Assessing the ecological quality status of the highly polluted Bagnoli area (Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy) using foraminiferal eDNA metabarcoding.

Morphology-based benthic foraminifera indices are increasingly used worldwide for biomonitoring the ecological quality of marine sediments. The recent development of foraminiferal eDNA metabarcoding offers a reliable, time-, and cost-effective alternative to morphology-based foraminiferal biomonitoring. However, the practical applications of these new tools are still highly limited. In the present study, we evaluate the response of benthic foraminifera and define the ecological quality status (EcoQS) in the Bagnoli area (Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy) based on a traditional morphology-based approach and eDNA metabarcoding. The geochemical data show that several sites in front of the former industrial plant contain higher concentrations of potentially toxic elements than the effect range median and are characterized by the highest total organic carbon (TOC) content, whereas the distantly located sites can be considered relatively low- to unpolluted. Significant differences (i.e., diversity and assemblage composition) in both morphological and molecular datasets were found between the relatively low- to unpolluted and the most polluted areas. Similarly, the selected ecological indices of both morphological and molecular datasets strikingly and congruently resulted in a clear separation following the environmental stress gradient. The molecular indices (i.e., g-exp(H'bc), g-Foram AMBI, and g-Foram AMBI-MOTUs) reliably identified poor-to-bad EcoQS in the polluted area in front of the former industrial plant. On the other hand, the Foram-AMBI based on morphology well identified an overall trend but seemed to overestimate the EcoQS if the traditional class boundaries were considered. The congruent and complementary trends between morphological and metabarcoding data observed in the case of the Bagnoli site further support the application of foraminiferal metabarcoding in routine biomonitoring to assess the environmental impacts of heavily polluted marine areas.

Multidisciplinary study to monitor consequences of pollution on intertidal benthic ecosystems (Hauts de France, English Channel, France): Comparison with natural areas.

The intertidal areas of the Hauts-de-France (English Channel - France) stand out for the occurrence of fragile ecosystems that are exposed to natural and human-induced stress. Over the last two centuries, the northern part of this region has experienced a strong human pressure, with the settlement of numerous activities (i.e., metallurgic factories, harbors, embankments). On the contrary, the southern part includes mostly natural areas. The whole region is influenced by a macrotidal regime. A multidisciplinary approach based on sedimentological (grain-size), geochemical (trace metals, biomarkers) and biological (foraminifera) proxies was used to unravel the contrasting environmental conditions in the Hauts-de-France. Three foraminiferal-types communities, which reflect different ecological characteristics at regional scale, were identified: 1) estuarine macrotidal assemblages (Haynesina germanica associated to Elphidiidae) in low impacted estuaries; 2) industrial-perturbed assemblages (H. germanica and Cribroelphidium excavatum) in harbor areas; and 3) infaunal-dominant assemblages (Bolivina variabilis and B. pseudoplicata) in embankment areas. The outcomes of this study show that a multiproxy procedure needs to be adopted for properly characterizing intertidal ecosystems, where human impacts and natural stresses overlap and are hard to disentangle.

Benthic foraminifera in transitional environments in the English Channel and the southern North Sea: A proxy for regional-scale environmental and paleo-environmental characterisations.

On the basis of the available databases including 700 sampling stations from subtidal to salt marsh areas, the purpose of this paper is to synthesise the regional distribution of living benthic foraminifera in transitional environments along the English Channel and southern North Sea. Indicator species analyses assign 37 foraminiferal taxa to high salt marsh, middle salt marsh, low salt marsh, tidal flat, tidal channel, and subtidal environmental units. Species are indicator of a single unit (e.g., Elphidium gunteri for tidal flat) up to four units (e.g., Haynesina germanica from tidal flat to middle marsh). The outcomes of the present study enhance future high-resolution paleo-environmental interpretations based on benthic foraminifera in transitional environments.

Palaeo-ecological quality status based on foraminifera of Boulogne-sur-Mer harbour (Pas-de-Calais, Northeastern France) over the last 200 years.

Over the last centuries, coastal areas have experienced dramatic degradations of their environmental quality, which has led to a huge reduction of marine biodiversity. The objective of the present study was to use geochemical parameters and benthic fossil foraminifera to assess environmental changes that have occurred over the last 200 years in a harbour area (Boulogne-sur-Mer, Northern France) heavily modified by human activities. A multidisciplinary approach including major and trace metals, grain-size, total organic carbon and benthic fossil foraminifera, has been performed on a 33-cm long core. The dating was carried out using the activity of (210)Pb and (137)Cs. Embayment of the area and increase of trace metals concentrations induced a shift in benthic communities. Human activities modified a sandy nearshore bank, colonized by typical marine foraminiferal species, such as Cribroelphiudium excavatum, into a sheltered environment, dominated by brackish end-members, such as Haynesina germanica. Along the sedimentary record, the interaction between meiofaunal and geochemical elements made it possible to distinguish between a pre-impacted period and an industrial period. The upper part of the core reflects better ecological conditions, indicating an environmental recovery. Our results provide baselines for future environmental bio-monitoring in the area.