Seasonal and Interannual Metal Bioaccumulation in the Sea Anemone Anemonia viridis

Sea anemones integrate dissolved and particulate trace metals and can provide high-frequency baselines for coastal monitoring. We quantified ten elements (Al, Zn, Fe, Ni, Cr, Cu, Pb, Cd, V and Li) in 240 individuals of Anemonia viridis collected monthly at Bañaderos (Gran Canaria, NE Atlantic) from January 2022 to December 2023 using ICP-OES. Concentrations are reported as mg kg⁻¹ w. w. Al, Zn and Fe dominated the assemblage and peaked in August 2023 (37.2, 56.1 and 40.4 mg kg⁻¹ ww, respectively). PERMANOVA (pairwise tests) indicated significant interannual differences for Al, Zn and Fe during spring-summer, whereas Pb and Cd showed limited seasonality and low variance. Linear and spline models identified an increasing temporal component for Al and Zn superimposed on pronounced annual cycles; additive decomposition attributed most variance in Al, Zn and Fe to the seasonal component. PCA confirmed that Al, Zn and Fe explained most of the temporal separation among months. This two-year record provides a baseline for metal exposure in an intertidal bioindicator and supports monthly sampling to resolve seasonal dynamics and episodic inputs.