Impact of heavy metals (Cu, Fe, Pb, Zn) on carbon and nitrogen uptake of the diatom-bearing benthic foraminifera Heterostegina depressa

Autor(en): Mario Bubl, Petra Heinz, Wolfgang Wanek, Michael Schagerl, Thilo Hofmann, Michael Lintner
Abstrakt: Foraminifera are protists primarily living in benthic marine and estuarine environments. We studied uptake of inorganic carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) of the photosymbiont-bearing benthic coral reef foraminifera Heterostegina depressa in the presence of heavy metals. Incubation experiments were accomplished with artificial seawater enriched with copper, iron, lead and zinc at two different concentration levels (10 and 100 fold enriched in contrast to the usual culture medium). Additionally, isotopically labelled ¹³C-sodium bicarbonate and ¹⁵N-ammonium chloride were added to trace their assimilation over time (1 d, 3 d, 5 d, 7 d). Pulse-amplified modulated fluorescence measurements were performed to measure the potential impacts of heavy metals on chlorophyll fluorescence of the photosymbiont. Increased levels of copper (430.5 μg Cu/l) exhibited the greatest toxicity, while for low levels no effect on the overall metabolism of the foraminifera and the fluorescence activity of the photosymbiont could be detected. Iron (III) increased the symbiont activity, independent of concentration applied (44.5 and 513.3 μg Fe/l), which indicates Fe-limitation of the algal symbiont. Lead enrichment showed no detectable effect even at high concentration. Low concentrations of zinc (35.1 μg Zn/l) promoted the metabolism of the foraminifera, while high concentrations (598.4 μg Zn/l) were toxic. At low levels, two metals (Fe and Zn) promoted symbiont activity, at high levels, iron still boosted photosynthesis, but Zn and Cu had a negative impact on the obligatory photosynthetic symbionts.
Organisation(en): Institut für Paläontologie, Department für Mikrobiologie und Ökosystemforschung, Department für Funktionelle und Evolutionäre Ökologie, Department für Umweltgeowissenschaften
Externe Organisation(en): Polish Academy of Sciences (PAS)
Journal: Heliyon
Band: 10
Anzahl der Seiten: 7
ISSN: 2405-8440
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e27229
Publikationsdatum: 03-2024
Peer-reviewed: Ja
ÖFOS 2012: 106026 Ökosystemforschung, 105906 Umweltgeowissenschaften
Schlagwörter
ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete: General
Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 14 – Leben unter Wasser
Link zum Portal: https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/de/publications/fdf01dd2-9d1f-425b-af56-2dabaf4e120e

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