Bioaccumulation of heavy metals in the green algae Caulerpa prolifera (Chlorophyta) from the Marchica lagoon, of Morocco: Spatio-temporal variations

The aim of this study is to assess the concentrations of the studied metals in Caulerpa prolifera (Chlorophyta) species collected from different stations at the sites (BeniEnsar and KariatArekmane) of the Marchica lagoon in Morocco. The algae were collected in October and February 2020. Metal concentrations (ppm) in this species were ordered as follows: Fe (795.25) >Cr (254.69)>Zn (145.38)>Cu (76.86)>Ni (75.65)>Pb (74.82) >Cd (38.33). No significant variation was observed between the two seasons (P>0.05). Excluding Zn, the accumulation trends of the metals studied in Caulerpaproliferawere the same (P> 0.05) in the samples from the BeniEnsar sites as in those from KariatArekmane, as a result of the same characteristics in relation to environmental factors (areas classified as eutrophic and confined, with low hydrodynamics prior to the opening of the new inlet with the sea, and subjected to the same anthropic pressure). The alga studied is a suitable biomonitor for the study of heavy metal contamination in the Marchica lagoon, and more particularly in the sites studied due to their abundance and significant vegetative growth.