| Abstrakt: |
The Gulf of Annaba suffers from pollution due to human activities, impacting its marine life. To gauge water quality, our research monitored metal contamination (Zn, Cu, Cr, Ni) across seawater, Posidonia oceanica plants, and their epiphytes at six stations across different depths throughout 2021. we found higher metal concentrations, particularly Zn, Ni in S4, Cu in S5, and chromium in S3. Interestingly, epiphytes generally contained higher metal levels than adult leaves across all stations and seasons, except for Ni. The study revealed varying metal accumulation in plants and epiphytes based on seasons and locations, highlighting higher Zn concentrations in P. oceanica and its epiphytes. The P. oceanica seagrass and its attached epiphytes could serve as early indicators of metal contamination, signaling environmental imbalance, especially at stations S3, S4, and S5. Preserving this species and its epiphytes along the Algerian coast is crucial to combat the observed disturbance and poor quality within the Gulf of Annaba. Urgent efforts are required to protect and sustain these vital ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
