The Guardians of the Sea : Echinoderms as Sentinels of Marine Pollution

Abstract

Every year tons of heavy metals, plastic, pesticides, industrial chemicals, and sewage reach the oceans. Many of these compounds are not biodegradable and have a prolonged half-life, occurring and causing effects even several years after application. The consequences are diverse as biomagnification of toxins, infertility, neoplasia, hormonal alteration, or malformations. Sentinel species can be barometers for current or potential negative impacts on individuals, animal populations and ecosystem health, helping to identify hidden risks to human health and predict future changes. Several bioindicators allow us to evaluate the status of ecosystems, echinoderms are some of them. Their diversity of habitats, diet, sensibility to changes in the environment and position of the trophic chain makes them one the most ideal marine sentinels. This paper aims to present a summarized review with the latest information available that is related to the echinoderms as a sentinel of human, animal and environmental health.