Organic and metallic contaminants in reef fish from the South Pacific region, with emphasis on New Caledonia
Résumé
Approximately 1000 coral reef fish were collected from 27 sites across 8 island countries and territories in the Pacific: Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, New Caledonia, Samoa, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna, and Rapa Nui. Around 400 of the fish were obtained in New Caledonia, making it the most extensively sampled. Fish were analysed for their concentrations of 36 pesticides and metallic trace elements. Through measuring contaminant concentrations at the individual fish level and integrating these results at the fish community level, our study identifies potential factors explaining their prevalence in fish communities at the New Caledonian and South Pacific regional scales. Spatial patterns varied significantly, depending on the compound, with concentrations in fish flesh generally higher in the central and southwest Pacific than in the eastern part of the Pacific basin. These patterns were influenced by biological, environmental, anthropogenic and biogeographical factors such as fish size, sea surface temperature, gross domestic product per capita, and land area. In New Caledonia, fish size also emerged as the most important correlate of contaminant concentrations. Monthly rainfall was the second most important variable for pesticides, whereas the reef surface area was the second variable explaining metallic element concentrations. Our results enhance our understanding of the extent of contamination in the South Pacific, while underscoring the urgent need for long-term and large-scale spatial monitoring of diverse contaminants in this region.
Domaines
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