Climate change with human direct pressures represent significant threats to the resilience of shoreline habitats like mangroves. A rapid, whole-of-system assessment strategy is needed to evaluate such threats, better linking innovative remote sensing with essential on-ground evaluations. Using the Shoreline Video Assessment Method, we surveyed around 190km of the mostly mangrove-fringed (78%) coastline of Kien Giang Province, Vietnam. The aim was to identify anthropogenic drivers of degradation, establishing baseline for specific rehabilitation and protection strategies. Fish traps occupy at least 87% of shoreline mangroves, around which there were abundant human activities – like fishing, crabbing, farming, plus collecting firewood and foliage. Such livelihoods were associated with remnant, fringing mangrove that were largely degraded and threatened by erosion retreat, herbivory, and excessive cutting. Our assessment quantified associated threats to shoreline stability, along with previous rehabilitation intervention measures. The method offers key opportunities for effective conservation and management of vulnerable shoreline habitats.

One of the more important steps in understanding the ecosystem-level effects of anthropogenic disturbances on resident species is developing an accurate representation of the lethal and sub-lethal effects of these stressors. We develop methods for describing the impacts of oil on growth and mortality rates in fishes. We conducted a literature search to determine potential relationships between direct and indirect effects of exposure to oil, based on the frequency of lesions and body growth reduction. Data examining these effects with different exposure mediums were assessed and then input into four potential response models (a linear, step-wise, hockey-stick, and exponential model). We assessed the models using the Akaike Information Criterion. The most parsimonious and best fit model was the hockey-stick. This analysis will aid in identifying where future research on the impact of oil on fish should focus and also aid the development of ecosystem models on impacts of oil spills.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were investigated in the marine ecosystem of the Daya Bay, South China. The PAH concentrations ranged from 340 to 710ng/g dry weight in the sediments and from 110 to 520ng/g wet weight in marine organisms, respectively. The dominant compounds were three- and four-ring PAHs in the sediments (53%–89%) and two- and three-ring PAHs in the marine species (67%–94%), respectively. PAHs mainly originated from both pyrolytic and petrogenic sources. Comparison with the effects-based sediment quality guideline values suggested that the ecological risk caused by the total PAHs was relatively low (less than 25% incidence of adverse effects) in the sedimentary environment. The median cancer risk level via seafood consumption (1.6×10−5 for urban residents and 1.2×10−5 for rural residents, respectively) was slightly higher than the maximum admissible level (10−5) set by US EPA, but lower than the priority risk level (10−4).

This research investigates the media coverage during the C/V Rena grounding in New Zealand (NZ), in 2011, to analyze if information reported in printed media is important for the final perception of the overall oil spill response. We took all articles available from NZ's largest circulated newspaper and the regional newspaper closest to the incident and analyzed the themes within each article; the article's tone (positive, neutral or negative); the time of the report relative to incident events and any differences between the regional and national papers. This analysis indicates that oil spills are reported and perceived as inherently negative incidents. However, along with coordinating an effective spill response, fast, factual and frequent media releases and increased effect in media liaison in areas of response with high public intrinsic value such as oiled wildlife response can significantly influence tone of media coverage and likely overall public perception.

In our previous research, a petroleum degrading bacteria strain Bacillus licheniformis Y-1 was obtained in Dagang Oilfield which had the capability of producing biosurfactant. This biosurfactant was isolated and purified in this work. The biosurfactant produced by strain Y-1 had the capability to decrease the surface tension of water from 74.66 to 27.26mN/m, with the critical micelle concentration (CMC) of 40mg/L. The biosurfactant performed not only excellent stabilities against pH, temperature and salinity, but also great emulsifying activities to different kinds of oil, especially the crude oil. According to the results of FT-IR spectrum and 1H NMR spectrum detection, the surfactant was determined to be a cyclic lipopeptide. Furthermore, through the addition of surfactant, the effect of petroleum contaminated soil remediation by fungi got a significant improvement.

In coastal areas, demographic increase is likely to result in greater numbers of recreational users, with potential consequences on marine biodiversity. These effects may also occur within Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), which are popular with recreational users. Our analysis builds on data collected over a ten-year period during three year-round surveys to appraise changes in recreational boating activities in coral ecosystems. Results show that the number of boaters has greatly increased, particularly so within MPAs during weekends and the warm season, when peaks in boat numbers have become more frequent. We also observed that the number of anchored boats has increased over the period. These changes may be resulting in biophysical impacts that could be detrimental to conservation objectives in MPAs. This steady increase over time may cause changes in the spatial and temporal distribution of users and in their practices, thus highlighting the importance of monitoring recreational activities.

Using long-term oceanographic surveys and a 3-D hydrodynamic model we show that localized peak winds (known as shamals) cause fluctuation in water current speed and direction, and substantial oscillations in sea-bottom salinity and temperature in the southern Persian/Arabian Gulf. Results also demonstrate that short-term shamal winds have substantial impacts on oceanographic processes along the southern Persian/Arabian Gulf coastline, resulting in formation of large-scale (52km diameter) eddies extending from the coast of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to areas near the off-shore islands of Iran. Such eddies likely play an important role in transporting larvae from well-developed reefs of the off-shore islands to the degraded reef systems of the southern Persian/Arabian Gulf, potentially maintaining genetic and ecological connectivity of these geographically distant populations and enabling enhanced recovery of degraded coral communities in the UAE.

Coral colony size-frequency distributions can be used to assess population responses to local environmental conditions and disturbances. In this study, we surveyed juvenile pocilloporids, herbivorous fish densities, and algal cover in the central and southern Saudi Arabian Red Sea. We sampled nine reefs with different disturbance histories along a north–south natural gradient of physicochemical conditions (higher salinity and wider temperature fluctuations in the north, and higher turbidity and productivity in the south). Since coral populations with negatively skewed size-frequency distributions have been associated with unfavorable environmental conditions, we expected to find more negative distributions in the southern Red Sea, where corals are potentially experiencing suboptimal conditions. Although juvenile coral and parrotfish densities differed significantly between the two regions, mean colony size and size-frequency distributions did not. Results suggest that pocilloporid colony size-frequency distribution may not be an accurate indicator of differences in biological or oceanographic conditions in the Red Sea.

Fourteen surveys were conducted at Farallon De Medinilla (a U.S. Department of Defense bombing range in the Mariana Archipelago) between 1997 and 2012; annual surveys were conducted from 1999 through 2012. There was no evidence that the condition of the biological resources assessed had changed, or been adversely impacted to a significant degree by the training activities being conducted there. Restricted access has resulted in a de-facto preserve effect and outweighs minor negative impacts from training. The health, abundance and biomass of fishes, corals and other marine resources are comparable to or superior to those in similar habitats at other locations within the Mariana Archipelago. Our research suggests that the greatest threat to FDM's marine resources is from fishermen, not military training activities.

Beijing and Kanpur are two cities identified as high aerosol optical thickness (AOT) and complex composition of aerosols in Asian monsoon regions. Detail knowledge of key aerosol types in these two countries would be helpful for clarifying the mechanisms of aerosol radiative forcing and improving the accuracy of satellite remote sensing in these two countries. This study examines the characteristics of aerosol types over Beijing and Kanpur derived from a 12-year dataset from Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) stations and compares them via cluster analysis of optical and microphysical properties. Aerosols in Beijing are more complex than in Kanpur. Four fine-size dominated aerosol types (including two types of moderately absorbing aerosols, one highly absorbing aerosol type and one non-absorbing aerosol type) and one coarse-size dominated aerosol type are identified over Beijing. In Kanpur, two fine-sized dominated aerosol types (one high absorbing aerosol type and one non-absorbing aerosol type) and one coarse-sized dominated aerosol type are obtained. Compared to Beijing, the average SSAs of non-absorbing and high-absorbing aerosols are lower for the four wavelengths (440 nm, 676 nm, 869 nm, 1020 nm) in Kanpur. High absorbing aerosols usually occur in the months December to February (DJF) for both sites. The proportion in Kanpur (14%) is about twice that in Beijing (7%). Non-absorbing aerosols are usually observed in the months June to August (JJA) for both sites. Their proportion in Kanpur (31%) is ∼3 times larger than that in Beijing (11%). Coarse aerosols are frequently observed in the months March to May (MAM) for both sites. Their proportion in Kanpur (54%) is two times larger than in Beijing (21%).