Pathological Changes and CYP1A1 Expression as Biomarkers of Pollution in Sarpa Salpa and Diplodus Sargus

In a marine ecosystem, the organisms most sensitive to the effects of environmental pollution are fish and invertebrates. Therefore, they are considered ideal targets to indirectly assess the health of an entire ecosystem. Teleost fish, especially those occupying the highest trophic levels, can accumulate toxic substances through their diet. In this study, we used two fish species with sedentary behavior and trophic habits, Diplodus sargus and Sarpa salpa, caught in two areas with different anthropic pressures divided into the Gulf of Naples (Na) and the Gulf of Salerno (Sa). This study aimed to correlate the pathological alterations in target organs in both species with known concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and heavy metals (lead and cadmium) to the expression of CYP1A1 to assess the health of a whole ecosystem.