Coral, fish, plankton, and detritus samples were collected from coral reefs in Virgin Islands National Park (VIIS) and Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument (VICR) to assess existing contamination levels. Passive water sampling using polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS) and semi-permeable membrane devices found a few emerging pollutants of concern (DEET and galaxolide) and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons. Very little persistent organic chemical contamination was detected in the tissue or detritus samples. Detected contaminants were at concentrations below those reported to be harmful to aquatic organisms. Extracts from the POCIS were subjected to the yeast estrogen screen (YES) to assess potential estrogenicity of the contaminant mixture. Results of the YES (estrogen equivalency of 0.17–0.31ng/L 17-β-estradiol) indicated a low estrogenicity likelihood for contaminants extracted from water. Findings point to low levels of polar and non-polar organic contaminants in the bays sampled within VICR and VIIS.

The Northern San Jorge Gulf (NSJG) was designated Interjurisdictional Coastal Marine Park “Patagonia Austral” in 2008 with the objective of conserving biodiversity and natural resources. Metals released to the environment can be accumulated by organisms and can be toxic in some cases, making it necessary to evaluate their presence and biological risk. This study examined concentrations of Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Cr, Ni, Cd and Pb in intertidal sediments of the NSJG, and was the first study of its kind to be conducted in this area. Concentrations of all metals fell below biological risk levels. Anthropogenic enrichment was only found for Ni around the Aristizábal lighthouse and was attributed to the frequent oil spills that impact this particular area.

Emerging booster biocides contamination raises particular attention in the marine ecosystem health. This study provides the baseline data on the occurrence of Irgarol-1051 (2-methylthio-4-tert-butylamino-6-cyclopropylamiono-s-triazine) in the selected coastal water around Malaysia. The maximum detected concentration of Irgarol was 2021ng/L at Klang West, commercial and cargo port. Coral reef Islands (Redang and Bidong) were relatively less contaminated compared to other coastal areas. The temporal variation revealed that only 1% of 28 stations sampled on November, 2011 was above the environmental risk limit of 24ng/L as suggested by Dutch Authorities, while in January and April, 2012; 46% and 92% of the stations were above the limit respectively. The present findings demonstrate the wide detection of novel antifouling materials Irgarol-1051 which advocates the need for proper monitoring and conservation strategies for the coastal resources.

This study describes for the first time metal accumulation in the eyes of native golden grey mullet (Liza aurata) coupled with water/sediment quality assessment. Sampling was performed in the Tagus estuary (Portugal) where a confined area (Barreiro) is severely contaminated by metal/loids. Levels of As, Cu, Pb, Hg and Cd in sediments from Barreiro were one order of magnitude higher than those from the reference site. Data on water column pointed also to a higher availability of Cu, Pb, Cd and Hg (including MeHg) at Barreiro. Accordingly, fish eyes accumulated higher levels of metal/loids at Barreiro than at the reference site. These findings support the use of fish eyes as a target organ in environmental health assessment since they reflect sediment and water contamination. It points also to the importance of evaluate eye changes at structural/functional levels in order to examine in what extent accumulated metals could compromise this perceptive system.

Coastal areas of South China face great challenges due to heavy metal contamination caused by rapid urbanization and industrialization. In this paper, more than 90 articles on levels, distributions, and sources of heavy metals in sediments and organisms were collected to review the status of heavy metal pollution along coastal regions of South China. The results show that heavy metal levels were closely associated with local economic development. Hong Kong and the Pearl River Estuary were severely contaminated by heavy metals. However, concentrations of heavy metals in sediments from Hong Kong have continually decreased since the early 1990s. High levels of heavy metals were found in biota from Lingdingyang in Guangdong province. Mollusks had higher concentrations of heavy metals than other species. Human health risk assessments suggested that levels of heavy metals in some seafood from coastal areas of South China exceeded the safety limit.

The study aimed to determine the spatial distribution of n-alkanes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in surface sediments of the Segara Anakan nature reserve and their potential origins using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Total alkane concentrations ranged from 3755 to 129,027μgkg−1, and the concentrations of 16 PAHs ranged from 375 to 29,517μgkg−1. The ratios of specific n-alkanes (e.g., CPI24–34, WaxCn, and Paq), including a new proposed index, terrestrial–marine discriminant (TMD), as well as the ratios of selected PAHs (e.g., Ant/∑178, Fl/∑202, BaAnt/∑228, and IPyr/∑276), showed that the sources of hydrocarbons in the sediments were generally biogenic, including both terrigenous and marine, with an anthropogenic pyrolytic contribution (petrogenic and biogenic combustion). For the environmental risk assessment, a sediment quality guideline (SQGs) comparison indicated that the station risk levels ranged from low to medium-low, except for R6, which has a greater impact on the ecological risk for marine organisms.

South Florida’s watersheds have endured a century of urban and agricultural development and disruption of their hydrology. Spatial characterization of South Florida’s estuarine and coastal waters is important to Everglades’ restoration programs. We applied Factor Analysis and Hierarchical Clustering of water quality data in tandem to characterize and spatially subdivide South Florida’s coastal and estuarine waters. Segmentation rendered forty-four biogeochemically distinct water bodies whose spatial distribution is closely linked to geomorphology, circulation, benthic community pattern, and to water management. This segmentation has been adopted with minor changes by federal and state environmental agencies to derive numeric nutrient criteria.

The effects of anthropogenic underwater noise on marine life is of growing concern and assessment of impacts on marine life is often carried out using predictive underwater noise models to map zones of influence for marine species. However, these models do not predict how a species may react to that noise. In this paper, the results from a modified predictive underwater noise model and a hydrodynamic model are used in an individual based model (IBM) to predict the impacts on cod (Gadhus moruha) from noise generated during a pile driving event at an offshore wind farm in Liverpool Bay, UK. The model included cod which were sensitive to noise and those which were insensitive (‘deaf’). Fish movement was from the outer bay into the Dee Estuary, a known feeding ground. The IBM indicated that the cod which could hear took up to 7days longer to reach their destination than the cod which were deaf. This technique could be used during the consenting process for offshore projects to better understand the potential impact on marine species.

The oceans play a crucial role in the global environment and the sustainability of human populations, because of their involvement in climate regulation and provision of living and non-living resources to humans. Maintenance of healthy oceans in an era of increasing human pressure requires a high-level understanding of the processes occurring in the marine environment and the impacts of anthropogenic activities. Effective protection and sustainable resource management must be based, in part, on knowledge derived from successful research. Current marine research activities are being limited by a need for high-quality researchers capable of addressing critical issues in broad multidisciplinary research activities. This is particularly true for developing countries which will require the building of capacity for marine scientific research. This paper reviews the current activities aimed at increasing marine research capacity in developing and emerging countries and analyses the challenges faced, including: appropriate alignment of the research goals and societal and policy-relevant needs; training in multidisciplinary research; increasing capacity for overall synthesis of scientific data; building the capacity of technical staff; keeping highly qualified personnel in marine scientific research roles; cross-cultural issues in training; minimising duplication in training activities; improving linkages among human capital, project resources and infrastructure. Potential solutions to these challenges are provided, along with some priorities for action aimed at improving the overall research effort.

Birds are often the most numerous vertebrates damaged and rehabilitated in marine oil spills; however, the efficacy of avian rehabilitation is frequently debated and rarely examined experimentally. We compared survival of three radio-marked treatment groups, oiled, rehabilitated (ORHB), un-oiled, rehabilitated (RHB), and un-oiled, non-rehabilitated (CON), in an experimental approach to examine post-release survival of surf scoters (Melanitta perspicillata) following the 2007 M/V Cosco Busan spill in San Francisco Bay. Live encounter-dead recovery modeling indicated that survival differed among treatment groups and over time since release. The survival estimate (±SE) for ORHB was 0.143±0.107 compared to CON (0.498±0.168) and RHB groups (0.772±0.229), suggesting scoters tolerated the rehabilitation process itself well, but oiling resulted in markedly lower survival. Future efforts to understand the physiological effects of oil type and severity on scoters are needed to improve post-release survival of this species.