Chemical Contamination Baseline in the Western Basin of the Mediterranean Sea Based on Transplanted Mussels
Authors
Sammari, C. (Cherif); Andral, B. (Bruno); Galgani, F. (François); Tomasino, C. (Corinne); Bouchoucha, M. (Marc); Blottiere, C. (Charlotte); Scarpato, A. (Alfonso); Benedicto, J. (José); Deudero, S. (Salud); Calvo, M. (Monica); Cento, A. (Alessandro); Benbrahim, S. (Samir); Boulahdid, M. (Moustapha)Date
2011Type
research articleKeywords
Mytilus galloprovincialispollution
Mediterranean
biomonitoring
Abstract
The MYTILOS project aimed at drawing up a preliminary report on coastal chemical contamination at the scale of the Western Mediterranean (continental coasts of the Balearic Islands, Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica and Maghreb) based on a transplanted mussels methodology validated along the French coasts since 1996 by Ifremer and the Rhône Méditerranée & Corsica water board. MYTILOS is backed up by the INTERREG III B/MEDOC programme, the PNUE/PAM-MEDPOL and Rhône Méditerranée & Corsica water board. Three cruises (2004, 2005, 2006) have taken place to assess the first state of chemical contamination along the Western Mediterranean shores with the same methodology. Approximately 120 days were spent at sea deploying and retrieving 123 mussel bags. The results obtained for all studied contaminants were equivalent to those obtained along the French coast according the RINBIO network. These similarities relate to both the highest measured levels and background levels throughout the 123 stations. The ...