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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 23, 2026

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Tracking trace elements into complex coral reef trophic networks.

Marine J Briand1, Paco Bustamante2, Xavier Bonnet3

  • 1Université de la Nouvelle-Calédonie, Institut ISEA and LABEX "Corail", BP R4, 98851 Nouméa cedex, New Caledonia; Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS/INSU, Université de Toulon, IRD, Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography (MIO) UM 110, Campus de Luminy, 13288 Marseille, France.

The Science of the Total Environment
|September 13, 2017
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Trace element contamination is present in New Caledonia

Keywords:
BioaccumulationBiomagnificationFood websMetallic contaminationNew CaledoniaTrophic compartments

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Area of Science:

  • Marine Ecology
  • Environmental Chemistry
  • Ecotoxicology

Background:

  • Trace element integration, accumulation, and transfer across trophic levels are poorly understood, especially in complex coral reef food webs.
  • Coral reef ecosystems face potential risks from various anthropogenic activities, including mining, agriculture, and urbanization, leading to trace element contamination.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the patterns of trace element contamination in different compartments and trophic levels of the New Caledonia coral reef lagoon.
  • To identify the sources of trace elements and understand their transfer dynamics within the sedimentary benthic food web (S-BFW), reef benthic food web (R-BFW), and detrital benthic food web (D-BFW).

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of trace element concentrations in abiotic (sediments) and biotic (producers, consumers, predators) components of the coral reef ecosystem.
  • Tracing the origin of trace elements by linking them to specific anthropogenic activities (mining, agro-industrial, urban).

Main Results:

  • Both abiotic and biotic compartments are contaminated with trace elements, with distinct contamination patterns across food webs.
  • Mining-related trace elements (Ni, Co, Cr, Fe, Mn) primarily contaminate the S-BFW and R-BFW.
  • Agro-industrial (As, Hg, Zn) and urban (Ag, Cd, Cu, Pb, Se, V) trace elements are integrated into S-BFW and R-BFW, with preferential accumulation in R-BFW.
  • Most trace elements biodiminish up the food web, but mercury (Hg) biomagnifies, with suspected biomagnification for selenium (Se) and zinc (Zn).

Conclusions:

  • The study provides crucial baseline data on trace element contamination in a diverse coral reef lagoon, highlighting differential pathways and trophic transfer.
  • Understanding these contamination patterns is essential for assessing ecological risks and managing pollution in coral reef environments.