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.

Marine hypoxic episodes are affecting both marine and freshwater bodies all over the world. Yet, limited data exists with regard to the effects of decreasing oxygen on protist metabolism. Three ciliate species were therefore isolated from Hong Kong coastal waters. Controlled hypoxic conditions were simulated in the lab environment, during which time growth, respiration and grazing rates were measured. Euplotes sp. and a Oxytrichidae-like ciliate showed decreased growth and respiration below 2.5mgO2L−1, however Uronema marinum kept steady growth and respiration until below 1.5mgO2L−1. Euplotes sp. and the Oxytrichidae-like ciliate had the highest ingestion rate, which dropped significantly below 3.0mgO2L−1. U.marinum grazing rates were affected at and below 1.5mg O2L−1, correlating with their drop in growth and respiration at this lower concentration. This study illustrates the slowing metabolism of key grazing protists, as well as species-specific tolerance in response to hypoxia.

We investigated effects of severe hypoxia (dissolved oxygen <1mll−1) on recruitment of mantis shrimp Oratosquilla oratoria in Tokyo Bay. Ten-year field surveys were conducted to examine quantitative relationships in annual mean densities of larvae and juveniles, and spatial distribution of juveniles and severe hypoxia. There was no significant correlation between annual mean densities of larvae and juveniles, suggesting that mortality during larval or juvenile stages varies among years, which might have regulated abundance of young-of-the-year juveniles. Juvenile density was low in the severely hypoxic area, implying that hypoxia could affect survivals and spatial distribution of juveniles. Meanwhile, there are yearly fluctuations in juvenile density in normoxic areas of both northern and southern part of the bay. This evidence suggests that abundance of post-settled juveniles might have been determined by not only effects of hypoxia, but also other factors influencing mortality during the early life stages.

Species composition and abundance of dinocysts in relation to environmental factors were studied at 123 stations of surface sediment in Bizerte Lagoon. Forty-eight dinocyst types were identified, mainly dominated by Brigantidinium simplex, Votadinum spinosum, Alexandrium pseudogonyaulax, Alexandrium catenella, and Lingulodinum machaerophorum along with many round brown cysts and spiny round brown cysts. Cysts ranged from 1276 to 20126cystsg−1dry weight sediment. Significant differences in cyst distribution pattern were recorded among the zones, with a higher cyst abundance occurring in the lagoon’s inner areas. Redundancy analyses showed two distinct associations of dinocysts according to location and environmental variables. Ballast water discharges are potential introducers of non-indigenous species, especially harmful ones such as A. catenella and Polysphaeridium zoharyi, with currents playing a pivotal role in cyst distribution. Findings concerning harmful cyst species indicate potential seedbeds for initiation of future blooms and outbreaks of potentially toxic species in the lagoon.

A comparative study of 23 PAH congeners in sediment of the Caspian Sea coast and Anzali Wetland was conducted in 2010. Surface sediment was analyzed using chromatography and mass spectrometry. Total PAH concentrations ranged between 212 and 9009ngg−1dw. Spatial distribution maps revealed that PAH levels were higher in the coastal areas of the Caspian Sea where oil related activities have been common since 1800’s. Diagnostic ratios analysis indicated that PAHs largely originated from petrogenic processes. PAH toxicity level was assessed using sediment quality guidelines and toxic equivalent concentrations to determine toxic effects on marine organism. Based on these investigations, in our study areas, the probability of toxicity for benthic organisms is “low to medium”. The toxic equivalent concentrations of carcinogenic PAHs varied between 11 and 231ng TEQ/g; higher total toxic equivalent concentrations values were found in the coastal areas of the Caspian Sea.

The concentration of carcinogenic poly aromatic hydrocarbons (c-PAHs) present in water and sediment of Klang Strait as well as in the edible tissue of blood cockle (Anadara granosa) was investigated.The human health risk of c-PAHs was assessed in accordance with the standards of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). The cancer risks of c-PAHs to human are expected to occur through the consumption of blood cockles or via gastrointestinal exposure to polluted sediments and water in Kalng Strait. The non-carcinogenic risks that are associated with multiple pathways based on ingestion rate and contact rates with water were higher than the US EPA safe level at almost all stations, but the non-carcinogenic risks for eating blood cockle was below the level of US EPA concern. A high correlation between concentrations of c-PAHs in different matrices showed that the bioaccumulation of c-PAHs by blood cockles could be regarded as a potential health hazard for the consumers.

This study provides a descriptive analysis of the North Male, Maldives seven years after the 1998 bleaching disturbance to determine the state of the coral community composition, the recruitment community, evidence for recovery, and adaptation to thermal stress. Overall, hard coral cover recovered at a rate commonly reported in the literature but with high spatial variability and shifts in taxonomic composition. Massive Porites, Pavona, Synarea, and Goniopora were unusually common in both the recruit and adult communities. Coral recruitment was low and some coral taxa, namely Tubipora, Seriatopora, and Stylophora, were rarer than expected. A study of the bleaching response to a thermal anomaly in 2005 indicated that some taxa, including Leptoria, Platygyra, Favites, Fungia, Hydnophora, and Galaxea astreata, bleached as predicted while others, including Acropora, Pocillopora, branching Porites, Montipora, Stylophora, and Alveopora, bleached less than predicted. This indicates variable-adaptation potentials among the taxa and considerable potential for ecological reorganization of the coral community.

The region of Southern Bohai Sea (SBS) and Yellow Sea (YS) represents one of the best examples of large river-dominated ocean margins. The transport and accumulation of sediments played a primary role in distribution of the lipids in the region and could lead to a preferential accumulation of these more refractory land-based lipids. The spatial distribution of total organic carbon (TOC) matched with the lipid distributions over the shelf, and high TOC presented in the central YS, but TOC burial fluxes decreased from 110ton/km2/yr of SBS to 25–32ton/km2/yr of YS. Good correlations were observed between terrestrial n-alkanes and TOC in the sediments of SBS and northern YS, but they were poor for southern YS, meanwhile higher ratios of nC27+nC29+nC31/nC15+nC17+nC19 (12±6) were observed in SBS, and lower in YS (2.2±1.0), suggesting the Yellow River discharge was an important source of terrestrial organic matter to the shelf.

Metro rail has been introduced in Delhi in 2002 to provide alternative mode of public transportation. The introduction of metro rail has resulted in passenger ridership shift from road based transport to metro rail. In order to estimate the emissions (CO, HC, NOx, PM and CO2), metro rail ridership has been converted to equivalent number of on–road vehicles which otherwise would have been playing in the absence of mass rapid transit system. The emission estimation for the year 2006 and 2011 corresponding to the completion of phase I and phase II of Delhi metro rail has been made using emission and deterioration factor(s) for different category and vintage of vehicles. The sensitivity analysis has been carried out to assess the influence of different combination of input parameters such as modal shift, engine technology, and fuel type on emissions. In addition, CO2 emissions saved due to shifting of motor vehicle ridership to metro rail has been estimated and compared with the CO2 produced (off–site) due to electricity consumption by Delhi metro rail for its various operations. The findings indicate that present modal shift scenario does not yield CO2 benefits. However, it is expected that with the increase in metro ridership, changes in modal shift and energy conservation initiatives by Delhi metro, CO2 emission saving could be possible.

In this study we present an analysis of spatio–temporal variability of monthly averaged Vertical Tropospheric Columns (VTCs) of NO2 over Pakistan using OMI (ozone monitoring instrument) dataset from December 2004 to November 2008. The results have shown significant spatial and temporal variability of NO2 column values over the study region. Four NO2 hotspots and a high density corridor were identified within the study region. The main sources of NO2 emissions in these areas were also investigated. During the study period, an average value of NO2 was observed to be 1.102±0.081×1015 molecules/cm2, with an increasing trend of 3.29% per year. Twin cities of Islamabad/Rawalpindi, Lahore, Dera Ghazi Khan and Karachi have shown positive trends of 44.10%, 23.48%, 31.40%, and 32.32% per year respectively. Karachi has shown the highest and the lowest mean monthly average values of 11.33×1015 molecules/cm2 and 0.98×1015 molecules/cm2 respectively. Air mass trajectories for hotspot regions have been used to track possible long–range transport of NO2.