This study aims to investigate the effects of ammonia nitrogen loading rates and salinity levels on nutrients removal rates and substrate enzyme activities of constructed wetland (CW) microcosms planted with Salicornia bigelovii treating mariculture wastewater. Activities of urease (UA), dehydrogenase (DA), protease (PrA) and phosphatase (PA) were considered. Using principal component analysis (PCA), nutrient removal index (NRI) and enzyme activity index (EAI) were developed to evaluate the effects. The results revealed that increasing ammonia nitrogen loading rates had positive effects on nitrogen removal rates (i.e. NH4-N and DIN) and enhanced substrate enzyme activities. Compared with low salinity (i.e. 15 and 22), high salinity levels (i.e. 29 and 36) enhanced nutrients removal rates, DA and UA, but weaken PA and PrA. In conclusion, CW microcosms with Salicornia bigelovii can be used for the removal of nutrients under a range of ammonia nitrogen loadings and high salinity levels.

Ballast water is used to safely stabilize and operate shipping vessels worldwide, in a multitude of aquatic settings, including inland, coastal and open oceans. However, ballast water may pose ecological, public health, and/or economic problems as it may serve as vehicles of transmission of microorganisms. Current ballast water regulations include limits of Escherichia coli, Enterococcus spp. and toxigenic Vibrio cholerae. Several United States Environmental Protection Agency approved standard operating protocols (SOPs) exist for detection of E. coli and Enterococci, yet none exists for V. cholerae. Current V. cholerae detection methods include colony blot hybridization, direct fluorescent antibody test (DFA), and/or polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which can be time consuming and difficult to perform. This study utilizes Cholera SMART II to determine its potential use in detection of V. cholerae. Validation of this method would help provide quick and accurate analysis for V. cholerae in ballast discharge waters in the field.

Quantitative analyses of soft bottom invertebrate fauna from four Norwegian sill fjords show increased macrofaunal abundance, species richness, and a considerably changed benthic deep water macrofaunal composition in the inner parts of the fjord system. In retrospect, the analyses show significantly altered benthic macrofaunal community structure that was not reflected by the changes in the Shannon-Wiener diversity indices during regular monitoring. The observed changes are mainly due to an increased abundance of opportunistic species, especially of the polychaete Polydora sp. during the last 10–15 years which is correlated significantly to declining dissolved oxygen, rising temperature in the bottom water and increasing total organic matter in the sediment. Possible anthropogenic and climatic impact factors related to the observed macrofaunal changes and environmental consequences of the changes are discussed.

We conducted beach-cast debris transect surveys on Triangle Island, British Columbia, Canada in 2012–2017 to (1) establish a baseline against which to track future changes in stranded debris on this small, uninhabited island; and (2) time the arrival in western North America of debris released by the 2011 Tōhoku tsunami. Most (90%) of the six-year total of 6784 debris items tallied was composed of Styrofoam or plastic. The number of debris items peaked in 2014 (waste Styrofoam, rope) and 2015 (waste plastic, wood), and cumulative totals for all debris types were ca. 50% higher in 2014–15 than in 2012–13 and 2016–17. The peaks in 2014–15 probably represented the arrival of the bulk of the tsunami debris, based on close correspondence with forecasting models and debris surveys elsewhere. A fuller understanding of the movement of the Tōhoku tsunami debris will require information from other beach monitoring programs.

The goal of the present study was to verify the suitability of using melanomacrophage centres (MMCs) as response biomarkers of marine pollution in European anchovy, which are short-lived, migratory, small pelagic fish. This suitability was verified by analysing the MMC density and cytochrome P450 monooxygenase 1A (CYP1A) expression in livers of anchovies from four areas of southern Italy. Age 2 anchovies sampled from three areas exposed to pollutants of industrial/agricultural origin (Gulf of Gela, Mazara del Vallo and Gulf of Naples) showed liver areas occupied by MMCs and numbers of MMCs that were significantly higher than those in the anchovies from Pozzallo, which is a marine area not subjected to any source of pollution. Anti-CYP1A immunoreactivity was observed in the hepatocytes of all specimens sampled from the Gulf of Gela. These findings suggest the utility of liver MMCs as biomarkers of exposure to pollutants in this small pelagic fish.

This study presents a regional oil spill risk assessment and capacities for marine oil spill response in Korea. The risk assessment of oil spill is carried out using both causal factors and environmental/economic factors. The weight of each parameter is calculated using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). Final regional risk degrees of oil spill are estimated by combining the degree and weight of each existing parameter. From these estimated risk levels, oil recovery capacities were determined with reference to the recovery target of 7500kl specified in existing standards. The estimates were deemed feasible, and provided a more balanced distribution of resources than existing capacities set according to current standards.

To assess the spatial distribution and ecological risk assessment along the Red Sea coast, Saudi Arabia, 30 samples were collected for aluminum, chromium, copper, zinc, cadmium, lead, mercury, iron, cobalt, nickel and organic matter analysis. The descending order of metal concentrations was Al > Fe > Cr > Cu > Zn > Ni > Co > Pb > Hg > Cd. Average values of enrichment factor of Hg, Cd, Cu, Co, Cr, Ni, Pb and Zn were higher than 2 (209.50, 25.52, 20.36, 9.62, 7.28, 6.52, 6.21 and 6.07 respectively), which means anthropogenic sources of these metals. The average levels most of the studied metals were lower than those of the background shale and the earth crust and those recorded along most worldwide coasts, while the average values of zinc, copper, cobalt and nickel were higher than the values recorded from the Red Sea coast, the Gulf of Aqaba and some Caspian Sea coasts. The Duba bulk plant-Saudi Aramco, Duba refinery station and the tourist resort were the possible anthropogenic sources of pollutants in the southern part of the study area; and the landfilling, cement factory and Duba port and shipment operations in the central part, while the landfilling resulting from construction of the green Duba power plant and crowded fish boats were the possible sources in the northern part.

Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations were determined in surface sediments from three recreational marinas in San Diego Bay, California. Total PCB concentrations ranged from 23 to 153, 31–294, and 151–1387ngg−1 for Shelter Island Yacht Basin (SIYB), Harbor Island West (HW) and Harbor Island East (HE), respectively. PCB concentrations were significantly higher in HE and PCB group composition differed relative to HW and SIYB, which were not significantly different from each other in concentration or group composition. In marina sediments there was a predominance (82–85%) of heavier molecular weight PCBs with homologous groups (6CL-7CL) comprising 59% of the total. In HE 75% of the sites exceeded the effect range median (ERM), and toxicity equivalence (TEQ dioxin-like PCBs) values were higher relative to those of HW and SIYB, suggesting a potential ecotoxicological risk.