Green Analytical Chemistry (Mar 2023)
(Bio)sensors applied to coral reefs’ health monitoring: a critical overview
Abstract
Biosensor technology represents a novel tool with several areas of application, such as biomedical and physicochemical ones. In this review, we considered this technology's application to physiological analyses in the area of biological response to climate change and environmental monitoring, with particular attention to the coral reefs. For their peculiar biology and sensitivity, coral reefs are considered nowadays as one of the most endangered marine ecosystems. Because of their natural and economical importance, analytical methods for evaluating the reef's health status are highly required to improve their protection. Several techniques based on different approaches are applied to coral reef research, mostly represented by remote surveys, in situ morphological observations, and laboratory-bound approaches. Only lately, some physiological in situ techniques have been proposed. The development of de-centralized biosensors could represent a terrific enhancement towards a real-time comprehension of coral reef health, especially in those areas that are scarcely accessible and/or with a low amount of sample to test.Here we provide a detailed discussion about morphological and physiological aspects of the coral reef in situ analyses, providing the readers a critical overview of the advantages and limitations of current methodologies for coral reef monitoring. The desirable role of biosensors along the critical field of coral reefs’ assessment is highlighted and analyzed as a potential scenario for overcoming current limitations in climate change and local anthropogenic stressors monitoring.
