Influence of wastewater discharge from dredging mariculture pond sediments on the food sources of two intertidal crab species

Limei Xie; Shunyang Chen; Zhiqiang Wu; Zhiyong Xue; Yong Ye; Bin Chen; Jiahui Chen; Guangcheng Chen

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115992

Influence of wastewater discharge from dredging mariculture pond sediments on the food sources of two intertidal crab species

Mar Pollut Bull. 2024 Feb:199:115992. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115992. Epub 2024 Jan 4.

Authors

Limei Xie¹, Shunyang Chen², Zhiqiang Wu³, Zhiyong Xue⁴, Yong Ye⁵, Bin Chen², Jiahui Chen⁶, Guangcheng Chen⁷

Affiliations

¹ College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China; Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen, China.
² Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen, China; Key Laboratory of Marine Ecological Conservation and Restoration, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen, China.
³ College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China.
⁴ Fugong Forestry Workstation, Longhai District Forestry Bureau, Zhangzhou, China.
⁵ College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.
⁶ Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen, China.
⁷ Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen, China; Key Laboratory of Marine Ecological Conservation and Restoration, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen, China. Electronic address: gc.chen@tio.org.cn.

PMID: 38181471
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115992

Abstract

The present study δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N and fatty acid compositions of two dominant mangrove crabs, Tubuca arcuata and Parasesarma plicatum were compared between a mangrove site frequently receiving dredged wastewater from mariculture ponds and an adjacent reference site, to investigate the impact of wastewater discharge on their diets. A laboratory experiment was also conducted to further test how their diets changed with the wastewater input. The result showed no significant change in the δ¹³C while clear ¹⁵N enrichment of crabs in association with the wastewater discharge. Changes in ¹⁵N signature and fatty acid composition of the crabs due to the wastewater discharge indicated that the impact of wastewater discharge was related to crab species, being more apparent on the deposit feeder (T. arcuata) than the herbivorous P. plicatum. The results suggested that the discharge of dredged wastewater into mangroves resulted in the uptake of wastewater-derived materials and nutrients by mangrove crabs.

Keywords: Fatty acids; Fiddler crabs; Food sources; Mariculture; Sesarmid crabs; Stable isotope.

MeSH terms

Animals
Brachyura*
Fatty Acids
Ponds
Seafood
Wastewater*

Substances

Wastewater
Fatty Acids