Using bioassays for testing seawater quality in Greece

Abstract

The objective of this work was the assessment of seawater quality in Thermaikos Gulf, Pagassitikos Gulf and Skiathos island in Northern Aegean Sea by the use of bioassays. Two bioassays using marine organisms as indicators of seawater quality were applied in this study; the invertebrate Artemia franciscana and the marine bioluminescent bacterium Vibrio fischeri. Bioassays are required for the integrated evaluation of water pollution, as physical and chemical tests alone are not sufficient enough for the assessment of potential effects on aquatic organisms. According to the result of this study, improvement in coastal water quality of Thermaikos Gulf was observed between September 1997 and April-May 2000. However, coastal water quality of Pagassitikos Gulf varied during the test period; it was generally good during April-May 2000, while in October 1999 it was generally poor. Between the two bioassays that have been applied in this study, the Microtox test, where the marine bacterium V. fischeri was used as a test organism, was more sensitive in detecting toxicity in seawater.