Pollution threats Antarctica and scientists blame xenobiotics and anthropic activities. Yet little is known about their effect on Antarctic ichthyofauna. Accordingly, we investigated the endocrine system of male fish Notothenia rossii and N. coriiceps (Perciformes, Nototheniidae) collected during Austral summer. For N. rossii, hormone levels of estradiol, testosterone, and 11-ketotestosterone were higher in fish collected during March than those of January; whereas for N. coriiceps estradiol and androgens levels were higher and lower in March, respectively. Histological analysis of the testes showed an unrestricted lobular type with no pathological alterations. However, detection of vitellogenin-like in plasma and skin mucus were seen in 75% of N. coriiceps males and 7% of N. rossii males. This is the first report of mucus vitellogenin-like detection as a non-invasive biomarker of endocrine disruption in notothenioid males and settles a baseline for future studies of reproductive biology and endocrine disruption in Antarctic fishes.

We used manually spawned, field-deployed embryos of a common marine fish species, Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii), to evaluate accumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) associated with an incomplete creosote-treated piling (CTP) removal project. Embryos near undisturbed 100-year-old CTPs (before removal) accumulated higher PAHs and exhibited higher cyp1a gene expression than embryos from reference areas. Embryos incubated close to CTP debris after CTP removal showed PAHs 90 times higher than reference areas up to a year after CTP removal. cyp1a fold-induction correlated with total embryo PAHs in all three years. Patterns of individual PAH chemicals differed slightly between embryos, wood sampled from CTPs, and passive samplers. This study illustrates the importance of using appropriate techniques and procedures to remove CTPs in aquatic environments to prevent release of toxic chemicals. Of particular concern is that incomplete CTP removal could expose sensitive life stages of fishes to chemicals that may reduce their survival.

There has been increasing urgency to develop methods for detecting oil in sea ice owing to the effects of climate change in the Arctic. A multidisciplinary study of crude oil behavior in a sea ice environment was conducted at the University of Manitoba during the winter of 2016. In the experiment, medium-light crude oil was injected underneath young sea ice in a mesocosm. The physical and thermodynamic properties of the oil-infiltrated sea ice were monitored over a three-week time span, with concomitant analysis of the oil composition using analytical instrumentation. A resonant perturbation technique was used to measure the oil dielectric properties, and the contaminated sea ice dielectric properties were modeled using a mixture model approach. Results showed that the interactions between the oil and sea ice altered their physical and thermodynamic properties. These changes led to an overall decrease in sea ice dielectrics, potentially detectable by remote sensing systems.

We report the occurrence and genomic features of multidrug-resistant vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium vanA belonging to a novel sequence type (designated ST1336), carrying a Tn1546-like element, in marine brown mussels (Perna perna) from anthropogenically affected coastal waters of the Atlantic coast of Brazil, highlighting a potential source of dissemination for related ecosystems, with additional consequences for seafood safety and quality.

Estuaries provide significant cultural ecosystem services, including recreation and tourism. Disruptions of estuarine biogeochemical processes resulting from environmental degradation could interrupt the flow of these services, reducing benefits and diminishing the welfare of local communities. This study focused on recreational shellfishing in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts (41.55°N, 70.80°W). Relationships among measures of recreational shellfishing, estuarine water quality, and local socioeconomic conditions were tested to understand how the benefits of cultural ecosystem services to local communities might be affected by declining water quality. Transferring estimated economic benefits from an analysis of nearby municipalities, the study finds that increases in Chl a during the 24-year period were associated with losses in recreational shellfishing benefits of $0.08–0.67 million per decade. The approach presented here suggests a more broadly applicable framework for assessing the impacts of changes in coastal ecosystem water quality on the welfare of local communities.

This paper provides the first record of ingestion of plastic debris by American lobster, Homarus americanus. Plastics particles, identified as rubber pieces, were found in the stomachs of 3 from 17 individuals of lobsters kept in laboratory conditions. Debris had evidence of cuts, what suggest they were actively consumed.

Organic pollution is a serious environmental problem for the coastal zones of seas. The study tested the hypothesis that allochthonous organic carbon derived from St. Petersburg wastewaters is a significant basal resource of carbon for the benthic food webs. We analyzed stable isotope composition of carbon and nitrogen in suspended organic matter in the Neva Estuary and in the tissues of macroinvertebrates and fish. The Stable Isotope Bayesian mixing model showed that waste waters were an important source of carbon for the most of consumers in the Neva Estuary. The autochthonous carbon produced by phytoplankton was a significant source of carbon only for some macroinvertebrates. The main consumers of the carbon derived from waste waters were tubificid worms, chironomid larvae and alien polychaete, which currently dominate in the zoobenthos of the estuary. These species replaced the former dominants, native crustaceans, which to a lesser extent use anthropogenic carbon.

The objective of the present study was to test whether the Atlantic ghost crab Ocypode quadrata is a reliable biomonitor of microplastic (MP) pollution of beach sediments. To test the hypothesis (H1) that the sediment is the main source of MP ingestion, the proportion of MP types (hard plastic, microfibers, pellet, soft plastic, and extruded polystyrene foam) in the gut content was compared with that on the strandline. The types of MPs in the gut content and sediment had similar proportions; black (~49%) and blue (~45%) microfibers were responsible for this similarity (55%), hence confirming H1. However, the second hypothesis (H2) that prevalence of MP in the gut content is related to its density on beach with distinct urbanization degree was not accepted. These results indicate that high trophic plasticity of the ghost crab and, consequently, multiple-sources of contamination may interfere with its use as a biomonitor of MP pollution.

The effects of nutrient distribution and structure on the behavior and speciation of dissolved inorganic arsenic (DIAs) in coastal waters were analyzed based on the data of 48 surface water samples collected in the southwestern coast of Laizhou Bay and its adjacent rivers (SWLZB). The concentration of DIAs in the SWLZB ranged from 0.016 to 0.099 μmol l⁻¹ and generally decreased from west to south. The inshore waters exhibited higher DIAs level than the open ocean. The As⁵⁺/As³⁺ ratio was significantly positively correlated with the concentration of TDN, NO₃-N, PO₄-P, DSi, Chl-a and DO. The concentration of DIAs was strongly correlated with the concentration of PO₄-P and DSi, suggesting that adsorption/desorption was an important process for regulating the total DIAs concentration. The results indicated that the distribution of nutrients might well be an important environmental factor affecting the speciation and behavior of DIAs in surface water of the SWLZB.

Increased plastic consumption and poor waste management have resulted in litter representing an ever-increasing threat to the marine environment. To identify sources and evaluate mitigation measures, beach litter has been monitored. Using data from two citizen science protocols (CSPs) and OSPAR monitoring of Norwegian beaches, this study 1) identifies the most abundant litter types, 2) compares OSPAR to citizen science data, and 3) examines how to improve the management relevance of beach litter data. The dominant litter types were; food and drink- and fishery related items, and unidentifiable plastic pieces. Data from CSPs are consistent with OSPAR data in abundance and diversity, although few OSPAR beaches limit verification of CSP data. In contrast to OSPAR, the CSPs estimate the weight of the litter. CSPs lack important variables which could explain why some litter types are abundant in some particular areas. The latter could be improved by recording GPS positions.