This study established wetland microcosms that were either unplanted or planted in monoculture with native mangrove species in Taiwan (Avicennia marina, Rhizophora stylosa, and Lumnitzera racemosa) for the purpose of receiving high-salinity mariculture effluents; additionally, the microcosms operated at different hydraulic retention times (HRTs). Plant growth and the performance of the microcosms with respect to pollutant removal were investigated. The results showed that seedlings of all three mangrove species survived and grew sufficiently well under continuous flooding. The presence of mangroves consistently improved SS, BOD₅, and TP removal, particularly under short HRT conditions. The mangrove microcosms removed pollutants from the mariculture effluents with efficiencies of 5.7–27.1% (SS), 4.9–36.3% (BOD₅), 18.7–29.9% (TP), 21.2–49.8% (NH₄-N), and 5.4–37.7% (NOₓ-N). A. marina and L. racemosa were more tolerant of continuous flooding than R. stylosa. However, no species displayed consistently superior performance in decreasing all pollutant-related parameters investigated. For all pollutants, microcosms operating at a 2-d HRT exhibited a higher removal efficiency than those operating at a 0.5-d HRT.

Whilst the potential impact on beach users from microorganisms in water has received considerable attention, there has been relatively little investigation into microbial contaminants in sand. Thirty three beaches across Portugal were analyzed during a five year period (2006–2010) to determine the presence of yeasts, pathogenic fungi, dermatophytes, total coliforms, Escherichia coli and intestinal enterococci in sand. Our results showed that 60.4% of the samples were positive for fungi and that 25.2% were positive for the bacterial parameters. The most frequent fungal species found were Candida sp. and Aspergillus sp., whereas intestinal enterococci were the most frequently isolated bacteria. Positive associations were detected among analyzed parameters and country-regions but none among those parameters and sampling period. Regarding threshold values, we propose 15cfu/g for yeasts, 17cfu/g for potential pathogenic fungi, 8cfu/g for dermatophytes. Eighty four cfu/g for coliforms, 250cfu/g for E. coli, and 100cfu/g for intestinal enterococci.

Scallop dredging grounds in the Firth of Lorn, western Scotland, are juxtaposed with rocky reef habitats raising concerns that reef communities may be impacted by sediment disturbed by nearby scallop dredging. A particle-tracking model of sediment transport and settling is applied at two scales. In the near-field, a suspension of typical sand/gravel-dominated bed sediment is subjected to a steady current across the dredge track. In the far-field, silt particles, which may persist in suspension for multiple tidal cycles, are tracked in the context of a regional model of tidally-driven flow. The principal sedimentary risk to reef habitats is predicted to come from settling sand particles when dredge tracks approach within tens of metres of a reef. The cumulative effect of dredging at the relatively low intensities recorded in this region is not expected to have a significant long-term impact on suspended silt concentrations and settlement in this highly dispersive environment.

Halogenated natural products (HNPs) are frequently detected in marine organisms. High HNP concentrations have previously been found in marine mammals from the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, including in the blubber of herbivorous dugongs (Dugong dugon). To identify the source of HNPs we initially focused on the analysis of Australian seagrass (Halophila ovalis) which serves as the principal food source for dugongs. GC/MS analysis of the seagrass indicated the presence of several organobromine compounds. One compound was identified as 2,3,4,5-tetrabromo-1-methylpyrrole (TBMP) by synthesis. Subsequent analysis of semipermeable membrane devices demonstrated that the photo-sensitive TBMP is widespread in the Great Barrier Reef (Queensland, Australia). The detection of larger TBMP concentrations in fish fillets from Chile and traces in mussels from New Zealand indicated that this potential HNP may be distributed throughout the Southern Pacific Ocean.

Concentrations of Zn, Cd and Pb were measured in muscle of pelagic, demersal and benthic fishes, captured in the coastal area adjoining the Tagus estuary (Portugal), in 1998 and 2010. Additionally, Pb and Cd were determined in estuarine waters, showing a pronounced decrease between 1999 and 2010. Accordingly, specimens captured in 2010 presented significantly lower metal concentrations than individuals caught in 1998. Reductions were more evident for Pb (reduction of 59–99%) than for Cd (14–93%) and Zn (17–54%). Values in pelagic and demersal species exhibited higher reductions than in benthic species. Decrease of metal concentrations in fish appears thus to reflect the improvement of estuarine water quality as anthropogenic sources have been reduced or eliminated. Furthermore, it emphasises the usefulness of the descriptor “Contaminants in Fish” to assess the efficiency of measures to achieve a good environmental status, in the scope of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive.

Perfluorinated alkyl compounds (PFCs) including perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) were measured in environmental samples collected from around Homebush Bay, an urban/industrial area in the upper reaches of Sydney Harbour and Parramatta River estuary. Water, surface sediment, Sea Mullet (Mugil cephalus), Sydney Rock Oyster (Saccostrea commercialis) and eggs of two bird species; White Ibis (Threskiornis molucca), and Silver Gull (Larus novaehollandiae) were analysed. In most samples PFOS was the dominant PFC. Geometric mean PFOS concentrations were 33ng/gww (wet weight) in gull eggs, 34ng/gww in ibis eggs, and 1.8ng/gww and 66ng/gww in Sea Mullet muscle and liver, respectively. In sediment the PFOS geometric mean was 1.5ng/g, in water average PFOS and PFOA concentrations ranged from 7.5 to 21ng/L and 4.2 to 6.4ng/L, respectively. In oysters perfluorododecanoic acid was most abundant, with a geometric mean of 2.5ng/gww.

Ten sediment core samples with lengths ranging from 35 to 100cm were collected in the Baixada Santista region and analyzed to determine As, Br, Co, Cr, Cs, Fe, Rb, Sb, Ta, Th, U, Zn and rare earths (Sc, Ce, Eu, La, Lu, Nd, Sm, Tb and Yb) level concentrations using instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). The studied region is located in the southeastern coast of São Paulo State and is comprised of a densely urbanized area, the largest industrial complex of the country, with a predominance of petrochemical and fertilizer plants. It is also home to Brazil’s most important and busiest port. The conclusions found that the As, La, Sm, Ne, Ce, Eu, Hf, Ta, Th, and U elements have a high background level in the region and that Fe and Zn were the main indicators of anthropogenic contribution in the sediments.

This paper compares the ignitability of Troll B crude oil weathered under simulated Arctic conditions (0%, 50% and 90% ice cover). The experiments were performed in different scales at SINTEF’s laboratories in Trondheim, field research station on Svalbard and in broken ice (70–90% ice cover) in the Barents Sea. Samples from the weathering experiments were tested for ignitability using the same laboratory burning cell. The measured ignitability from the experiments in these different scales showed a good agreement for samples with similar weathering. The ice conditions clearly affected the weathering process, and 70% ice or more reduces the weathering and allows a longer time window for in situ burning. The results from the Barents Sea revealed that weathering and ignitability can vary within an oil slick. This field use of the burning cell demonstrated that it can be used as an operational tool to monitor the ignitability of oil spills.

In this study, two ocean oil spill detection approaches based on four scattering matrices measured by fully polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (SAR) are presented and compared. The first algorithm is based on the co-polar correlation coefficient, ρ, and the scattering matrix decomposition parameters, Cloud entropy (H), mean scattering angle (α) and anisotropy (A). While each of these parameters has oil spill signature in it, we find that combining these parameters into a new parameter, F, is a more effective way for oil slick detection. The second algorithm uses the total power of four polarimetric channels image (SPAN) to find the optimal representation of the oil spill signature. Otsu image segmentation method can then be applied to the F and SPAN images to extract the oil slick features. Using the L-band fully polarimetric Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle – synthetic aperture radar (UAVSAR) data acquired during the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster event in the Gulf of Mexico, we are able to successfully extract the oil slick information in the contaminated ocean area. Our result shows that both algorithms perform well in identifying oil slicks in this case.

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the distribution and accumulation of tributyltin (TBT) and triphenyltin (TPhT) in seawater, sediments and selected organisms from a cage mariculture area in southern Taiwan, Hsiao Liouchiou Island. Our results show that ΣOTs were found in concentrations as high as 196ng/L in seawater collected from the sites in Pai-Sa harbor, and up 1040ng/g dry wt. in sediments dredged from sites within Da-Fu harbor. Also, ΣOTs concentrations of 859ng/g dry wt. were observed in the liver of cobia (Rachycentron canadum) from mariculture cages. As most published studies have focused on the acute toxicity and bioaccumulation of organotins in mussels, the effects of organotins on cobia and other marine fauna are still poorly understood. This study highlights the significance of ΣBTs accumulation in cobia, as well as in the sediments and seawater surrounding their culture facilities.