Histological, Genotoxic, and Chemical Effects of Emerging Stressor Integration in Native (Rhinella icterica) and Invasive (Aquarana catesbeiana) Anurans

• Grant number: 25/01347-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: May 01, 2025
• End date: February 28, 2029
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Luis Felipe de Toledo Ramos Pereira
• Grantee: Guilherme Andrade Neto Schmitz Boeing
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 22/11096-8 - From the natural history to the conservation of Brazilian amphibinas, AP.TEM

Abstract

For decades, amphibians have experienced severe population declines attributed to various factors. Their biphasic life cycle, combined with their permeable and thin skin, makes them particularly vulnerable to multiple stressors, such as rising temperatures, habitat fragmentation, diseases, and pollution. Pollution by microplastics (MPs), contamination by potentially toxic elements (PTEs), and the warming of breeding ponds are factors associated with the decline in amphibian diversity, as well as the weakening of the immune system and increased susceptibility to diseases like chytridiomycosis (Bd). Accordingly, this doctoral project aims to analyze the isolated and combined effects of pristine and photodegraded spray paint MPs, along with increased temperatures, on Aquarana catesbeiana and Rhinella icterica tadpoles. It also aims to determine whether exposure of adult individuals of these species to MPs increases their susceptibility to Bd infection. The use of various biomarkers at different ontogenetic stages seeks not only to assess the effects of these contaminants but also to compare their impacts across life stages and between species, one native and one invasive. These results will provide a novel assessment of the potential effects of MPs and their interaction with Bd in terrestrial and aquatic environments under varying temperatures. This research is expected to generate highly relevant data for the ecotoxicological study of herpetofauna, as well as significant advancements in understanding the histological, genotoxic, immunological, and bioaccumulative effects of PTEs caused by multiple stressors on the skin, liver, kidneys, digestive system, gills, heart, and blood of these organisms. (AU)