Fine-scale detection of pollutants by a benthic marine jellyfish Hannah E. Epstein a,b, ⁎, Michelle A. Templeman c , Michael J. Kingsford a,b a ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia b College of Marine & Environmental Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia c TropWATER, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia abstract article info Article history: Received 20 October 2015 Received in revised form 13 March 2016 Accepted 14 March 2016 Available online 8 April 2016 Local sources of pollution can vary immensely on small geographic scales and short time frames due to differ- ences in runoff and adjacent land use. This study examined the rate of uptake and retention of trace metals in Cassiopea maremetens, a benthic marine jellyfish, over a short time frame and in the presence of multiple pollut- ants. This study also validated the ability of C. maremetens to uptake metals in the field. Experimental manipula- tion demonstrated that metal accumulation in jellyfish tissue began within 24 h of exposure to treated water and trended for higher accumulation in the presence of multiple pollutants. C. maremetens was found to uptake trace metals in the field and provide unique signatures among locations. This fine-scale detection and rapid accumu- lation of metals in jellyfish tissue can have major implications for both biomonitoring and the trophic transfer of pollutants through local ecosystems. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Cassiopea maremetens Trace metals Pollution Fine-scale Bioaccumulation Queensland, Australia 1. Introduction Temperate and tropical marine ecosystems worldwide face threats on both global and local scales. The effects of climate change, such as ris- ing sea surface temperatures, increased carbon dioxide, reduced pH and changing weather patterns, have led to a decline in marine systems around the world (Knutson et al., 2010; De'ath et al., 2012; Maina et al., 2012). These systems also face a plethora of localized fine-scale threats (e.g. 10–100 km) that can work synergistically with those on the global scale to cause greater problems for local ecosystems (De’ath et al., 2012; Maina et al., 2012). On small spatial scales, marine ecosys- tems are affected by regular inputs of pollutants and sediment from agriculture, industry and urban development and dredging operations that can ultimately lead to damaging effects on the local biological communities (Furnas, 2003; Rainbow, 2007; Wenger et al., 2015). These fine spatial-scale threats are becoming increasingly important as humans continue to develop coastal land. Rivers are net exporters of localised land-based materials into coast- al marine environments, particularly during rainfall and flood events (Furnas, 2003). These materials include pollutants and excess nutrients that come from upstream anthropogenic developments and put stress on downstream coastal environments (Furnas, 2003; Brodie et al., 2003). Flood events can deposit sediments as well as nutrients and trace metals into coastal and reef environments. These pollutants are often in the form of particulate or dissolved matter, both of which are readily available for biological uptake (Devlin and Brodie, 2005). The bioavailable concentration of metals refers to the fraction that directly affects the biota within a system and is readily absorbed or bioaccumulated by organisms (Rainbow, 1995). Although discrete water sampling is one of the most direct and well-used methods for examining pollutants, it gives little indication of the biological and ecological effects pollutants can pose to an ecosystem. Thus, the bioavailable concentration can only be reliably identified by measuring the levels of pollutants within organisms themselves. Metals in bioavail- able form can easily propagate through the food web and have damag- ing effects on top predators or even human health (Boening, 1999), making accumulation in lower trophic level organisms both an ecolog- ical and anthropogenic concern. Many organisms, such as mussels and oysters, need lengthy exposure times to pollutants in order to elicit a measurable response (Farrington et al., 1983; Shaw and Connell, 1987; Scanes, 1996; Olivier et al., 2002). These long time scales do not necessarily reflect short- term pulse pollution events that can occur from flood systems. In trop- ical Australia, dynamic river systems can cause extreme flood and drought conditions on an annual basis where floods may last on average only six days (Fig. S1). These dynamic systems are not unique to Australia, but rather a normal occurrence in many tropical regions around the globe and can result in pulse, or acute, pollution events (Winemiller and Jepsen, 1998). Identifying organisms that can pick up distinct pollution signals rapidly may help to better understand the path of pollutants through the biological community and have implica- tions for monitoring or management protocols. Marine Pollution Bulletin 107 (2016) 340–346 ⁎ Corresponding author at: ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia. E-mail address: hannah.epstein@my.jcu.edu.au (H.E. Epstein). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.03.027 0025-326X/© 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Marine Pollution Bulletin journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/marpolbul