1-Hydroxypyrene as a biomarker of PAH exposure in the marine polychaete Nereis diversicolor

The possibility of using the pyrene metabolite 1-hydroxypyrene as a biomarker of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) exposure was investigated by exposure of the marine polychaete Nereis diversicolor to several PAHs in the laboratory. Animals were exposed to pyrene alone and to five different PAHs – phenanthrene, anthracene, pyrene, benzo[a]pyrene and benzo[k]flouranthene. After five days of exposure the concentrations of parent PAHs and 1-hydroxypyrene were identified using three different analytical methods, high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC/F), synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy (SFS) and gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection (GC/MS). The SFS measurements of 1-hydroxypyrene were validated by the more sensitive method HPLC/F. The positive correlation between total PAHs and 1-hydroxypyrene concentrations in the polychaete tissues observed in experiments, suggests the feasibility of 1-hydroxypyrene as a suitable biomarker for total PAH exposure assessment. Furthermore, the possibility of employment of the simple and rapid SFS method instead of HPLC/F for biomarker analysis has been confirmed by the positive and significant correlation between results achieved by these two analytical methods.     

A survey of in vivo benzo[alpha]pyrene metabolism in small benthic marine invertebrates.

A micro-extraction technique was used to examine in vivo polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) metabolism in 10 small invertebrate species exposed to sediments amended with 3H-benzo[alpha]pyrene (BaP). Phyla examined included Mollusca (Hydrobia totteni, Ilyanassa obsoleta, Yoldia limatula, and Gemma gemma), Annelida (Nereis succinea, Pectinaria gouldii, Haploscolopolous sp., and Capitella sp. 1) and Arthropoda (Edotea triloba, and Gammarus mucronatus). Organisms were exposed to BaP-labeled sediments, harvested, and parent BaP separated from all polar metabolites by liquid extraction The percent of BaP-derived radio-activity present as polar metabolites ranged from 96% for N. succinea to 7% for P. gouldii. Wide ranges in metabolic capability were also observed between species in the other two phyla examined. Reverse-phase HPLC analysis of extracts of representative species from each phyla indicated that all these organisms form bay region metabolites, with two species forming the 7,8-dihydrodiol (N. succinea and G. mucronatus). In light of the high variability in metabolic capability observed within each phylum, species-specific information on metabolic ability should be obtained before assessing bioaccumulation, critical body burdens, or trophic transfer of PAHs in invertebrates.     

The marine polychaete Arenicola marina: its unusual arsenic compound pattern and its uptake of arsenate from seawater.

Arsenic compounds in the marine polychaete Arenicola marina collected from Odense Fjord, Denmark were determined by HPLC-ICPMS. In contrast to most other marine animals, A. marina contained most of its water soluble arsenic as inorganic forms, arsenite (58%) and arsenate (16%), and arsenobetaine was present as a minor constituent (6%) only. Other arsenic compounds detected in A. marina were dimethylarsinate (4%), two arsenosugars (1 and 3%), tetramethylarsonium ion (1.5%), and arsenocholine (<1%). A new arsenobetaine -trimethylarsoniopropionate-previously only reported in fish, was also present at trace levels (<1%), and an unknown anionic arsenical (approximately 10%) remains unidentified. When A. marina was exposed in laboratory experiments to different concentrations of arsenate in seawater (10, 50. 100, 500 and 1000 microg As 1(-1)) the polychaetes accumulated arsenic in a dose dependent. non-linear manner. Most of the accumulated arsenic was biotransformed to arsenite and dimethylarsinate. with the remainder being accumulated as unchanged arsenate. None of the other arsenic compounds naturally present in A. marina increased in concentration following arsenate exposure.     

Trophic transfer of benzo[a]pyrene metabolites between benthic marine organisms

This study was undertaken to determine the potential for trophic transfer of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) metabolites from infaunal organisms to bottom-feeding fish. Winter flounder, Pseudopleuronectes americanus, were given single oral doses of ground polychaetes (Nereis virens), either treated with pure [¹⁴C]henzo[a]pyrene (BaP) or containing a mixture of naturally produced radiolabeled BaP and BaP metabolites. Fish were sacrificed 24 h after feeding and total accumulated radioactivity and metabolite class profiles determined in major organs. Metabolites produced by worms were absorbed by flounder, although as a percentage of dose given they were less available than parent BaP. Comparison of metabolite profiles in the worm diet and in target organs in the fish indicated that metabolites accumulated through the diet can be further modified by the prey organism and can lead to the formation of bound residues. These results demonstrate that PAH metabolites in the diet are available for accumulation. Furthermore, metabolites absorbed appear to be susceptible to metabolic alteration by consumer organisms.     

Evaluation of fixed wavelength fluorescence and synchronous fluorescence spectrophotometry as a biomonitoring tool of environmental contamination

A field study was carried out to investigate whether polyaromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contamination in shore crabs (Carcinus maenas) could be measured using fluorescence spectrometry. Crabs were collected as part of an integrated study to assess PAH contamination in Southampton Water, UK. Urine was collected from crabs via a non-destructive technique and analysed using fixed wavelength fluorescence (FF) and synchronous fluorescence spectrophotometry (SFS) in order to determine the presence of PAH metabolites, indicative of PAH exposure. By scanning at wavelength pairs specific to a variety of PAH groups the fluorescence of metabolites was analysed and attributed to the following PAH groups; naphthalenes, pyrenes and benzo[a]pyrene (BAP). Naphthalene-type, pyrene-type and BAP-type metabolites were detected using FF and SFS techniques and two distinct parameters were measured; Peak Intensity and Peak Area. Results showed that crabs obtained near a petroleum refinery, a point source of PAH discharge, exhibited significantly higher PAH metabolites for all PAH groups, than at sites sampled along the estuary (ANOVA, p<0.05). This study highlights the effectiveness of using FF and SFS as a rapid and cost-effective biomonitoring tool for detecting PAH contamination.     

High matrix interference affecting detection of PAH metabolites in bile of Atlantic hagfish (Myxine glutinosa) used for biomonitoring of deep-water oil production

The characteristic biology and wide distribution of hagfish species makes them relevant for use in pollution biomonitoring at great water depths, particularly in regions where deep-water oil production may take place. The exposure of fish to petrogenic contaminants can normally be detected from the level of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) metabolites in bile fluid. Some of these metabolites are strong fluorophores, allowing analytical detection by means of simple fluorometric techniques such as fixed wavelength fluorescence (FF) and synchronous fluorescence scanning (SFS). In the present study bile from Atlantic hagfish (Myxine glutinosa) collected in pristine areas (Barents Sea and southwestern Norway) displayed strong bile fluorescence levels, suggesting the presence of PAH contaminants. However, gas-chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analyses ruled out PAHs as the origin for this fluorescence signal. Rather, the bile of Myxine contains components resulting in unusually strong background fluorescence interfering at the wavelength pairs used for detection of PAH metabolites. Possible background for the observed matrix interference and implications for detection of PAH metabolites in hagfish is discussed.     

Vertical migration and mortality of benthos in dredged material: Part III—polychaeta

The survival of benthic invertebrates from dredging and disposal activities is a major environmental concern in such projects. The purpose of the research described in this paper was to determine the ability of benthos (polychaetes, Scoloplos fragilis and Nereis succinea) to migrate vertically in natural and exotic sediments and to determine the survival of benthos when exposed to particular amounts of simulated dredged material.Mortalities generally increased with increased sediment depth, exotic sediment and burial time. Temperature also affected vertical migration and mortalities. These experiments, together with other experiments conducted by us and other workers, indicate that polychaetes in particular, and benthos in general, can survive dredging and disposal projects. Under certain conditions several major taxa (polychaetes, molluscs, crustaceans) can be expected to successfully recolonise disposal sites by vertical migration.     

Biotransformation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in marine polychaetes

Deposit-feeding polychaetes constitute the dominant macrofauna in marine environments that tend to be depositional centers for organic matter and contaminants. Polychaetes are known to accumulate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from both particulate and dissolved phases but less is known about the mechanisms underlying elimination of accumulated PAHs. An important pathway of elimination is through biotransformation which results in increased aqueous solubility of the otherwise hydrophobic PAHs. Biotransformation in marine polychaetes proceeds in a two phased process similar to those well studied in vertebrates, phase I enzymes belonging to the Cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzyme family, along with a few phase II enzymes have been identified in marine polychaetes. In this review we aim at highlighting advances in the mechanistic understanding of PAH biotransformation in marine polychaetes by including data obtained using analytical chemistry and molecular techniques. In marine polychaetes induction of CYP enzyme activity after exposure to PAHs and the mechanism behind this is currently not well established. Conflicting results regarding the inducibility of CYP enzymes from polychaetes have led to the suggestion that induction in polychaetes is mediated through a different mechanistic pathway, which is corroborated by the apparent lack of an AhR homologous in marine polychaetes. Also, none of the currently identified CYP genes from marine polychaetes are isoforms of those regulated by the AhR in vertebrates. Relatively few studies of phase II enzymes in marine polychaetes are currently available and most of these studies have not measured the activity of specific phase II enzymes and identified phase II metabolites but used an extraction technique only allowing determination of the overall amount of phase II metabolites. Studies in insects and various marine invertebrates suggest that in invertebrates, enzymes in the important phase II enzyme family, UDP-glucuronosyl transferases primarily use glucoside as co-substrate as opposed to the vertebrate cosubstrate glucuronic acid. Recent studies in marine polychaetes have however identified glucuronidation of PAHs indicating no mechanistic difference in co-substrate preference among UDP-glucuronosyl transferases between vertebrates and marine polychaetes but it might suggest a mechanistic difference between marine polychaetes and insects.     

Exposure to 2,4-decadienal negatively impacts upon marine invertebrate larval fitness

Diatoms liberate volatile, biologically active unsaturated aldehydes following cell damage, which negatively impact upon invertebrate reproductive processes such as fertilization, embryogenesis and larval survival. 2,4-Decadienal is frequently identified among the aldehydes produced and is one of the more biologically active. The majority of studies which have examined the toxic effects of diatom aldehydes to invertebrate reproduction have scored egg production and/or hatching success as indicators of biological impacts. There are very few studies which have dealt specifically with the impacts of diatom-derived aldehydes on larval fitness. Larval stages of the polychaetes Arenicola marina and Nereis virens and the echinoderms Asterias rubens and Psammechinus miliaris exposed to 2,4-decadienal at sub 1 microg ml(-1) concentrations suffered reduced survival over the incubation period (day 1-8 post fertilization) with detectable differences for the polychates at a concentration of 0.005 and 0.01-0.1 microg ml(-1) for the echinoderms. Susceptibility of larval N. virens was investigated using stage specific 24 h exposures at 2,4-decadienal concentrations up to 1.5 microg ml(-1). A clear stage specific effect was found, with earlier larval stages most vulnerable. Nectochaete larvae (9-10 d) showed no reduction in survival at the concentrations assayed. Fluctuating asymmetry (FA), defined as random deviations from perfect bilateral symmetry, was used to analyse fitness of larval P. miliaris exposed to 2,4-decadienal at concentrations of 0.1, 0.5 and 1 microg ml(-1). The degree and frequency of asymmetrical development increased with increasing 2,4-decadienal concentration. Equally, as FA increased larval survival decreased. These results provide further support for the teratogenic nature of 2,4-decadienal and its negative impact on invertebrate larval fitness.     

Life Strategies in Two Bacterivorous Marine Nematodes: Preliminary Results

Abstract. Temperature dependence of sex ratio and maximal densities of the estuarine, deposit-feeding nematodes Pellioditis marina (Rhabditidae ) and Diplolaimelloides meyli (Monhysreridae ) were investigated in vitro . Both species are characteristic for organically enriched habitats. Data from competition culture experiments with both species are integrated with information from respiration measurements at different temperatures, and from observations on the influence of temperature and bacterial density on uptake rates.
Sex ratio was significantly influenced by temperature in both species, with the highest relative numbers of males at the highest temperatures. Total numbers attained fluctuated only moderately in the 10 to 20 °C interval, but increased and decreased highly significantly at 25 °C for D. meyli and P. marina , respectively.
Respiration at temperatures from 5 °C to 30 °C was measured with nematodes from monospecific cultures using a modified Clark electrode procedure. Respiration was dependent upon temperature in the entire range for P. marina , but not for D. meyli , where only at 25 °C a clear respiratory acceleration was observed.
Feeding experiments with P. marina showed a dominant influence of bacterial density on uptake rates, with a lower but still significant temperature effect.
These data are discussed in relation to the overall life strategies of both species.     

Influence of Rhodolith-Forming Species and Growth-Form on Associated Fauna of Rhodolith Beds in the Central-West Gulf of California, México

Abstract.  Rhodoliths provide a stable and three-dimensional habitat to which other seaweeds and invertebrates can attach. Although ecological factors affecting rhodolith beds have been studied, little is known about the effect of rhodolith species and growth-form on associated fauna. Experiments were conducted at three rhodolith beds in the central-west Gulf of California. Faunal abundance differed significantly in relation to rhodolith-forming species, but no significant differences were observed between different growth-forms. Rhodolith structure differs between the species Lithophyllum margaritae and Neogoniolithon trichotomum , and the combination of structure differences and rhodolith abundances may be responsible of the significant differences in faunal abundance and richness. Crustaceans, polychaetes and molluscs were the most important taxa in all three rhodolith beds. The amphipod species Pontogeneia nasa and the cnidarian Aiptasia sp. were dominant in both rhodolith beds, El Requesón and Isla Coyote, in Bahía Concepción. The Isla Coronados rhodolith bed was dominated by an unidentified harpacticoid copepod (Copepoda sp.1). Rhodolith species is more important than growth-form in determining abundance and richness of the associated fauna. Nevertheless, factors such as wave motion, depth, bioturbation and others should be considered when studying organisms associated with rhodolith beds.     

Induction of cytochrome P4501A and biliary PAH metabolites in European eel Anguilla anguilla: Seasonal, dose- and time-response variability in field and laboratory conditions

Induction of cytochrome P4501A in fish is a well-known indicator of exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and determination of PAH metabolites in bile by fixed wavelength fluorescence (FF) or synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy (SFS), has become an useful method in monitoring programs. In this work the relationship between cytochrome P4501A (EROD activity) and levels of biliary PAH metabolites was measured in the European eel Anguilla anguilla, in both field and laboratory conditions: organisms were sampled on a seasonal basis from the Orbetello lagoon (Tuscany) to characterize the natural variability of these biological parameters, while in laboratory eels were intraperitoneally injected with benzo[a]pyrene to investigate temporal and dose-dependent induction patterns. Results showed that induction of cytochrome P450 and accumulation of PAHs metabolites in bile are not necessarily correlated either in field, or in laboratory investigations; different seasonal changes were measured in natural conditions and slight variations in dose and time response patterns were also obtained in laboratory exposures.     

Spatial intertidal distribution of bivalves and polychaetes in relation to environmental conditions in the Natori River estuary,Japan

This paper aims to reveal spatial variation in the abundance of infaunal bivalves and polychaetes at different spatial scales (station: 200–800 m intervals; plot: 5–20 m), and to reveal environmental variables affecting the spatial distribution of animals in the Natori River estuary, Japan. We found six bivalve species and eight polychaete species from 52 plots at 12 stations. Nuttallia olivacea and Heteromastus sp. were found to be the most abundant species of bivalves and polychaetes, respectively. Assemblage patterns of bivalves and polychaetes were classified into five distinct groups. Substrata (silt-clay contents), salinity, and relative elevation were the variables found to affect the infaunal assemblage patterns. Chlorophyll a was not a significant variable, but benthic animals were absent at sites with extremely low chlorophyll a conditions. Macrobenthic assemblage patterns were different not only between stations but often differed between plots at the same station, reflecting the complex assemblage structure of benthic invertebrates. Detailing such animal–environment relationship is essential in understanding the potential food supply for estuarine fishes.     

肠道细菌对厚壳贻贝稚贝附着的作用研究

为探讨肠道细菌形成的微生物被膜对贝类附着的作用,从厚壳贻贝(Mytilus coruscus)成体肠道中分离10株肠道细菌,调查厚壳贻贝肠道细菌形成微生物被膜特性,分析微生物被膜密度、细菌种属与厚壳贻贝稚贝附着之间的相互关系。所有肠道细菌均可有效促进稚贝附着。其中,Paracoccus sp.1微生物被膜诱导的稚贝附着率最高(61%),且微生物被膜膜厚较厚,细菌分布较密集;仅5株肠道细菌Roseovarius sp.1、Winogradskyella sp.1、Tenacibaculum sp.4、Bacillus sp.5和Nonlabens sp.1的被膜密度与附着显著相关(P0.05)。系统发育分析发现肠道细菌诱导附着率与其种属无关。本研究表明源于厚壳贻贝成贝肠道细菌可以促进其稚贝的附着,说明肠道细菌对厚壳贻贝的生长发育具有一定的作用。本研究结果为深入探讨肠道细菌与厚壳贻贝相互作用和推动该种规模化养殖提供理论依据。     

Seasonal Analysis of Zoobenthos Associated with a Zostera marina L. Bed in Gulbahce Bay Aegean Sea, Turkey

Abstract. seasonal sampling of three stations in Gulbahce Bay Aegean Sea for the zoobenthic organisms associated with a Zostera marina bed was carried out during 1993–94. Temperature, salinity and oxygen were recorded each sampling period. A total of 7 taxonomic groups were determined: Polychaeta was the dominant group comprising 77 % of the total taxa and individuals, followed by Crustacea, Bivalvia and other groups such as Nemertea. Sipuncula, Turbellaria and Phoronida. Of the 108 taxa encountered, the polychaetes Notomastus latericeus and Caulleriella alata accounted for 49 % of the total populations. The species abundance did not show major changes among seasons, with highest values in fall 982 indiv. ·m^-2 and lowest in spring 754 indiv. ·m^-2. Diversity and evenness of the samples were relatively high and fairly constant, and were affected by the dominance levels of the species.     

Variations in the Number of Intestinal Loops in Scaphopoda (Mollusca)

Abstract. The intestinal loops of two species of the genus Bathoxiphus (Entalinidae) and of Cadulus aberrans (Gadilidae) have been reconstructed from serial sections. The results are compared to the 'textbook scaphopod' Antalis dentalis having the hindgut coiled in three loops. Bathoxiphus ensiculus has four or five intestinal loops, B. sp. S 153 four, and C. aberrans two. The buccal pouch contents included Foraminifera in all species, with agglomerates of sediment being found only in Bathoxiphus and Antalis. The mean ratio of intestinal length to body length ranges from 1.05 in B. ensiculus , over 0.98 in the four-looped B. sp. S 153, to 0.7 in A. dentalis and 0.6 in the twice-looped C. aberrans. The correlation of intestinal length with diet—additional deposit-feeding in Bathoxiphus and highly specialized 'carnivory' in C. aberrans —is probable. Despite the differences in feeding ecology, the elongated hindgut of both deep-sea species of Bathoxiphus resembles the adaptations of some bivalves to poorly nutritious deep-sea sediments.     

Effects of epibionts on Sabellaria alveolata (L.) biogenic reefs and their associated fauna in the Bay of Mont Saint-Michel

Biogenic structures built by ecosystem engineers such as corals, bivalves, polychaetes, and sea grasses provide habitat for benthic vertebrates and invertebrates. The polychaete Sabellaria alveolata is an important foundation species whose reef structure adds topographic complexity and high levels of biodiversity to the otherwise low-relief, low diversity, soft-bottom environments in the Bay of Mont Saint-Michel, France, where the largest such reef formations in Europe are found. In this bay, reefs are being increasingly colonised by oysters (Crassostrea gigas) from local aquaculture operations and by green algae (Ulva sp.) due to the increasing inputs of nitrates from terrestrial origin. The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible impacts of epibiotic oysters and green algae on the S. alveolata population and reef community structure in the Bay of Mont Saint-Michel, France. Univariate and multivariate comparisons of macrofauna were conducted for five reef types: controls (no epibionts), low oyster density, high oyster density, green algae, and oyster and green algae. Results showed that all the three reef types with oysters had significantly higher species richness and diversity values than control and algae-only reef types. Pairwise ANOSIM and SIMPER comparisons of controls versus the four reef types with epibionts revealed that all three of the reef types with oysters were significantly different from controls, but there was no significant difference between controls and algae-only reef types. A striking feature of the reef comparisons is that no single species in this species-rich system contributed more than 8.86% to the dissimilarity between the reef types. Thus, k-dominance curves for species abundances were not effective in revealing differences among the reef types. Our results demonstrate that recent anthropogenic inputs of oysters affect the reef species assemblage more strongly than algal epibionts. In addition, epibionts, especially green algae, alter S. alveolata population structure, causing a reduction in new recruits that over the long run may cause significant damage to the reef structure itself. These results are a first step towards understanding anthropogenic threats to S. alveolata reefs and may be useful in the development of strategies for their protection and management.     

Organic contaminant distributions in sediments, polychaetes (Nereis virens) and American lobster (Homarus americanus) from a laboratory food chain experiment.

A laboratory experiment was conducted to investigate the transfer of organic contaminants from an environmentally contaminated marine sediment through a simple marine food chain. The infaunal polychaete, Nereis virens, was exposed to contaminated sediment collected from the Passaic River, NJ, USA, for 70 days. These polychaetes were then fed to the American lobster, Homarus americanus, for up to 112 days. Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), 2,4,6,8-tetrachlorodibenzothiophene (TCDT), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and several chlorinated pesticides were accumulated by polychaetes following exposure to the contaminated sediment. Some of these contaminants were also accumulated by lobsters which were exposed to the contaminated sediment and/or fed contaminated polychaetes. Only the lesser chlorinated PCDDs and PCDFs (mostly tetra- and pentachlorinated congeners) and 2,4,6,8-TCDT were detected in the polychaetes and lobster. Significant alterations were noted in the PCB patterns found in both species, particularly the lobster. The non-ortho-substituted PCBs (such as congeners 77 and 126) became enriched in the PCB mixtures of the polychaetes and especially the lobsters relative to the sediment, probably because these congeners were not metabolized. These congeners and the 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin toxicity equivalents of the PCB mixtures were enriched by a factor of about six in the lobsters relative to the sediment. Elimination of PCB congeners containing vicinal hydrogens in the meta-para region is consistent with cytochrome P450IIB-type metabolism. Based on the concentration trends for some PCB congeners and chlorinated pesticide ratios measured in the lobsters during this experiment, it appears that this metabolic system is inducible in the American lobster.     

Effects of eelgrass (Zostera marina) canopy removal and sediment addition on sediment characteristics and benthic communities in the Northern Baltic Sea

The eelgrass Zostera marina is a key structural and functional species across the European coastline. The separate and interactive effects of eelgrass canopy removal and sediment addition on the sediment characteristics and the structure of benthic communities were studied in a factorial field experiment in the Northern Baltic Sea in July–August 2006. The removal of eelgrass canopy temporarily increased the sediment oxygen consumption, reduced the content of fine particles (<100 μm) and organic matter in the sediment, and increased the share of sand fraction (250–500 μm). Sediment addition increased the content of fine particles (<100 μm) and reduced the share of sand fraction (250–1000 μm). The effects were strongest in the presence of eelgrass canopy. Benthic invertebrates and macroalgae were affected by eelgrass canopy removal but not by sediment addition. The removal of eelgrass canopy significantly decreased benthic species richness and invertebrate and macroalgal densities. To conclude, our experiment demonstrates that Z. marina defines the patterns of benthic macroalgae and invertebrates but has moderate effects on sediment structure and metabolism in the Northern Baltic Sea.     

Does transported seagrass provide an important trophic link in unvegetated, nearshore areas?

The contribution of detritus from seagrass and other primary producers to faunal production in unvegetated nearshore areas was examined primarily using stable isotopes. Fish, macroinvertebrates, meiofauna and primary producers (seagrasses, macroalgae, seston and benthic microalgae) were sampled from sites in south-western Australia. All samples were analysed for δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values and fish gut contents were determined. δ¹³C values for seagrasses in the region were high compared to other macrophytes, ranging from 49.9 to −8.2‰ compared to −19.8 to −12.6‰ for macroalgae. The δ¹⁵N values ranged between 4.0 and 7.7‰ for the red, brown and green algae, and between 3.2 and 5.9‰ for seagrasses. Seston and benthic microalgae samples had a mean δ¹³C value of −12.8 and −14.0‰, respectively, and their δ¹⁵N values were comparable to the macroalgae. All invertebrate fauna had mean δ¹³C values considerably lower than seagrasses. However, individual samples harpacticoid copepods and polychaetes had a value as high as −11.7‰. δ¹⁵N values for consumers were higher than those of the primary producers, except for copepods and amphipods. The δ¹³C values for fish had a relatively small range, between −16.6 and −13.1‰, and the δ¹⁵N values of fish were elevated compared to the invertebrates and primary producers, ranging mostly between 10.0 and 12.6‰. Mixing model analysis based on δ¹³C values indicated that seagrass ranked low as a likely carbon source for all invertebrates other than harpacticoid copepods at a single site and some samples of polychaetes. The δ¹³C values for fish were similar to those of a combination of harpacticoid and calanoid copepods, amphipods and polychaetes. The consumption of harpacticoid copepods by some fish species indicates that Amphibolis and Posidonia species in south-western Australia can contribute to the food web of unvegetated nearshore areas as detritus, but brown algae is likely to make a greater contribution. At least for the time of year that was sampled, the flow of detrital seagrass material into the foodweb may be mediated by specific detrivores, in this case harpactacoid copepods, rather than by all detritivores.