Tolerance of free-living larval stage of a parasite from coastal mining areas in northern Humboldt Current to copper pollution at low and high temperatures.

ABSTRACT: Metal pollution is a worldwide problem and one of the greatest threats to ecosystem integrity due to its toxicity, persistence, and bioaccumulation in biological systems. Anthropogenic pollution impacts marine organisms and host-parasite dynamics, with the northern Chilean coast experiencing elevated copper levels in marine waters and sediments due to mining activities. In this study, we assessed the effects of exposure to copper concentrations at low and high-water temperatures on the survival and longevity of the marine parasite Himasthla sp. cercariae (Trematoda: Digenea) using the snail Echinolittorina peruviana as its first intermediate host. Snails were collected from intertidal rocky pools in northern Chile (23°S). To assess parasite survival and longevity, cercariae were collected

SUBMITTER: Leiva NV 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11537404 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature