86
4 Analytical Techniques
4.2 Summary
Extensive studies have been carried out on the study of heavy metals as marine pollutants and their effects on scleractinian corals. A variety of scleractinian corals have
been utilized for heavy metal analysis for the above mentioned studies. The coral
components which have been analysed include the skeleton separately, skeleton and
tissue combined together as well as separately, zooxanthallae of the coral species,
gametes of corals species as well as the whole coral sample. The analytical methodology adopted by majority of the studies was acid digestion. However, the combination of the acids and the digestion time varied amongst the studies. Use of instrumentation amongst the studies also varied and hence concentration levels (either as parts
per million or parts per billion) of metals in studies depended on the sensitivity of
the instruments. Therefore, studies were not directly comparable in terms of concentration levels of the heavy metals studied. However, this chapter gives an impartial
awareness about the methodology to be used in for the various coral species and the
instruments to be used for analysis.
References
Ali AAM, Hamed MA, Abd El-Azim H (2011) Heavy metals distribution in the coral reef ecosystems of the Northern Red Sea. Helgol Mar Res 65:67–80. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10152-0100202-7
Al-Rousan SA, Al-Shloul RN, Al-Horani FA, Abu-Hilal A (2007) Heavy metal contents in growth
bands of Porites corals: record of anthropogenic and human developments from the Jordanian
Gulf of Aqaba. Mar Pollut Bull 54:1912–1922
Barakat SA, Al-Rousan S, Al-Trabeen MS (2014) Possible index for marine pollution of
scleractinian corals in Northern Gulf of Aqaba, Jordan. J Nat Sci Res 4(18). ISSN 2225-0921
Bastidas C, Garcia E (1999) Metal content on the reef coral Porites astreoides: an evaluation of
river influence and 35 years of chronology. Mar Pollut Bull 38:899–907
Bastidas C, Garcia EM (2004) Sublethal effects of mercury and its distribution in the coral Porites
astreoides. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 267:133–143
Berry KLE, Seemann J, Dellwig O, Struck U, Wild C, Leinfelder RR (2013) Sources and spatial
distribution of heavy metals in scleractinian coral tissues and sediments from the Bocas Del
Toro Archipelago Panama. Environ Monit Assess 185:9089–9099. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10
661-013-3238-8
Bielmyer GK, Grosell M, Bhagoolic R, Baker AC, Langdon C, Gillette P, Capo TR (2010)
Differential effects of copper on three species of scleractinian corals and their algal symbionts
(Symbiodinium spp.). Aquat Toxicol 97:125–133
Bielmyer-Fraser GK, Patel P, Capo T, Grosell M (2018) Physiological responses of corals to ocean
acidification and copper exposure. Mar Pollut Bull 133:781–790
Chan I, Hung JJ, Peng SH, Tseng LC, Ho TY, Hwang JS (2014) Comparison of metal accumulation
in azooxanthellate coral (Tubastraea coccinea) from different polluted environments. Mar Pollut
Bull 85:648–658. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2013.11.015
Chen T, Yu Ke-Fu Li S, Price GJ, Qi S, Wei G (2010) Heavy metal pollution recorded in Porites
corals from Daya Bay, Northern South China Sea. Mar Environ Res 70(3–4):318. Elsevier. https://
doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2010.06.004.hal-00613293
4 Analytical Techniques
4.2 Summary
Extensive studies have been carried out on the study of heavy metals as marine pollutants and their effects on scleractinian corals. A variety of scleractinian corals have
been utilized for heavy metal analysis for the above mentioned studies. The coral
components which have been analysed include the skeleton separately, skeleton and
tissue combined together as well as separately, zooxanthallae of the coral species,
gametes of corals species as well as the whole coral sample. The analytical methodology adopted by majority of the studies was acid digestion. However, the combination of the acids and the digestion time varied amongst the studies. Use of instrumentation amongst the studies also varied and hence concentration levels (either as parts
per million or parts per billion) of metals in studies depended on the sensitivity of
the instruments. Therefore, studies were not directly comparable in terms of concentration levels of the heavy metals studied. However, this chapter gives an impartial
awareness about the methodology to be used in for the various coral species and the
instruments to be used for analysis.
References
Ali AAM, Hamed MA, Abd El-Azim H (2011) Heavy metals distribution in the coral reef ecosystems of the Northern Red Sea. Helgol Mar Res 65:67–80. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10152-0100202-7
Al-Rousan SA, Al-Shloul RN, Al-Horani FA, Abu-Hilal A (2007) Heavy metal contents in growth
bands of Porites corals: record of anthropogenic and human developments from the Jordanian
Gulf of Aqaba. Mar Pollut Bull 54:1912–1922
Barakat SA, Al-Rousan S, Al-Trabeen MS (2014) Possible index for marine pollution of
scleractinian corals in Northern Gulf of Aqaba, Jordan. J Nat Sci Res 4(18). ISSN 2225-0921
Bastidas C, Garcia E (1999) Metal content on the reef coral Porites astreoides: an evaluation of
river influence and 35 years of chronology. Mar Pollut Bull 38:899–907
Bastidas C, Garcia EM (2004) Sublethal effects of mercury and its distribution in the coral Porites
astreoides. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 267:133–143
Berry KLE, Seemann J, Dellwig O, Struck U, Wild C, Leinfelder RR (2013) Sources and spatial
distribution of heavy metals in scleractinian coral tissues and sediments from the Bocas Del
Toro Archipelago Panama. Environ Monit Assess 185:9089–9099. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10
661-013-3238-8
Bielmyer GK, Grosell M, Bhagoolic R, Baker AC, Langdon C, Gillette P, Capo TR (2010)
Differential effects of copper on three species of scleractinian corals and their algal symbionts
(Symbiodinium spp.). Aquat Toxicol 97:125–133
Bielmyer-Fraser GK, Patel P, Capo T, Grosell M (2018) Physiological responses of corals to ocean
acidification and copper exposure. Mar Pollut Bull 133:781–790
Chan I, Hung JJ, Peng SH, Tseng LC, Ho TY, Hwang JS (2014) Comparison of metal accumulation
in azooxanthellate coral (Tubastraea coccinea) from different polluted environments. Mar Pollut
Bull 85:648–658. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2013.11.015
Chen T, Yu Ke-Fu Li S, Price GJ, Qi S, Wei G (2010) Heavy metal pollution recorded in Porites
corals from Daya Bay, Northern South China Sea. Mar Environ Res 70(3–4):318. Elsevier. https://
doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2010.06.004.hal-00613293