Evaluation of marine water quality along North-Eastern Adriatic coast based on lysosomal membrane stability in mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis Lam. - A long term study

Abstract

          The marine water quality along the north-eastern part of Adriatic coast was assessed by measuring the lysosomal membrane stability in the digestive gland of marine mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis, as a marker of general stress. Mussels were sampled seasonally at five sites (mariculture Lim, Pula and Rijeka harbours, industrialized site Bakar and reference site Brestova) in the period from March 2002 to October 2007. Mussels from mariculture site Lim and reference site Brestova generally displayed good health conditions. The highest level of general stress in mussels was mostly evident at sites in the inner part of Pula and Rijeka harbours and to a lesser extent at industrialized site Bakar. Temporal changes revealed improvement trends of the mussels’ health status at site Lim. The evaluation of lysosomal membrane stability confirmed to be a useful tool for discrimination of stressed from non-stressed marine environments and revealed long - term trends during the assessment of marine water quality.