In this study, the state of the five stations’ quality was assessed on the basis of determination of temporal and spatial variability of nutrients with physicochemical variables. Besides this, organic matter of sediment, secchi disc depth and suspended solids were also determined. The samples were collected seasonally from different areas such as harbor and important touristic marinas along the eastern Aegean during June 2008–2009. As a result, the nutrients ranged between NH₄: 0.10–25.6, NO₂: 0.01–1.5, NO₃: 0.19–7.0, o.PO₄: 0.17–6.8, TPO₄: 0.32–9.6 and Si: 0.30–13.8μM, respectively. Precipitation leads to large changes in temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen and nutrients. The highest nutrient values in this study were observed during the rainy season except o.PO₄-P and TPO₄-P. However, the physico-chemical variables have exhibited considerable temporal variations while nutrients showed spatial differences. The relatively high nutrient increase in the sampling stations coupled with surface runoff events during rainy period and pollution arising from both point and non-point sources.

Phytoplankton monitoring has extended to practically all the regions of the European coast due to the implementation of the European Water Framework Directive. In this way, the study of phytoplankton taxonomic composition and dynamic is being performed in many areas poorly studied or not studied before. During the last years, a monitoring programme has been carried out at the coast of Cantabria region (SE Bay of Biscay); the presence of some potentially toxic and bloom forming species (>7.5×10⁵cells per litre) has been observed. Diatoms and cryptophytes are the main blooming taxa in this region in the majority of the estuaries and in some of the coastal sites. All estuaries and coastal stations showed at least one potentially toxic species, being the dinoflagellates the group with the highest number of taxa observed. The potentially toxic species found in highest concentrations were the genera Pseudo-nitzschia and Chrysochromulina.

The discharge of sewage into the Antarctic marine environments by scientific stations has resulted in local changes in these pristine sites. To assess the distribution and concentration of sewage indicators from the Brazilian Antarctic station, sediments were sampled during the 2009/10 austral summer at four points (water depth of 20 and 60m). Concentrations of faecal sterols and linear alkylbenzenes (LABs) ranged from <0.01 to 0.17μgg⁻¹ and <1.0 to 46.5ngg⁻¹ dry weight, respectively. Maximum concentration of faecal sterols was similar to the value previously calculated as the background level for this area (0.19μgg⁻¹), and it is lower than the concentration observed in previous studies (1997–2008), whereas the LABs concentrations remained practically constant (35ngg⁻¹). Despite the low concentrations of sewage markers, the permanent human activities in the region require monitoring programs to determine continuing trends and prevent the increase of anthropogenic impacts.

To assess the impact of an artificial dyke in Chonsu Bay (CBD) on the organic carbon (Cₒᵣg) cycle, we measured excess ²¹⁰Pb activities, Cₒᵣg and nitrogen content in sediment cores. The Cₒᵣg oxidation rates (Cₒₓ) on the surface sediment and benthic nutrient fluxes were also quantified with an in situ benthic chamber. The higher excess ²¹⁰Pb inventory, Cₒᵣg and nitrogen in cores near the CBD indicated lateral transport and local, massive deposition of particulate matter due to tidal circulation altered by artificial dyke construction. The Cₒₓ in sediment near the CBD was about twice as high as that out of the bay, suggesting the importance of benthic remineralization of organic matter. The benthic fluxes of dissolved inorganic nitrogen and phosphate were four to six times higher than those outside the bay, corresponding to 141% and 131% respectively, of the requirements for primary production.

We investigated heavy metal concentrations of zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), and lead (Pb), their spatial distribution and enrichment factor index in surface sediments of the Gorgan Bay. Sediment Quality Guidelines were also applied to assess adverse biological effects of these metals. Heavy metals were determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS). The results indicated mean concentrations (ppm) of heavy metals were (mean±S.D.) Pb: 11.5±4.88, Cu: 18±8.83, Zn: 42±22.15 and Cr: 32±15.19. Based on Enrichment index, the Gorgan Bay is a low-enriched to non-enriched bay. Heavy metal contents were lower than the standard limits of PEL, ERL, and ERM that reveal no threatening influence of the metals in the Bay.

In recent years, the shipping of environmentally hazardous cargo has increased considerably in the Baltic proper. In this study, a large number of hypothetical oil spills with an idealized, passive tracer are simulated. From the tracer distributions, statistical measures are calculated to optimize the quantity of tracer from a spill that would stay at sea as long as possible. Increased time may permit action to be taken against the spill before the oil reaches environmentally vulnerable coastal zones. The statistical measures are used to calculate maritime routes with maximum probability that an oil spill will stay at sea as long as possible. Under these assumptions, ships should follow routes that are located south of Bornholm instead of the northern routes in use currently. Our results suggest that the location of the optimal maritime routes depends on the season, although interannual variability is too large to identify statistically significant changes.

Aliağa Bay is one of the most important maritime zones of Turkey where shipping activity, shipbreaking industry, steel works and petrochemical complexes exist together. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and aliphatic hydrocarbons in sediment of the Aliağa Bay were investigated to evaluate an environmental risk assessment from PAHs contamination in 2009–2010. Aliphatic and PAHs diagnostic ratios were showed to be mainly petroleum-originated and pyrolitic contaminations, respectively. The TEL/PEL analysis suggests that Aliağa sediments were likely to be contaminated by acutely toxic PAH compounds.

We examined parasite populations and communities in the Mediterranean sentinel fish species, Mullus barbatus, sampled at a small-scale PCB gradient at the shelf sediments off Catalonian coasts of the Western Mediterranean. A recurrent feature at both the population and community level was the differentiation of the samples along the increasing PCB levels simultaneously registered in the sediments. Both directly transmitted ectoparasites and endoparasites with complex life-cycles transmitted via food chains exhibited a decrease in abundance with the increase in PCB levels. Parasite numerical responses translated into significant differences in infracommunity structure with decreasing predictability associated with increasing PCB levels. The abundance of two species, the specialist Opecoeloides furcatus and the generalist nematode Hysterothylacium fabri, contributed substantially to the observed dissimilarity between infracommunity samples along the gradient. The observed parasite responses to moderate levels of pollution were simultaneously validated by both chemical monitoring and effect biomarkers.

Marine ecosystems are typically subjected to a variety of stressors containing complex xenobiotics mixtures. This study aims to evaluate the responses of molecular and biochemical biomarkers in the mussel Mytilus edulis providing data for environmental monitoring programs development in Southern Brazil. Mussels were collected at a polluted site, near Patos Lagoon outfall, and at a control site. Gills, muscle and mantle samples were used for biomarker determinations. Mussels collected at the polluted site significantly increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) activities and decreased catalase (CAT) activity. Moreover, an increase in sod1, gstπ and hsp70 mRNA expression was observed. Overall, biochemical and molecular biomarkers responses were observed, but these responses varied depending on the analyzed tissue. These results indicate possible contaminants effects on organisms and the need for effective environmental monitoring programs in this ecosystem.

In the study, we establish centennial records of anthropogenic lead pollution at different locations in the North Atlantic (Iceland, USA, and Europe) by means of lead deposited in shells of the long-lived bivalve Arctica islandica. Due to local oceanographic and geological conditions we conclude that the lead concentrations in the Icelandic shell reflect natural influxes of lead into Icelandic waters. In comparison, the lead profile of the US shell is clearly driven by anthropogenic lead emissions transported from the continent to the ocean by westerly surface winds. Lead concentrations in the European North Sea shell, in contrast, are dominantly driven by local lead sources resulting in a much less conspicuous 1970s gasoline lead peak. In conclusion, the lead profiles of the three shells are driven by different influxes of lead, and yet, all support the applicability of Pb/Ca analyses of A. islandica shells to reconstruct location specific anthropogenic lead pollution.