Título: Environmental quality assessment using fecal metabolomics and metataxonomics in waterfowl from protected wetlands in Southwest Spain
Resumen: The study of environmental stress situations requires a deep understanding of the biological response to pollutants, which can be challenging to interpret due to the myriad factors influencing them. This work aims to provide a working scheme for the use of waterfowl as bioindicators and fecal metabolites plus microbiota as biomarkers in environmental biomonitoring [1]. To this end, we conducted untargeted fecal metabolomics and metataxonomics in waterfowl across two protected wetlands of southwestern Spain (Andalusia): Odiel Marshes Biosphere Reserve (OMBR) in Huelva Estuary and the Cetina and La Tapa saltworks of Cádiz Bay IBA (Important Bird Area) (CBIBA). The OMBR ecosystem has been historically more contaminated, affected by acid mine drainage (AMD), chemical industries and releases of pollutants from five phosphoric acid industrial plants and phosphogypsum waste stacks resulting in some areas where vegetation is unable to thrive [2]. Although the environmental levels of different pollutants in water and sediments from OMBR and CBIBA have been extensively reported, the potential biological response of waterfowl was rarely studied.
Our results show that there are signifficat differences in fatty acids, glycerophospholipids and bile acids in the fecal metabolome of the spoonbills from OMBR (OS) and CBIBA (CS), which have differential environmental quality. The elevated levels of saturated fatty acids found in the feces of the black-headed gulls (OG) against other waterfowl may be attributed to their ability to adapt to a variety of environments and to their diet. Migration and feeding patterns also impacted on the fecal metabolome of CS, yellow-legged gulls (TYG) and storks (TS) of CBIBA. The microbiota profile were also different in the studied waterfowl and areas. Thus, 18, 36 and 17 fecal metabolites were assoctated with microbes in the OS vs CS, OS vs OG and TGY vs TS groups, respectively. Thus, the area where fecal samples were collected, along with feeding habits, migration patterns, and metabolism, significantly influence the fecal metabolome and microbiome of each waterfowl.
This fact emphasizes their importance as bioindicators of environmental health. Consequently, monitoring these bioindicator waterbirds is crucial for assessing environmental quality and to delve into the potential biological effects of pollutants.
Congreso: Caparica
