Ingestion of contaminated kelps by the herbivore Tetrapygus niger: Negative effects on food intake, growth, fertility, and early development

Macrocystis pyrifera reaches distant areas after detachment, accumulate heavy metals, and serve as trophic subsidy. In this context, effects on both adults and larvae of Tetrapygus niger fed with polluted kelps were determined by assessing growth, fertility, and early larval development. Results revealed that sea urchins fed with polluted kelps from highly impacted zone (HIZ) showed a lower growth (3.6% gained weight) and gamete release (358 cells mL⁻¹) than those fed with non-impacted kelps (NIZ) (19.3% and 945 cells mL⁻¹). The HIZ treatment showed a developmental delay in comparison to NIZ, accounted mainly by the abundance of malformed 2-arm pluteus larvae (10–15%) during most of the culture. Malformed 4-arm pluteus larvae showed a constant increase, reaching 37% at the end of the culture. Thus, the pollutants ingested by sea urchins can be transferred to their offspring and cause negative effects in their early development, categorizing M. pyrifera as a pollutant carrier.