The role of Cymodocea nodosa on the dynamics of trace elements in different marine environmental compartments at the Mar Menor Lagoon (Spain)

Abstract

During mining activities historically developed at Sierra Minera (Cartagena-La Unión, Spain), high amounts of trace elements were discharged to the Mar Menor coastal lagoon mainly through El Beal Wadi. The objective of this study is to establish the role played by the Cymodocea nodosa in the coastal marine dynamics of trace elements at the mouth of the wadi. To this end, the content of nine trace elements (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) in different marine environmental compartments (i.e. marine and coastal sediments, C. nodosa tissues collected from live seagrass and C. nodosa beach cast litter) at two different locations were determined by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. The results showed that the seagrass C. nodosa could mobilise part of the elements present in marine sediments and water, thereby causing their re-accumulation in the coastal sediments through the C. nodosa beach cast litter.

Keywords: Analytical chemistry; Mar Menor coastal lagoon; Marine chemistry; Mining waste; Seagrass leaf litter beds; Trace metals mobilisation.