The Water Framework Directive uses the “one-out, all-out” principle in assessing water bodies (i.e., the worst status of the elements used in the assessment determines the final status of the water body). In this study, we assessed the ecological status of two coastal lakes in Italy. Indices for all biological quality elements used in transitional waters from the Italian legislation and other European countries were employed and compared. Based on our analyses, the two lakes require restoration, despite the lush harbor seagrass beds, articulated macrobenthic communities and rich fish fauna. The “one-out, all-out” principle tends to inflate Type I errors, i.e., concludes that a water body is below the “good” status even if the water body actually has a “good” status. This may cause additional restoration costs where they are not necessarily needed. The results from this study strongly support the need for alternative approaches to the “one-out, all-out” principle.

Massive green algae blooms became an environmental disaster in the Yellow Sea from 2008 to 2013. Recent studies suggested that recurrences of early aggregates of macroalgae were found over the Subei Bank, a unique shallow radial sand ridge system off the Jiangsu coast, China. Yearly field surveys have been carried out over this bank during the past five years (2009–2013), with an aim at identifying and qualifying the physical–biological mechanism for the early aggregation of algae. Data synthesis showed that early aggregation of macroalgae usually occurred from April–May as small-scale patches either over the intertidal mudflat of the Subei Bank or along local isobaths in the northern coastal area north of the bank. Both hydrographic and current measurements were performed by tracking a narrow patchy area of floating macroalgae (nearly 4km in length and 5–10m in width) on April 26, 2013, and the results showed that the algae aggregation was mainly caused by tide-induced convergence. This convergence was produced by the local geometrically controlled interaction of tidal currents with mudflats, which is believed to be a key physical mechanism for the early development of algal blooms in addition to marine ecosystem responses and human aquaculture activities.

Ultrafine particle size distribution data were collected in downtown Toronto and rural Egbert from May 2007 to May 2008. Particle formation events were observed in both locations and contributed to increased concentrations of particles less than 25nm in diameter. These events were more frequent in spring and fall and rarely occurred in winter. Stronger solar radiation and drier air were correlated with the occurrence of formation events at both locations. Nucleation events occurred simultaneously at both sites on 10% of the days, and these events involved a shared air mass. Half of these simultaneous events were associated with northern air masses and only a quarter with southerly air masses. The higher loading of aged particles in southerly air masses transported from upwind industrial sectors appeared to limit the occurrence of nucleation events. Formation events occurred less frequently in downtown Toronto than at the rural site, and the frequency was lower on weekdays. It is hypothesized that vehicular emissions were responsible for the suppression of nucleation events in downtown Toronto.

The impact of pond aquaculture effluents on the distribution and performance of seagrasses was examined in NE Hainan, tropical China. Samples were taken along transects in three back-reef areas with different extent of aquaculture production in their hinterland. High δ15N in seagrass leaves and epiphytes (6–9‰) similar to values in pond effluents documented aquaculture as dominant nitrogen source in the back-reefs with decreasing impact with distance from shore. Seagrass species abundance, shoot density and biomass were lower and concentrations of nutrients, chlorophyll and suspended matter were higher at nearshore sites with high and moderate pond abundance than at the control site. High epiphyte loads and low δ34S in seagrass leaves suggest temporal shading and sulphide poisoning of the nearshore seagrasses. Observed gradients in environmental parameters and seagrass performance indicate that the distance from the pond outlets and size of the adjacent pond agglomeration are major determinants of seagrass degradation.

The continuing degradation of coral reefs has serious consequences for the provision of ecosystem goods and services to local and regional communities. While climate change is considered the most serious risk to coral reefs, agricultural pollution threatens approximately 25% of the total global reef area with further increases in sediment and nutrient fluxes projected over the next 50years. Here, we aim to inform coral reef management using insights learned from management examples that were successful in reducing agricultural pollution to coastal ecosystems. We identify multiple examples reporting reduced fluxes of sediment and nutrients at end-of-river, and associated declines in nutrient concentrations and algal biomass in receiving coastal waters. Based on the insights obtained, we recommend that future protection of coral reef ecosystems demands policy focused on desired ecosystem outcomes, targeted regulatory approaches, up-scaling of watershed management, and long-term maintenance of scientifically robust monitoring programs linked with adaptive management.

The Ulsan metropolitan city in Korea includes two national industrial complexes [Ulsan Petrochemical Industrial Complex (UPIC) and On–San Industrial Complex (OSIC)] that produce various industrial products. Air pollution from these industrial complexes may pose potential health risks to nearby residential areas. Therefore, WRF–CALPUFF (Weather Research and Forecasting–California PUFF) modeling systems were used to simulate concentration distributions of typical air pollutants (PM10 and SO2), and statistics are computed to determine the models' ability to simulate observations. Finally, we classified the type of business and districts in the region and evaluated their contribution to air pollutant concentrations. Five statistical metrics [Index of Agreement (IOA), Fractional Bias (FB), Normalized Mean Square Error (NMSE), and Pearson correlation coefficient (R)] indicated that the simulated values using CALMET was determined to have sufficient reliability to predict CALPUFF, and simulated concentration field using CALPUFF showed a good agreement [typical values: IOA (0.284 to 0.850 for PM10, 0.412 to 0.895 for SO2), and FB (0.043 to 0.821 for PM10, –0.393 to 0.638 for SO2)] with the observed concentrations. The maximum concentrations of PM10 and SO2 using CALPUFF were predicted to be located around OSIC and UPIC, respectively. We compared the simulated values with observed values at 14 monitoring stations, and the SO2 tended to display better agreement to observed SO2 values than modeled and observed PM10. The source contribution analysis found that PM10 and SO2 were mostly influenced by group B (35.1%) including steel, machinery, and electronic industry nearby OSIC and group A (40.6%) including chemical industry nearby UPIC, respectively. Finally, the correlations between simulated concentrations of PM10 and SO2 and corresponding emission quantities were 0.663 and 0.528, respectively. Overall, the results of this study could be useful for designing appropriate seasonal regulations to reduce ambient concentrations of air pollutants and assisting environmental administrators to control the sources that contribute the most to degradation of air quality.

Total organic carbon (TOC) (in sediment) and dissolved organic matter (DOM) (in water column) play important roles in controlling the mercury sequestration process by the sediments from the central east coast of India. This toxic metal prefers to associate with finer size particles (silt and clay) of sediments. Increasing concentrations of DOM in overlying water column may increase complexation/reduction processes of Hg2+ within the water column and decrease the process of Hg sequestration by sediments. However, high concentrations of DOM in water column may increase Hg sequestration process by sediments.

Bonaire is considered to harbor some of the best remaining coral reefs of the Caribbean, but faces multiple pressures including eutrophication. We measured multiple water quality indicators twice annually, from November 2011 to May 2013, at 11 locations at the west coast of Bonaire. This study resulted in 834 data points. DIN concentrations ranged from below quantification to 2.69μmol/l, phosphate from below quantification to 0.16μmol/l, and chlorophyll-a from 0.02 to 0.42μg/l. Several indicators showed signs of eutrophication, with spatial and temporal effects. At southern and urban locations threshold levels of nitrogen were exceeded. This can be a result of brine leaching into sea from salt works and outflow of sewage water. Chlorophyll-a showed an increase in time, and phosphorus seemed to show a similar trend. These eutrophication indicators are likely to exceed threshold levels in near future if the observed trend continues. This is a cause for concern and action.

We explore the possibilities for spontaneous formation of surface patches with high concentrations of contaminants through time correlations of the convergence field and the Lagrangian transport. The test area is the Gulf of Finland, the Baltic Sea, where surface velocity fields show extensive convergence. The flow properties are extracted from 3D velocity fields simulated for 1987–1991 using the OAAS model with a resolution of 1mile. The focus is on the spatial distribution of the areas in which the values of finite-time flow compressibility of surface velocity fields exceed the threshold for clustering of floats. The distribution of such areas is asymmetric, with likely areas of patch formation located predominantly in the southern and eastern regions of the gulf. Out of nine areas of likely patch formation, six are located along the coast in regions of frequent downwelling, while three are identified in the central region of the gulf.

Thirteen sites in Deception Bay, Queensland, Australia were sampled three times over a period of 7months and assessed for contamination by a range of heavy metals, primarily As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb and Hg. Fraction analysis, enrichment factors and Principal Components Analysis–Absolute Principal Component Scores (PCA–APCS) analysis were conducted in order to identify the potential bioavailability of these elements of concern and their sources. Hg and Te were identified as the elements of highest enrichment in Deception Bay while marine sediments, shipping and antifouling agents were identified as the sources of the Weak Acid Extractable Metals (WE-M), with antifouling agents showing long residence time for mercury contamination. This has significant implications for the future of monitoring and regulation of heavy metal contamination within Deception Bay.