Parasite responses to pollution: what we know and where we go in ‘Environmental Parasitology’

Sures, Bernd; Nachev, Milen; Selbach, Christian; Marcogliese, David J.

doi:10.1186/s13071-017-2001-3

Cited by 264 publications

(261 citation statements)

References 196 publications

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“…Interestingly, the palladium concentration in the tissues of infected hosts (after removal of the parasite) was 2 times higher than the concentration in the uninfected amphipods (Sures & Radszuweit 2007). These results are somewhat contradictory to studies on metal accumulation patterns in adult acanthocephalans, which usually have higher levels of metals than their hosts (Sures & Siddall 2003, Nachev & Sures 2016, Sures et al 2017b). Moreover, the very high metal accumulation in adult acanthocephalans may lead to reduced metal concentrations in host tissues (Sures & Siddall 1999, Filipović Marijić et al 2014).…”

Section: Acanthocephalamentioning

confidence: 68%

“…According to the present knowledge, it is obvious that the impact of parasites can confound the outcome of toxicological and ecotoxicological studies in various ways. Therefore, parasites in amphipods and other test organisms should be considered in ecotoxicological studies, as already suggested by several authors (Ford & Fernandes 2005, Sures 2008a, Ford 2012, Sures et al 2017b. In this context, it would also be an important aim to relate the effect size of parasite impacts to the effects of other influencing factors, to obtain a quantitative estimate of the relevance of parasites on the outcome of ecotoxicological studies.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Over the past 2 decades, there has been an increasing interest in the combined effects of parasites and pollutants on the health of organisms, leading to the establishment of 'Environmental Parasitology' as a discipline in parasitology (Sures et al 2017b). Within this field, it has emerged that unpredictable or contradictory results occur if infected animals are used in ecotoxicological research without considering possible effects of parasites.…”

Section: Combined Effects Of Pollutants and Parasitesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…If these effects are measurable, they can be used for effect indication and are called biomarkers (Connon et al 2012). In recent years, some working groups have raised awareness of combined effects of parasites and adverse environmental conditions on organisms used for field or laboratory experiments (Marcogliese 2004, Sures 2004, 2006, 2008a,b, Shirakashi & El-Matbouli 2010, Marcogliese & Pietrock 2011, Sures et al 2017b.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…From the multitude of host−parasite systems that have been investigated to date concerning the effect of parasites on the biomarker response of the host (see review by Sures et al 2017b and references therein), we selected amphipods as an example to illustrate the general problem of parasites (specifically Microsporidia and Acanthocephala) interfering with the effects of exposure to pollutants. Various species of amphipods are common test organisms in ecotoxicological studies, both in field and laboratory approaches, and have been used to assess the toxicity of a wide variety of substances (Kunz et al 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Amphipod parasites may bias results of ecotoxicological research

Grabner¹,

Sures²

2019

Dis. Aquat. Org.

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Amphipods are commonly used test organisms in ecotoxicological studies. Nevertheless, their naturally occurring parasites have mostly been neglected in these investigations, even though several groups of parasites can have a multitude of effects, e.g. on host survival, physiology, or behavior. In the present review, we summarize the knowledge on the effects of Microsporidia and Acanthocephala, 2 common and abundant groups of parasites in amphipods, on the outcome of ecotoxicological studies. Parasites can have significant effects on toxicological endpoints (e.g. mortality, biochemical markers) that are unexpected in some cases (e.g. down-regulation of heat shock protein 70 response in infected individuals). Therefore, parasites can bias the interpretation of results, for example if populations with different parasite profiles are compared, or if toxicological effects are masked by parasite effects. With the present review, we would like to encourage ecotoxicologists to consider parasites as an additional factor if field-collected test organisms are analyzed for biomarkers. Additionally, we suggest intensification of research activities on the effects of parasites in amphipods in connection with other stressors to disentangle parasite and pollution effects and to improve our understanding of parasite effects in this host taxon.

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Section: Acanthocephalamentioning

confidence: 68%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Combined Effects Of Pollutants and Parasitesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Amphipod parasites may bias results of ecotoxicological research

Grabner¹,

Sures²

2019

Dis. Aquat. Org.

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Parasites of Percophis brasiliensis (Percophidae) benefited from fishery regulations: Indicators of success for marine protected areas?

Braicovich

Irigoitia

Bovcon

et al. 2020

Aquatic Conservation

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Fishing is the greatest source of anthropogenic impact on global marine resources and the ecosystems supporting them. The decline of many fish stocks has led to the need to apply control and protection measures to promote the recovery of these resources. In the Argentine Sea, a multispecies coastal fishery in the El Rincón region has displayed signs of overexploitation since the beginning of the century. Consequently, temporal and spatial protection measures were implemented in 2004. In previous studies, an independent stock of Percophis brasiliensis in El Rincón was identified based on the parasite communities of fish caught in 2005. However, no subsequent studies using parasite communities have been performed since the protective fishery closure measures were applied. To evaluate parasites as indicators of temporal change in the El Rincón stock of P. brasiliensis after the implementation of these protection measures, a sample from 2018 was compared with that from the previous study, as well as with three other samples. Two of the latter (Argentine Common Fishing Zone and San Matías Gulf) corresponded to previously identified independent stocks in the Argentine biogeographical province and the third was a new sample from the Magellanic Province in southern Patagonian waters. The structure and composition of parasite assemblages of the El Rincón stock of P. brasiliensis differed significantly in 2018, after several years of protective measures. The increased loads observed in several parasite species constitute a promising signal of successful ecosystem recovery. A discrete stock in the Magellanic Province was also identified, providing insights into the population structure of P. brasiliensis along its distributional range, with applications for the sustainable management of this resource.

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Fish morphological and parasitological traits as ecological indicators of habitat quality in a Mediterranean coastal lagoon

Almeida,

Cruz,

Llinares

et al. 2023

Aquatic Conservation

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Coastal lagoons are key ‘transitional’ aquatic environments for biodiversity conservation. Ecological indicators are useful tools for the management of water resources in the European Union. Among different biological communities, fish are a very sensitive tool to assess environmental integrity. Indeed, their parasites can be used as complementary indicators of habitat quality. Yet there is still a deep lack of information on ecological assessment using fish (along with their parasites) for coastal lagoons, particularly for the Iberian Peninsula. The aim of the present study was to assess the use of fish morphology and their parasite communities as ecological indicators of anthropogenic impact within the Mar Menor coastal lagoon (SE Spain), a Mediterranean area of special conservation concern for European/Iberian biodiversity. Fish samples (black‐striped pipefish Syngnathus abaster and marbled goby Pomatoschistus marmoratus) were collected in August 2022 from the Littoral (high level of nutrient enrichment) and Barrier habitats. Physical status (both external and internal indices), asymmetry (level of developmental instability), parasite load, diversity and life‐cycle complexity were compared between habitat types. Body condition and mainly the health assessment index were better in the Barrier habitat. Except for pectoral fins in pipefish, the fluctuating asymmetry was statistically greater in the Littoral habitat (i.e. with eutrophication leading to poorer fish development). The parasite load was higher in the Littoral habitat for both host fish species. However, the diversity and life‐cycle complexity of parasite communities were statistically lower in the Barrier habitat (a structurally simpler environment) only for gobies. This study demonstrates an elevated potential for certain fish morphological and parasitological traits to be considered as good ecological indicators of environmental health. This could help environmental managers and policy makers to design effective monitoring programmes to detect impacts within valuable areas for conservation, such as the Mar Menor coastal lagoon.

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Parasite responses to pollution: what we know and where we go in ‘Environmental Parasitology’

Cited by 264 publications

References 196 publications

Amphipod parasites may bias results of ecotoxicological research

Amphipod parasites may bias results of ecotoxicological research

Parasites of Percophis brasiliensis (Percophidae) benefited from fishery regulations: Indicators of success for marine protected areas?

Fish morphological and parasitological traits as ecological indicators of habitat quality in a Mediterranean coastal lagoon

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