Centre for Functional Ecology

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Publicações

Water and otolith chemistry: implications for discerning estuarine nursery habitat use of a juvenile flatfish

Publication . Martinho, Filipe; Pina, Beatriz; Nunes, Margarida; Vasconcelos, Rita P.; Fonseca, Vanessa F.; Crespo, Daniel; Primo, Ana Lígia; Vaz, Ana; Pardal, Miguel A.; Gillanders, Bronwyn M.; Tanner, Susanne E.; Reis-Santos, Patrick

Variations in otolith elemental composition are widely used to reconstruct fish movements. However, reconstructing habitat use and environmental histories of fishes within estuaries is still a major challenge due to the dynamic nature of these coastal environments. In this study, we performed a laboratory experiment to investigate the effects of variations in salinity (three levels; 5, 18, 30) and temperature (two levels; 16, 21 C) on the otolith elemental composition (Mg:Ca, Mn:Ca, Sr:Ca, Ba:Ca) of juvenile Senegalese sole Solea senegalensis. Temperature and salinity treatments mirrored the natural conditions of the estuarine habitats occupied by juvenile Senegalese sole, thereby providing information on the applicability of otolith microchemistry to reconstruct habitat use patterns within estuarine nurseries, where individual fish move across complex salinity and temperature gradients. While Sr:Ca and Ba:Ca in otoliths were both positively related to salinity, no temperature effect was observed. Partition coefficients, proxies for element incorporation rates increased with increasing salinity for Sr (DSr) and Ba (DBa). In contrast, salinity and temperature had little influence on otolith Mn:Ca and Mg:Ca, supporting physiological control on the incorporation of these elements. Our results are a stepping stone for the interpretation of otolith chemical profiles for fish collected in their natural habitats and contribute to better understanding the processes involved in otolith element incorporation.

2020Artigo científico

Acesso aberto

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Macroplastics as reservoirs of antimicrobial resistance: a systematic review of evidence, variability and methodological constraints

Publication . Costa, Cátia; Duarte Ferreira, Guilherme; Henriques, Isabel; Tacão, Marta; Campos, Maria Jorge

The environmental accumulation of macroplastics has raised concerns regarding their role in the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). As persistent and mobile substrates, macroplastics provide surfaces for microbial colonization and may act as reservoirs and vectors of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). However, their ecological significance remains insufficiently resolved. Following PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a systematic review of 55 peer-reviewed studies investigating environmentally collected and experimentally exposed macroplastics across marine, estuarine, and freshwater systems. Macroplastics consistently harbor clinically relevant ARB and ARGs, supporting their role as AMR reservoirs. However, evidence for systematic enrichment relative to surrounding matrices is inconsistent, and direct evidence of AMR transfer during environmental transport remains limited. Anthropogenic pressure, ecosystem type, and plastic weathering emerged as key drivers of AMR patterns, with freshwater systems typically showing higher abundance and diversity of ARB and ARGs. Weathering enhances biofilm development and the adsorption of selective agents, whereas the influence of polymer type remains inconclusive. Methodological heterogeneity, including inconsistent quantification strategies, limited environmental controls, and lack of phenotype-genotype linkage, constrains robust inference. We propose a standardized, integrative framework combining environmental baselines, harmonized AMR quantification, and functional validation to improve comparability and support reliable evaluation of macroplastic-associated AMR.

2026-09-01Artigo científico

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Entidade financiadora

Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia

Programa de financiamento

6817 - DCRRNI ID

Número da atribuição

UID/BIA/04004/2019