by tributyltin (TBT), a highly toxic compound used in antifouling paints. Considering putative impacts of human activities in the harbor, variation between areas outside and inside the harbor, and between harbor areas with different degree of wave action (confined vs. exposed), was studied. As TBT is highly persistent and organotin compounds usage was banned in 2003, inter-annual variation was studied with samples taken in several years since 2002 (2002, 2005, 2010 and 2013). Dependent variables studied are the percentage of females with imposex (%I), the vas deferens sequence index (VDSI), the mean female penis length (FPL) and the relative penis length index (RPLI). In all years sampled, females with imposex were found at almost all sampling areas and highest levels were observed inside the harbor, except in the new container terminal (handling cargo since 2004) where imposex levels were as low as outside the harbor. In 2013, lower imposex levels were found in most exposed areas, in new container terminal areas and in areas outside the harbor, suggesting that contamination by TBT was higher in most confined areas and in one exposed area. Differences among years varied according to the area sampled and the dependent variable studied. Inter-annual variation was not significant in most confined areas (%I) and in the new container terminal and outside areas (VDSI, FPL and RPLI). Lack of inter-annual variation was more frequent in outside areas. Lower values in 2013, or in 2010 and 2013, were the most frequent patterns of this temporal variation. These patterns were more frequent in the harbor areas, confined or exposed. Applying OSPAR environmental assessment criteria to data obtained in 2013, exposure to TBT may have harmful effects in four of the eight harbor areas, not achieving the OSPAR ecological quality objective for imposex in Nassarius reticulatus. Nevertheless, the use of these criteria showed that ecological quality of the marine environment has much improved in this harbor and outside areas since 2002. Due to international bans on organotin compounds usage, a more significant reduction of TBT contamination is expectable. In spite of TBT persistence, amelioration of imposex levels may be expected in the Port of Sines and its monitoring is recommended. Acknowledgements This study was made within a monitoring program of marine environments of the Port of Sines, funded by the Ports of Sines and the Algarve Authority (APS, S.A.). Keywords: Oceanic port, SINEs, imposex, Nassarius reticulatus, TBT Conference: IMMR | International Meeting on Marine Research 2016, Peniche, Portugal, 14 Jul - 15 Jul, 2016. Presentation Type: Poster presentation Topic: Biodiversity, Conservation and Coastal Management Citation: Espírito Santo C, Celestino S, Mamede M, Costa A, Mamede N, Sousa A, Sousa E, Silva T, Cruz T and Castro J (2016). Reduction of imposex levels in the Port of Sines (SW Portugal). Front. Mar. Sci. Conference Abstract: IMMR | International Meeting on Marine Research 2016. doi: 10.3389/conf.FMARS.2016.04.00075 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 15 Apr 2016; Published Online: 13 Jul 2016. * Correspondence: Ms. Cristina Espírito Santo, MARE – Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Laboratório de Ciências do Mar, Escola de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade de Évora, Apartado 190, 7521-903 Sines, Sines, Portugal, cesanto@uevora.pt Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Cristina Espírito Santo Susana Celestino Marta Mamede André Costa Nuno Mamede Alina Sousa Eugénio Sousa Teresa Silva Teresa Cruz João Castro Google Cristina Espírito Santo Susana Celestino Marta Mamede André Costa Nuno Mamede Alina Sousa Eugénio Sousa Teresa Silva Teresa Cruz João Castro Google Scholar Cristina Espírito Santo Susana Celestino Marta Mamede André Costa Nuno Mamede Alina Sousa Eugénio Sousa Teresa Silva Teresa Cruz João Castro PubMed Cristina Espírito Santo Susana Celestino Marta Mamede André Costa Nuno Mamede Alina Sousa Eugénio Sousa Teresa Silva Teresa Cruz João Castro Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.