Beaches are fundamental habitats that regulate the functioning of several coastal processes and key areas contributing to national and local budgets. In this study we provide the first large-scale systematic survey of anthropogenic litter on Brazilian beaches, covering a total of 35 degrees of latitude, recording the litter type, its use and size. Plastic comprised the most abundant litter type, followed by cigarette butts and paper. Small pieces (<5 cm) were dominant among litter size-classes and food-related use was associated to most litter recorded types. Generalized additive models showed that proximity to estuarine run-offs was the main driver to beach litter accumulation, reinforcing river drainages as the primary route of litter coastal pollution. Also, the Clean-Coast Index evidenced there was not a pattern of beach litter pollution among regions, which denotes that actions regarding marine pollution must be taken by all state governances of the country.

The release of oil and gas at Mississippi Canyon Block 20 into the Gulf of Mexico has vexed response officials since 2004 when a regional seafloor failure toppled the Taylor Energy Company platform. Despite the completion of nine intervention wells, releases continue from the seafloor, mostly captured by a recently installed containment system. Toward informing resolution, this work applies chemical forensic and statistical analyses to surface sheens, sediments, and reservoir oil samples. Our results indicate sheens are chemically heterogeneous, contain remnant synthetic hydrocarbons likely discharged from well interventions prior to 2012, and require mixing of multiple chemically-distinct oil groups to explain observed variability in diagnostic ratios. Given the respite and opportunity afforded by containment we suggest leveraging ongoing collection activities to assess release dynamics, as well as engaging the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, to evaluate potential solutions, associated risks, and to consider policy ramifications.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The direct radiative effect of brown carbon (BrC) absorption predicated by climate-modeling studies is highly uncertain, with values ranging between +0.03 W/m² and + 0.57 W/m². This review strives to identify sources of this uncertainty stemming from challenges in translating measurements into model inputs and to draw lessons from recent advances that lead to improved BrC representation in models. RECENT FINDINGS: Previously thought to absorb only short-visible and UV light, BrC was recently shown to comprise components that are strongly absorptive in the mid- and long-visible wavelengths, with light-absorption efficiencies approaching that of black carbon. The classic picture of biomass and biofuel combustion being the major sources of atmospheric BrC still holds, with recent measurements indicating a strong correlation between BrC optical properties and combustion conditions. Other combustion sources of BrC, currently not accounted for in models, include low-efficiency coal combustion and ship engines utilizing heavy fuel oil. Gas-phase, aqueous, and particle-phase reactions in the atmosphere produce secondary BrC and bleach/darken the primary BrC. Climate-modeling studies revealed that predicted BrC radiative effects are sensitive to the assumed optical properties and atmospheric aging mechanisms. BrC can be grouped into four optical classes, each separated by an order of magnitude in mid-visible light absorption. The classes are approximately mapped to BrC sources, with secondary BrC being the least absorbing and BrC from high-temperature combustion the most absorbing. There is evidence that each class exhibits characteristic physicochemical properties (molecular size, volatility, and solubility), which can be leveraged to design measurements that quantify distributions of BrC across classes as well as rates of photobleaching/darkening for each class. Utilizing this framework to develop BrC parameterizations promises to enhance its representation in climate models.

In order to maintain the hydraulic outflow in land reclaimed canalizations, the competent agencies provide to mechanically mow the Giant Reed (Arundo donax, L. 1753) along the aquatic ecosystem banks. Nevertheless, the reeds mowed can be transported away from the waters following storm surges and can be deposited in large quantities along the sandy beaches. We carried out a stratified study in a Mediterranean sandy beach to test the hypothesis that Giant Reed wrack may act as a sink and barrier for plastic beach litter. We observed a large amount of plastic litter entrapped in the Arundo donax wrack (density of 0.868 items/m²), with a higher density when compared to both the inner and the shoreline belts. Density of litter is significantly higher considering the categories of meso- and micro-plastics. Organic macrophyte wrack is useful for dunal macrodetritivorous invertebrates and generally for fauna communities, which use this litter as refuge and trophic pabulum. Significant accumulations of organic wrack can mitigate coastal erosion; nevertheless, for its structural characteristics, Arundo wrack can also act as a barrier for litter towards the inner vegetated dunes, so entrapping a large amount of anthropogenic litter. In this regard, Arundo wrack can represent a sink habitat, first attracting (due to large availability of detritus with a relative high rate of decomposition) and then, entrapping many organisms in anthropogenic litter. We suggest that, once mechanically mowed, the land reclaimed agencies should periodically remove from the channel banks the Arundo donax reeds, impeding the accumulation of incoherent vegetated matter along the aquatic ecosystem banks.

The Integrated Nitrogen CAtchments (INCA-N) model was applied to identify the sources and processes controlling riverine nitrogen (N) export in the Jiulong River watershed, coastal China. Future riverine N exports were simulated under various scenarios of climate and land-use changes. The modeling results showed good agreement between the observed and simulated values of streamflow, N concentrations, and loads. It was revealed that fertilizer application, atmospheric N deposition, and sewage discharges were the main N sources, while the primary N cycling processes included soil nitrification, soil denitrification, and N leaching. Nitrate-N exports were predominantly impacted by climate change, whereas ammonium-N exports were more affected by land-use change. The coupled effects of climate and land-use changes were projected to amplify nitrogen export by 30%, 36%, and 36% for nitrate-N and 32%, 48%, and 71% for ammonium-N during the years for 2030s, 2050s, and 2080s, respectively.

Attention on port waters is increasing since these economically important infrastructures are embedded in the coastal environment and their management needs to be considered in the monitoring programmes of coastal ecosystems. To implement the sustainable development (blue growth) of port areas, a general knowledge on the ongoing processes in their waters needs to be obtained, considering both abiotic and biotic variables. The present study aimed at inspecting the relationships among plankton components to provide insights into the ecology of ports. Seasonal samplings were carried out in three Mediterranean touristic ports where bacterio-, phyto- and zoo-plankton were simultaneously assessed at a large spatial scale and compared with respect to environmental variables and anthropogenic inputs. Factor analysis revealed the effects of load of inland waters, seasonality, water turbulence and hydrocarbon pollution on the planktonic components and zooplankton variability in port sectors characterized by different depths and uses.

The Conwy estuary was evaluated for sediment quality. Microtox bioassay revealed 38 of 39 sites were non-toxic. Hg ranged from 0.001 to 0.153 μg kg⁻¹, mean 0.026 mg kg⁻¹, Σ16 PAH from 18 to 1578 μg kg⁻¹, mean 269 μg kg⁻¹, Σ22 PAH, 18 to 1871 μg kg⁻¹ mean to 312 μg kg⁻¹, two sites had high perylene relative to ΣPAH. Σ22PAH correlated positively with TOC, clay and silt (R² 0.89, 0.92, 0.90) and negatively with sand. Multivariate statistics, delineated four spatial (site) and five variable (measurements) clusters. Spatial clustering relates to sediment grain size, in response to hydrodynamic processes in estuary; fine (clay to silt) sized sediments exhibit the highest Hg and PAH content, because these components partitioned into the fine fraction. Comparison to national and international environmental standards suggests Hg and PAH content of Conwy sediments are unlikely to harm ecology or transfer up into the human food chain.

We investigated differences in the feeding habits of the starspotted smooth-hound, Mustelus manazo, in Tokyo Bay between the mid-1990s (low stock size) and the late 2000s (high stock size). The frequency of M. manazo with empty stomachs increased from 5.9% in the mid-1990s to 16.1% in the late 2000s. A decrease in the relative weight of the stomach contents was evident from the mid-1990s to the late 2000s, especially in the small size classes, along with changes in the species composition in the stomach contents. Although crustaceans were the main constituents of the stomach contents, the proportion of crabs increased while those of shrimps and hermit crabs decreased. Changes in the feeding habits of M. manazo may be associated with shifts in the benthic community structure in Tokyo Bay.

In the brackish water Baltic Sea, oil pollution is an ever-present and significant environmental threat mainly due to the continuously increasing volume of oil transport in the area. In this study, effects of exposure to crude oil on two common Baltic Sea species, the mussel Mytilus trossulus and the amphipod Gammarus oceanicus, were investigated. The species were exposed for various time periods (M. trossulus 4, 7, and 14 days, G. oceanicus 4 and 11 days) to three oil concentrations (0.003, 0.04, and 0.30 mg L−1 based on water measurements, nominally aimed at 0.015, 0.120, and 0.750 mg L−1) obtained by mechanical dispersion (oil droplets). Biological effects of oil exposure were examined using a battery of biomarkers consisting of enzymes of the antioxidant defense system (ADS), lipid peroxidation, phase II detoxification (glutathione S-transferase), neurotoxicity (acetylcholinesterase inhibition), and geno- and cytotoxicity (micronuclei and other nuclear deformities). In mussels, the results on biomarker responses were examined in connection with data on the tissue accumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). In M. trossulus, during the first 4 days of exposure the accumulation of all PAHs in the two highest exposure concentrations was high and was thereafter reduced significantly. Significant increase in ADS responses was observed in M. trossulus at 4 and 7 days of exposure. At day 14, significantly elevated levels of geno- and cytotoxicity were detected in mussels. In G. oceanicus, the ADS responses followed a similar pattern to those recorded in M. trossulus at day 4; however, in G. oceanicus, the elevated ADS response was still maintained at day 11. Conclusively, the results obtained show marked biomarker responses in both study species under conceivable, environmentally realistic oil-in-seawater concentrations during an oil spill, and in mussels, they are related to the observed tissue accumulation of oil-derived compounds.

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