Biomarkers: An Integrative Useful Tool for Ecotoxicolgy and Biomonitoring

Dear Colleagues,

The application of biomarkers in ecotoxicology and biomonitoring has been rapidly accelerating since the 90s due to their many advantages, including in allowing for expeditious determination. This, however, has resulted in frequent misleading interpretations, mostly due to i) their application without any underlying effects-based monitoring framework; ii) a lack of harmonized protocols and quality assurance methods to support comparability of results; and iii) the use of too many new indicator species for which no baseline information is available. The wealth of information that is often generated when using biomarkers is also often neglected due to the simplistic data analysis and interpretation that is applied, too simplistic to  overcome disadvantages and generate a meaningful conclusion. Nevertheless, this is not taken into account in the improvement of our discussion about their application toward the early diagnosis of environmental health or in risk assessment. More recently, within the scope of the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive, efforts have been made to discuss the meaning of each biomarker and to show which can really improve our knowledge and be used as complementary tools for ecotoxicology and biomonitoring. This exercise needs, however, to be extended not only to freshwater systems, but to all studies concerning biomarkers. Thus, this Special Issue aims to gather the latest research that contributes toward answering the following questions: (1) How can we complement toxicity data with valuable information acquired from biomarker analysis?; (2) How can different biological models deal with stressful conditions as a function of their physiological status?; (3) What is the ecological relevance of biomarkers and their association with deleterious effects at higher levels of biological organization?; and (4) Which biomarkers, and bioindicator species, are meaningful and relevant for biomonitoring studies? Research studies concerning the use of biomarkers in other topics are also very welcome, namely, innovative statistical analysis and interpretation, studies of comparative physiology, wastewater quality and reuse, micro- and nanoplastic contamination, as well as the development of new methods or protocols are all within the scope of this Special Issue.

Dr. Carlos Gravato
Guest Editor

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