Marine species associated to Peruvian scallop **Argopecten purpuratus** culture

Subtitle:trophic interactions and contaminant exposure

Peru is one of the most important fishery countries in the world representing an important economy activity and also an enormous source of protein and nutrients for the local population. Despite the large access to high protein such as fish and other seafood, chronic malnutrition is still a severe problem in Peru. The Peruvian marine ecosystems are under different stressors, e.g. El Niño, which increase the complexity and understanding for their management. This study highlights the fact that marine species (incl. non-edible species) are considerably high in polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFAs) and nutrients, which could be used to reduce the current malnutrition in Peru. Nevertheless, some of these species are also contaminated with toxic metals, e.g. As, Cd, which could considerably limited their human consumption. The Peruvian scallop Argopecten purpuratus is a potential biondicator species for environmental stressors, such as El Niño intensities and metal contamination. Based on metal levels and biomarkers (fatty acids, stable isotopes), the southernmost marine ecosystems seem to be more contaminated, thus the environmental conditions are more adverse for the living organisms.

Publication year:2020

Keywords:Doctoral thesis

Accessibility:Open