Environmental conditions and heavy metal content of marine organisms from atolls of the Pacific Ocean

Abstract

Contents of Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn and Pb were determined in Tridacnidae and Caulerpaceae inhabiting the relatively unpolluted shallow waters of two coral islands in the Southwestern Pacific. Differences in the geochemical pro- perties of the island environments influence the mineral composition of the organisms. Further, the differential accumulation of heavy metals by organs of Tridacna may be due to their biochemical functions and the degree of exposure to ambient sea water.