Marine vegetation of the Seychelles Islands and accumulation of trace elements

I. V. Dolgushina, O. V. Maksimova, and G. N. Saenko

P. P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow

Abstract

Metals Cr, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb were assayed by the atomic absorption method in macrophytes from La Curieuse Island and Aldabra atoll (Seychelles). Macroalgae Sargassum oligocystum, Turbinaria ornata, Padina boryana, Halimeda incrassata, H. micronesica, and sea grass Thallassodendron ciliatum were studied. The highest metal accumulation was shown for the brown alga P. boryana, a specific group concentrator. The ratio of Fe to Mn content in Th. ciliatum was 0.4 and in the brown algae 2.84. The content of Ni was higher and the content of Zn was lower in the sea grass as compared with the brown algae. Different vegetative organs of Th. ciliatum (stem, leaf, sheath) differed in accumulative capacity. The Cu content in the leaves and the Zn content in all vegetative organs of Th. ciliatum was higher at the lagoon than at the reef flat of the Aldabra atoll. It was concluded that the studied sea areas were not contaminated by heavy metals.

Figures 0, Tables 5, References 20, Pages 226-231
Received January 29, 1993

© Copyright 96 by the American Geophysical Union.
CCC code: 0001-4370/96/3502-0014$18.00/1

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