Biomonitoring coastal environments with transplanted macroalgae: A methodological review.

Area of Science:

• Marine Biology
• Environmental Science
• Ecotoxicology

Background:

• Macroalgae transplants are increasingly used in marine pollution biomonitoring.
• Limited studies (60 between 1978-2017) focus on this technique for inorganic pollutants and nutrients.
• Existing research lacks methodological standardization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the methodological development of macroalgae transplant techniques for biomonitoring.
• To assess the degree of protocol standardization in published studies.
• To propose a standardized protocol for macroalgae transplant biomonitoring.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature review of studies using macroalgae transplants for biomonitoring.
• Analysis of methodological aspects and protocol variations.
• Comparison of findings with proposed standardized protocol.

Main Results:

• The macroalgae transplant technique is not yet standardized across studies.
• Significant variation exists in protocols used for biomonitoring.
• A need for uniform methodologies to enable result comparison is evident.

Conclusions:

• Standardization of protocols is crucial for the effective use of macroalgae transplants in marine pollution monitoring.
• A proposed protocol aims to enhance comparability and reliability of biomonitoring data.
• Further adoption of uniform methods will improve understanding of inorganic pollutant and nutrient impacts.