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Simple Summary: Consumption and excessive use of substances or items that are taken for granted in our daily lives such as personal care products, plastic objects, and medicines inevitably lead to their release into marine and freshwater systems with, unfortunately, potentially devastating consequences over time. For this reason, it is of crucial importance that the scientific community, as well as society, is aware of the environmental problems linked mainly to the release of contaminants into the sea. In this context, the Mediterranean Sea is a special biodiversity hotspot of marine fauna and flora. Nevertheless, it is becoming a source of concern due to the presence of emerging pollutants. In the present paper, the specific focus on the catshark Scyliorhinus canicula, as a vertebrate species, and on the Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis, as an invertebrate, lies in their ability to provide appropriate information about the health conditions of their surrounding environment. The studies reported on this topic show that it is rather evident that entire aquatic ecosystems suffer from anthropogenic pollution. Therefore, this review aims to collect and demonstrate its effects on the environment and organisms' health. In this historical context, the Mediterranean Sea faces an increasing threat from emerging pollutants such as pharmaceuticals, personal care products, heavy metals, pesticides and microplastics, which pose a serious risk to the environment and human health. In this regard, aquatic invertebrates and fish are particularly vulnerable to the toxic effects of these pollutants, and several species have been identified as bio-indicators for their detection. Among these, bivalve molluscs and elasmobranchs are now widely used as bio-indicators to accurately assess the effects of contaminants. The study focuses on the catshark Scyliorhinus canicular and on the Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis. The first one is a useful indicator of localised contamination levels due to its exposure to pollutants that accumulate on the seabed. Moreover, it has a high trophic position and plays an important role in the Mediterranean Sea ecosystem. The bivalve mollusc Mytilus galloprovincialis, on the other hand, being a filter-feeding organism, can acquire and bioaccumulate foreign particles present in its environment. Additionally, because it is also a species of commercial interest, it has a direct impact on human health. In conclusion, the increasing presence of emerging pollutants in the Mediterranean Sea is a serious issue that requires immediate attention. Bivalve molluscs and elasmobranchs are two examples of bio-indicators that must be used to precisely determine the effects of these pollutants on the marine ecosystem and human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) is one of the most commercially sought-after freshwater fish species and one of the most farmed in the world. On the other hand, aquaculture breeding frequently results in outbreaks of infectious diseases and pests, and compromises the production and welfare of fish. Arthrospira platensis (known as "Spirulina") has been used as a supplement in diets to enhance fish welfare in recent years because of its beneficial properties. This study aimed to assess the possible protective effects of Arthrospira platensis on rainbow trout specimens exposed to three different doses of the toxicant CdCl2. The experiment was carried out using five experimental treatments of 40 individuals each: control group; group II (0.2 mg CdCl2 per kg of commercial fish feed); group III (0.2 mg Kg−1 of CdCl2 plus 2.5 g per kg of A. platensis); group IV (0.2 mg Kg−1 of CdCl2 plus 5 g per kg of A. platensis); group V (0.2 mg Kg−1 of CdCl2 plus 10 g per kg of A. platensis). During the experiment, dietary supplementation of A. platensis normalized all serum and blood parameters altered by the presence of CdCl2. A. platensis also had a protective effect on markers of oxidative stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The level of pollution becomes more and more of a pressuring matter for humankind at a worldwide level. Often the focus is on the effects that we can directly and see such as decreased air quality and higher than normal temperatures and weather, but the effects we cannot see are frequently overlooked. For at least the past decade increasing importance has been given towards the effects of pollution of living animals or non-target organisms and plants. For this purpose, one model animal that surfaced is the purpose, one model animal surfaced is Mytilus galloprovincialis. As all mussels, this species is capable of bio-accumulating important quantities of different xenobiotics such as pesticides, paints, medicines, heavy metals, industrial compounds, and even compounds marketed as antioxidants and antivirals. Their toxic effects can be assessed through their impact on oxidative stress, lysosomal membrane stability, and cell viability through trypan blue exclusion test and neutral red retention assay techniques. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the benefits of using M. galloprovincialis as an animal model for toxicological assays of various classes of xenobiotics by bringing to light the studies that have approached the matter. [Display omitted] • Bivalves are an excellent biomarker for the pollution of the water. • M. galloprovincialis is part of the human food chain. • Oxidative stress and cell viability are good tests for assessing toxicity in mussels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]