The study presents a baseline variability and climatology study of measured hydrodynamic, water properties and some water quality parameters of West Johor Strait, Singapore at hourly-to-seasonal scales to uncover their dependency and correlation to one or more drivers. The considered parameters include, but not limited by sea surface elevation, current magnitude and direction, solar radiation and air temperature, water temperature, salinity, chlorophyll-a and turbidity. FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) analysis is carried out for the parameters to delineate relative effect of tidal and weather drivers. The group and individual correlations between the parameters are obtained by principal component analysis (PCA) and cross-correlation (CC) technique, respectively. The CC technique also identifies the dependency and time lag between driving natural forces and dependent water property and water quality parameters. The temporal variability and climatology of the driving forces and the dependent parameters are established at the hourly, daily, fortnightly and seasonal scales.

A fungus, Aureobasidium pullulans, was isolated from marine biofilm and identified. A bioassay-guided fractionation procedure was developed to isolate and purify antifouling compounds from A. pullulans HN. The procedure was: fermentation broth—aeration and addition of sodium thiosulfate–graduated pH and liquid–liquid extraction—SPE purification—GC–MS analysis. Firstly, the fermentation broth was tested for its toxicity. Then it was treated with aeration and addition of sodium thiosulfate, and its toxicity was almost not changed. Lastly, antifouling compounds were extracted at different pH, the extract had high toxicity at pH 2 but almost no toxicity at pH 10, which suggested the toxicants should be fatty acids. The EC50 of the extract against Skeletonema costatum was 90.9μgml−1, and its LC50 against Balanus amphitrete larvae was 22.2μgml−1. After purified by HLB SPE column, the EC50 of the extract against S. costatum was 49.4μgml−1. The myristic and palmitic acids were found as the main toxicants by GC–MS.

Aqueous concentrations of individual polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were determined in coastal sites of two marine protected areas (MPAs), that is, Asinara and the La Maddalena Archipelago, in Sardinia (Western Mediterranean Sea). The use of semi-permeable membrane devices (SPMDs) enabled the detection of dissolved PAHs and PCBs, even in very low concentrations of (pgL−1), in seawater. The results reveal significant differences between the two sampling areas relative to the concentration of the individual PAHs, which provide information concerning the pollution sources affecting relatively pristine environments. The PCBs were generally observed at levels below the detection limits of the utilised method.

The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) region of Queensland, Australia, encompasses a complex and diverse array of tropical marine ecosystems of global significance. The region is also a World Heritage Area and largely within one of the world’s best managed marine protected areas. However, a recent World Heritage Committee report drew attention to serious governance problems associated with the management of ports and shipping. We review the impacts of ports and shipping on biodiversity in the GBR, and propose a series of guiding principles to improve the current governance arrangements. Implementing these principles will increase the capacity of decision makers to minimize the impacts of ports and shipping on biodiversity, and will provide certainty and clarity to port operators and developers. A ‘business as usual’ approach could lead to the GBR’s inclusion on the List of World Heritage in Danger in 2014.

This study assessed the impact of secondary hard substrate, as being introduced into marine ecosystems by the establishment of wind farm pillars, on the occurrence and distribution of the moon jelly Aurelia aurita in the southwestern Baltic Sea. A two-year data sampling was conducted with removable settlement plates to assess the distribution and population development of the scyphozoan polyps. The data collected from these samples were used to set up a model with Lagrangian particle technique. The results confirm that anthropogenic created hard substrate (e.g. offshore wind farms) has the potential to increase the abundance of the A. aurita population. The distribution of wind farm borne jellyfish along Danish, German and Polish coasts indicates conflicts with further sectors, mainly energy and tourism.

This paper proposes and tests a method of producing macrobenthos habitat potential maps in Hwangdo tidal flat, Korea based on an artificial neural network. Samples of macrobenthos were collected during field work, and eight control factors were compiled as a spatial database from remotely sensed data and GIS analysis. The macrobenthos habitat potential maps were produced using an artificial neural network model. Macrobenthos habitat potential maps were made for Macrophthalmus dilatatus, Cerithideopsilla cingulata, and Armandia lanceolata. The maps were validated by compared with the surveyed habitat locations. A strong correlation between the potential maps and species locations was revealed. The validation result showed average accuracies of 74.9%, 78.32%, and 73.27% for M. dilatatus, C. cingulata, and A. lanceolata, respectively. A GIS-based artificial neural network model combined with remote sensing techniques is an effective tool for mapping the areas of macrobenthos habitat potential in tidal flats.

Some planktonic groups suffer negative effects from ocean acidification (OA), although copepods might be less sensitive. We investigated the effect of predicted CO2 levels (range 480–750ppm), on egg production and hatching success of two copepod species, Centropages typicus and Temora longicornis. In these short-term incubations there was no significant effect of high CO2 on these parameters. Additionally a very high CO2 treatment, (CO2=9830ppm), representative of carbon capture and storage scenarios, resulted in a reduction of egg production rate and hatching success of C. typicus, but not T. longicornis. In conclusion, reproduction of C. typicus was more sensitive to acute elevated seawater CO2 than that of T. longicornis, but neither species was affected by exposure to CO2 levels predicted for the year 2100. The duration and seasonal timing of exposures to high pCO2, however, might have a significant effect on the reproduction success of calanoid copepods.

Selected heavy metals (Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) in surface sediments from the coastal Shandong Peninsula (Yellow Sea) have been determined to evaluate the spatial distribution and potential ecological risk. Results showed that heavy metal concentrations in the sediments generally met the criteria of China Marine Sediment Quality. However, both the enrichment factor (EF) and geoaccumulation index (Igeo) values suggested the elevation of Pb concentration in the region. Based on the effect-range classification (TEL-PEL SQGs), Cr, Cu and Ni were likely to pose environment risks. Spatial distribution of ecotoxicological index (mean-PEL-quotient) suggested that most of the surface sediments have a 21% probability of being toxic. Similar results were also obtained by pollution load index (PLI). The spatial distribution pattern of heavy metal in surface sediments is a basis for undertaking appropriate action to protect marine sediment quality.

A size and distance-based technique was used to assess the distribution, abundance and composition of floating marine debris in the northeast Indian Ocean. Densities of floating litter (>1cm) were greater and more variable in the Straits of Malacca (578±219itemskm−2) than in oceanic waters of the Bay of Bengal (8.8±1.4itemskm−2). The density of debris in the Straits was correlated with terrestrial vegetation, and peaked close to urban centres, indicating the predominance of land-based sources. In the Bay of Bengal, debris density increased north of 17°N mainly due to small fragments probably carried in run-off from the Ganges Delta. The low densities in the Bay of Bengal relative to model predictions may result from biofouling-induced sinking and wind-driven export of debris items. Standardised data collection protocols are needed for counts of floating debris, particularly as regards the size classes used, to facilitate comparisons among studies.

This study describes the spatial evolution of the hydrogeochemical parameters which characterise a strongly affected estuary by Acid Mine Drainage (AMD). The studied estuarine system receives AMD from the Iberian Pyrite Belt (SW Spain) and, simultaneously, is affected by the presence of an industrial chemical complex. Water sampling was performed in the year of 2008, comprising four sampling campaigns, in order to represent seasonality. The results show how the estuary can be divided into three areas of different behaviour in response to hydrogeochemical variables concentrations that define each sampling stations: on one hand, an area dominated by tidal influence; in the opposite end there is a second area including the points located in the two rivers headwaters that are not influenced by seawater; finally there is the area that can be defined as mixing zone. These areas are moved along the hydrological year due to seasonal chemical variations.