Urban beaches are frequently impacted from multiple sources of fecal contamination. This along with high beach usage underscores the importance of appropriate management that protects swimmer health. The USEPA has enabled the use of QMRA as a tool for quantifying swimmer health risk and setting site-specific water quality objectives. This study illustrates the challenges associated with human and non-human source identification and how these challenges influence the decision of whether QMRA at typical urban beaches for water quality management is appropriate. In this study, a similar and correlated spatial relationship with elevated Enterococcus and avian-specific markers was observed, suggesting shorebirds as a primary source of FIB. However, human-associated markers were also detected frequently but at low concentrations. Ultimately, a QMRA was not conducted because pathogen loading from potential human sources could not be confidently quantified, having consequences for health risk in receiving waters where recreational contact occurs.

This review aims to briefly describe the potential role of dehalogenase-producing halophilic bacteria in decontamination of organohalide pollutants. Hypersaline habitats pose challenges to life because of low water activity (water content) and is considered as the largest and ultimate sink for pollutants due to naturally and anthropogenic activities in which a substantial amount of ecological contaminants are organohalides. Several such environments appear to host and support substantial diversity of extremely halophilic and halotolerant bacteria as well as halophilic archaea. Biodegradation of several toxic inorganic and organic compounds in both aerobic and anaerobic conditions are carried out by halophilic microbes. Therefore, remediation of polluted marine/hypersaline environments are the main scorching issues in the field of biotechnology. Although many microbial species are reported as effective pollutants degrader, but little has been isolated from marine/hypersaline environments. Therefore, more novel microbial species with dehalogenase-producing ability are still desired.

The question of how to efficiently and effectively manage ocean resources in a sustainable way has reached the forefront of discussion at an international level, but women's contributions to this process have been underestimated or unrecognized. Inclusive management plays a major role in the effective creation, use and adoption of environmental governance, necessitating efforts to measure, monitor and advance inclusivity. In many Pacific island states, there is a lack of disaggregated data collection and management to assist reliable and liable gender-responsive decision-making by national and regional authorities. This lack of information leads to unquantified female contributions and unexplored potential for women to actively contribute to sustainable ocean management as traditional leaders, researchers or science-based managers and in accordance with traditional customs, cultures and processes. This paper examines the contribution of gender-disaggregated data in both (1) effective management of natural resources and (2) measurement and monitoring of the active involvement of women in ocean management. We seek to shift the question from simply “(How) are oceans used by women?” to “How can we build a clear path towards inclusive oceans management using science?”, drawing data mainly from gender and ocean management practices in Pacific Small Island Developing States. This work also seeks to ground in reality the increasing national and international evocations about social equity and avoidance of gender discrimination. Given the existing relationships of Pacific peoples with the ocean and the emerging status of ocean science-based governance, wider integration of science and women in marine management can make an interesting and positive impact in this region.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Membrane techniques have been employed to concentrate livestock manure effluent from anaerobic digestion to produce highly concentrated liquid organic fertilizer. This review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding on the opportunities and challenges of membrane processes in the concentration of digested effluent for their further implementation. RECENT FINDINGS: Anaerobic digestion has been deployed to convert livestock manure into biogas (energy) and digestate with high potential as biofertilizer. Digestate can be separated into a solid and liquid fraction to reduce required capacity for onsite storage. The liquid fraction, known as digested effluent, remains a vexing challenge to digestate management due to the contradiction between its continuous production and seasonal application to farmlands, particularly in developing countries. Recent investigation has demonstrated the promise of membrane techniques for the concentration of digested effluent to recover recycling water and produce nutrient-rich liquid fertilizer. These techniques mainly include hydraulically driven membrane processes (from microfiltration to reverse osmosis), forward osmosis, membrane distillation, and electrodialysis. In most cases, these membrane techniques are hybridized to enhance the concentration efficiency. Nevertheless, the practical application of these membrane processes is hindered by several technical challenges, which mainly include membrane fouling, contaminant enrichment, ammonia volatilization, and high economic input. In this paper, we critically reviewed the performance of different membrane processes in the concentration of digested livestock manure effluent. Key technical challenges and their potential countermeasures were elucidated. Furthermore, future perspectives were provided to shed light on further development of membrane concentration techniques in the field.

The existence of microplastics (MPs) in canned fish (tuna and mackerel) samples was investigated and their composition, possible sources and potential intake were assessed. Light and fluorescence microscopy were used for the quantification of potential MPs. Furthermore, micro-Raman microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy coupled with an energy dispersive X-ray were used to identify the polymer types and composition of MPs. The results showed that 80% of samples had at least one plastic particle and fibers were the most abundant shapes of MPs. Moreover, polyethylene terephthalate (32.8%) was the most common polymer type in canned fish samples. The fish, food additives, and contact materials during the cleaning and canning process are possible sources of MPs. Human intake estimation of MPs showed the possibility of plastics absorption by humans who consume canned fish several times/week. Hence, the results of this study showed the importance of MPs' guidelines for food safety and hygiene.

In this study we assessed the effects of the recurrent disposal of dredged material from the Guadalquivir estuary (south-western Spain) in a marine disposal area. We analysed shifts in sediment characteristics as well as bioaccumulation and biomagnification of heavy metals through the benthic food web. Results showed that the significant increase in concentration of some heavy metals observed in the marine disposal area after the latest disposal event could be attributed to the deposition of river-dredged sediments. This increase could also explain the decreased amphipod survival in the ecotoxicology analysis. Heavy metal concentrations in organisms indicated some bioaccumulation in deposit feeders and predators but with no clear patterns nor biomagnification through the food web. Hence, combining studies that monitor shifts in sediment characteristics and their possible consequences for the food web seems to be an interesting approach that should be assessed further in this type of studies.

Microplastic (MP) pollution is an emerging problem in the marine environment and the assessment of the presence and abundance of microplastics in wild organisms is essential for risk assessment. The occurrence of microplastics in four species of barnacles at 30 sites in Hong Kong waters was investigated. The median number of microplastics ranged between 0 and 8.63 particles g⁻¹ wet weight, or 0 and 1.9 particles individual⁻¹, with fibers being the most abundant type of microplastics. The chemical composition of 152 pieces out of 606 potential microplastics was analyzed using micro-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (μ-FTIR). Fifty-two of them were synthetic polymers, 95 natural cotton fibers and five unknowns. Eight types of polymer were identified with cellophane being the most abundant (58%). Correlation analysis was conducted between the abundance of MPs in sediments obtained in our previous study and that in individual barnacle species in this study, and a positive correlation was established for the barnacle Amphibalanus amphitrite, highlighting the potential of using this species as a bioindicator of microplastics.

Kyiv is Ukraine's capital and largest city. Home to 3 million people, this area has a rich history of agriculture and industry. The Dnieper River is Ukraine's largest river and it passes through the center of Kyiv. Little information on emerging and legacy compounds or their toxicity in the Dnieper River exists. For this investigation, water was sampled for PAHs, PCBs, metals and emerging contaminants including pharmaceuticals and personal care products. The effects of surface waters in the Dnieper were evaluated using the Ames, chronic and acute daphnia, and a ciliate (Colpoda stennii) assays. Concentrations of legacy and emerging contaminants were found in seven stations near the municipal water treatment plant (MWTP) and receiving waters. The MWTP appeared to remove some of the emerging contaminants, however the legacy compounds (PCBs and PAHs) were not affected by the MWTP and appeared to be more wide-spread indicating a number of sources to the Dnieper River. Acute and chronic toxicity were associated with the influent and effluent of the MWTP, however mutagenicity was noted in surface waters throughout the Dnieper River including upstream of the MWTP. This study provides the first snapshot of possible human health and ecological risks associated with surface waters of the Dnieper. More research on seasonal changes and sources of toxicity, mutagenicity and contaminants would aid in completing a more comprehensive risk assessment of surface waters of the Dnieper River.

In early XXth century, the Gulf of Gabes (SE Tunisia) used to host the most extended Posidonia oceanica seagrass beds in the Mediterranean Sea, and a highly productive hotspot of benthic/demersal biodiversity. Sponge harvesting and seabed trawling provoked a first step of seagrass degradation. Subsequently, phosphogypsum releases from Gabes Industrial Complex, since mid-1970s, accelerated the decline of the remaining patches. A sharp reduction of coastal fisheries landings took place with the establishment of the last industrial plant units in 1985. The decrease in coastal commercial species landings was found to be directly correlated with P. oceanica decline. The trophic web system switched from a ‘benthic-dominated’ to a ‘pelagic-dominated’ system. The economic loss related to coastal fisheries was estimated at ~60 million € in 2014 and the 1990–2014 cumulated loss exceeded 750 million €. This first economic valuation of the only direct-use consumptive value of the coastal fishing service provided by P. oceanica in Gabes Gulf is a first step towards the assessment of the environmental cost of the negative externalities caused by the local phosphate industry. It may be used as a preliminary decision-making aid to consider alternative industrial solutions.

Understanding the interactions between human activity in the ocean and marine mammals is a fundamental step to developing responsible mitigation measures and informing policy. Here, the response of migrating humpback whales to vessels towing seismic air gun arrays (on or off) was quantified as a reduction in their likelihood of socially interacting (joining together). Groups were significantly less likely to participate in a joining interaction in the presence of a vessel, regardless of whether or not the air guns were active. This reduction was especially pronounced in groups within a social environment that favored joining, that is, when singing whales or other groups were nearby. Seismic survey mitigation practices are designed primarily to prevent damage to whales' hearing from close-by sources. Here, we found potentially detrimental behavioral changes at much greater ranges, and much lower received levels, than those used for current mitigation recommendations.