The effects of different densities of Asparagopsis armata (Harvey, 1855) seaweed on the clam Ruditapes philippinarum (A. Adams and Reeve, 1850): Insights from a laboratory assessment

• Published in: Marine environmental research 2024-11, Vol.202, p.106812, Article 106812
• Main Authors: Crespo, Daniel, Leston, Sara, Rato, Lénia D., Moutinho, Ariana B., Martinho, Filipe, Novais, Sara C., Pardal, Miguel A., Lemos, Marco F.L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Biological invasions; Biomarkers; Bioturbation; Bivalvia - physiology; Environmental Monitoring; Experimental ecology; Halogenated compounds; Integrated biological response; Introduced Species; Oxidative Stress; Rhodophyta - physiology; Seaweed - physiology
• ISSN: 0141-1136; 1879-0291; 1879-0291
• DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2024.106812

Several invasive species can occupy the same geographic area. Interaction between species depends on several factors, and the results of such interactions can be highly diverse. Asparagopsis armata is a invasive red seaweed whose exudates contain a cocktail of toxic halogenated compounds. In this study, the impact of high and low levels of A. armata on the bivalve Ruditapes philippinarum was assessed in a laboratory experiment. Both are prominent invasive species in Europe and could share the same habitats. The effects of the algae were measured at different biological levels, framed by an integrated approach: bioturbation as a proxy for organismal activity and behaviour within the sediment, and several subcellular biomarkers related to oxidative stress and damage, energy metabolism, detoxification, and neurotransmission. While bioturbation revealed the effects of exudates on the bivalve, with a decrease in most parameters when exposed to the different amounts of algae, only marginal responses were found for biomarkers, suggesting a possible temporal decoupling between the behavioural response and the intrinsic biochemical environment. These results denote that despite the recognized potential of biomarkers to address a myriad of situations, a proxy for higher levels of biological organization, such as behaviour, for its integration of lower-level effects, is a robust tool to address complex and lesser-known mixtures of stressors. [Display omitted] •The results of interactions between invasive species can be highly diverse.•The impact of A. armata on the bivalve R. philippinarum was assessed.•An integrated approach was used to assess the effects of the algae.•Bioturbation response was evident, while biomarkers had only marginal responses.•Temporal decoupling between behaviour and the intrinsic biochemical responses.