In presented study the impact of climatic factors and North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) on macroalgal community was analysed. Also the factors influencing algal community were defined with help of Principal Component and Classification analysis. It was found that climatic impact may depend on habitat features and that on different sites biomass of macroalgae correlated with different weather factors. Wind and surf may affect biomass of macroalgae adversely on some sites and at the same time on other sites they may accumulate biomass, transferring it is from adjacent areas. High direct correlation with temperature was found on sites which were protected from surf and had no stagnant events. Seasonal biomass inversely significantly correlated with average seasonal wind speed and annual NAO-index.

Natural and anthropogenic factors may influence corals’ ability to recover from partial mortality. To examine how environmental conditions affect lesion healing, we assessed several water quality parameters and tissue regeneration rates in corals at six reefs around St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. We hypothesized that sites closer to developed areas would have poor water quality due to proximity to anthropogenic stresses, which would impede tissue regeneration. We found that water flow and turbidity most strongly influenced lesion recovery rates. The most impacted site, with high turbidity and low flow, recovered almost three times slower than the least impacted site, with low turbidity, high flow, and low levels of anthropogenic disturbance. Our results illustrate that in addition to lesion-specific factors known to affect tissue regeneration, environmental conditions can also control corals’ healing rates. Resource managers can use this information to protect low-flow, turbid nearshore reefs by minimizing sources of anthropogenic stress.

Near-road measurements for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) using passive air samplers were collected weekly in traffic exposure zones (TEZs) in the Research Triangle area of North Carolina (USA) during Fall 2014. Land use regression (LUR) analysis and pairwise comparisons of TEZs showed NO2 concentrations were associated with TEZs. Greater NO2 levels occurred in delay, high volume, and bus route sections versus higher signal light density, urbanized, and “remainder of study” areas. Comparison of near-road passively sampled NO2 concentrations by TEZ agreed with previous real-time on-road comparisons for NO2 in these TEZs.

A mathematical model was developed to simulate the oxidation of total sulfite in the holding tank of ammonia-based flue gas desulfurization (FGD) system. The model could provide predictions of the oxidation ratio of total sulfite at different operating condition such as pH, concentration of total sulfur, air flow and residence time. The calculation results of an ammonia-based FGD system for 2 × 150 MW boilers by this model were compared to that of corresponding measured values. The comparison results show that the simulated oxidation ratio of total sulfite agrees well with the measured data. The difference between calculated values and measured data is below 4.2%. This model appears to be beneficial for optimizing design and operation of total sulfite oxidation of an ammonia-based FGD system.

Fish assemblages are considered indicators of aquatic ecosystem quality. Based on how fish communities respond to anthropogenic pressures, we developed a multimetric fish index for evaluating the health of both coastal and transitional waters. Fish data were collected along the Polish coast in the years 2011, 2013 and 2014 using different types of gear. Redundancy analysis showed that the most important environmental factor affecting fish community was salinity. Responses to anthropogenic disturbances of 20 candidate metrics were tested by generalized linear models, taking into account salinity, sampling protocol and the proxy of human pressures described by the Baltic Sea Impact Index (BSII). Five selected metrics were combined in a Multimetric Index, which showed negative significant correlation with BSII. The index presented herein appeared to be a good tool for assessing the ecological state of highly impacted Polish transitional and coastal areas and complies with the Water Framework Directive requirements.

An important priority for any organism is to maintain internal cellular homeostasis including acid–base balance. Yet, the molecular level impacts of changing environmental conditions, such as low pH, remain uncharacterised. Herein, we isolate partial Na+/H+exchangers (NHE), carbonic anhydrase (CA), and calmodulin (CaM) genes from a polychaete, Platynereis dumerilii and investigate their relative expression in acidified seawater conditions. mRNA expression of NHE was significantly down-regulated after 1h and up-regulated after 7days under low pH treatment (pH 7.8), indicating changes in acid–base transport. Furthermore, the localisation of NHE expression was also altered. A trend of down regulation in CA after 1h was also observed, suggesting a shift in the CO2 and HCO3− balance. No change in CaM expression was detected after 7days exposure to acidified seawater. This study provides insight into the molecular level changes taking place following exposure to acidified seawater in a non-calcifying, ubiquitous, organism.

The quality of bathing water is fundamental, not only from an environmental point of view but also due to the economic importance of tourism. This paper examines the water profile in the coastal belt of the province of Pescara (Italy, Central Adriatic Sea) with reference to the microbiological parameters Escherichia coli and intestinal enterococci required by Directive 2006/07 of European Commission. The water quality of 15 coastal beaches was surveyed; data were produced from monitoring and controls made available by the Abruzzo Regional Environmental Prevention and Protection Agency (ARTA) and extracted and elaborated for the period of interest (2010–2013). Statistical analysis was used to confirm the aspects deduced from mean values of monitoring and control data for each stretch. The data highlight critical situations in various parts of the coast; these problems can be attributed to river pollution, mainly due to the malfunctioning of the treatment plants for urban wastewater.

Abundance and composition of anthropogenic marine debris were assessed on the basis of six bottom trawl surveys conducted on the continental slope off Iwate Prefecture, Pacific coast of northern Japan, in 2003, 2004 and 2011, and the temporal changes due to the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in March 2011 evaluated. In 2003 and 2004, 54–94 items km−2 of marine debris, dominated by sea-base sourced items mainly comprising fishing gear and related items from adjacent fishing grounds on the continental shelf, were quantified. In the post-earthquake period, the density increased drastically to 233–332 items km−2, due to an increase in land-base sourced items generated by the tsunami. However, a major increase in abundance after the disaster, compared to the total amount of tsunami debris swept into the sea, was not found. Additional sources of land-based debris from the adjacent continental shelf are suggested in the present waters.

In order to examine the influence of discharge from different rivers from peninsular India and urban sewage on intensity and dissemination of heterotrophic, indicator and pathogenic bacteria, a study was carried out during peak discharge period along coastal Bay of Bengal. The coastal Bay received freshwater inputs from the river Ganges while Godavari and Krishna contributed to the south. Contrasting difference in salinity, temperature, nutrients and organic matter was observed between north and south east coast of India. The highest heterotrophic, indicator and pathogenic bacterial abundance was observed in the central coastal Bay that received urban sewage from the major city. Intensity and dissemination of heterotrophic, indicator and pathogenic bacteria displayed linear relation with magnitude of discharge. The coliform load was observed up to 100km from the coast suggesting that marine waters were polluted during the monsoon season and its impact on the ecosystem needs further studies.

The spatial distribution of dinoflagellate cysts was studied to understand the impact of industrial pollution on the surface sediment of Izmir Bay, Turkey. Forty two dinoflagellate cyst morphotypes belonging to 12 genera were identified and qualified at 12 sampling points. The cyst of Gymnodinium nolleri dominated the bay and had the highest abundance in most of the stations, following Spiniferites bulloideus and Lingulodinium machaerophorum. The highest cyst concentration was recorded in the inner part of the bay. Cyst concentration ranged between 384 and 9944cystg−1 dry weight of sediment in the sampling area. Sediment metal concentrations were determined. Heavy metal levels in Izmir Inner Bay were higher than the Middle and Outer Bay. L. machaerophorum, Dubridinium caperatum and Polykrikos kofoidii showed significant positive correlation with some metals (Cd, Pb, Cu, Zn) and organic carbon content. However, there was no significant correlation between dinoflagellate cyst abundance and sediment type.