Macrofaunal Indicators for the Assessment of Petroleum Hydrocarbon Contamination in Nigerian Aquatic Ecosystems: A Review
2026
O, Odigie | O. N, Obayagbona
Nigerian aquatic habitats are continuously threatened by petroleum hydrocarbon pollution, especially in petroleum-producing areas like the Niger Delta region and the Lagos Lagoon respectively. Anthropogenic utilization of benthic macrofauna as bioindicators to ascertain the ecological effects of hydrocarbon pollution in Nigerian aquatic habitats is assessed in this paper. Polychaetes, bivalves, and crustaceans are examples of macrofauna known to exhibit species-specific sensitivity to pollutants such as benzene, toluene, ethylene and xylene (BTEX) moieties, alkanes as well as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). These biological sentinels are useful instruments for long-term ecological monitoring because of their predictable responses to pollution gradients in terms of community structure, diversity and dominance patterns. For petroleum contaminated areas, case studies from Nigerian water bodies revealed steady declines in species richness and a shift towards resistant taxa. Information pertaining to how macrofaunal responses are influenced by environmental variables such sediment type, hydrocarbon concentration and seasonal fluctuation are also herein presented in this review. Ecosystem health assessments are more reliable when macrofaunal data is combined with relevant data derived from physico- chemical and microbiological studies. Effective and routine implementation of macrofaunal indicators is constrained by lack of standardized national protocols and climate change impacts. Notwithstanding these limitations, macrofaunal indicators have shown a potential for directing ecological restoration, pollution assessment as well as the promotion of Nigeria's long-term environmental sustainability.
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