Overview: Biomarkers of Pollution in Aquatic Animals

Abstract

This special issue is devoted to analyzing the state-of-the art of biomarkers of exposure and effect in aquatic species. The increasing human population is imposing several problems on our planet. Biochemical and physiological parameters can be employed to determine if an organism has been exposed to one or more pollutants or if deleterious effects are evident after exposure to complex mixtures of pollutants. The quickness by which these parameters can be measured is an advantage when corrective decisions have to made taking into account quantitative and reliable information. Also, as discussed in this issue, measurements at the biochemical or physiological levels detect more quickly and specifically the presence of several toxic compounds, allowing this information to be used in a prospective way, avoiding the appearance of deleterious effects at higher organization levels such as communities. All the contributors to this issue are researchers with experience in the use of biomarkers to detect and evaluate pollution problems. Several are from Brazil, a country with more than 8,000km of coast, a geographical characteristic that imposes the need to evaluate the quality of aquatic resources. The study and development of pollution biomarkers can be related to several different areas. Because the growing of the human population has lead to the search for alternative ways to produce food, aquaculture has become a broadly accepted alternative. However, food quality generated by aquaculture practices is directly