This study analyzed the carapace distribution of Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mg, Mn, Pb, Sb, U, V and Zn by GF-AAS and ICP-AES in one specimen of Caretta caretta from Mediterranean Sea. Calcium, Mg, Mn, Pb, U, Zn were mainly distributed in the central area while Cd, Cr, Cu, Sb, V in lateral areas. Cadmium, Cr, Mg, Mn, Sb, U and V were different between lateral areas.The different distribution may be related to several exposures during lifetime and/or the shell ossification during growth. Carapace may be a suitable matrix for metal biomonitoring, however, further studies are required to confirm these findings.

Glyphosate-based herbicides are extensively used and can be measured in aquatic ecosystems, including coastal waters. The effect of glyphosate on non-target organisms is an issue of worldwide concern. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of subchronic exposure to glyphosate in juvenile oysters, Crassostrea gigas. Yearling oysters were exposed to three concentrations of glyphosate (0.1, 1 and 100μgL−1) for 56days. Various endpoints were studied, from the individual level (e.g., gametogenesis and tissue alterations) to the molecular level (mRNA quantification), including biochemical endpoints such as glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and catalase activities and malondialdehyde content. No mortality and growth occurred during the experiment, and individual biomarkers revealed only slight effects. The levels of gene expression significantly increased in oysters exposed to the highest glyphosate concentration (GST and metallothioneins) or to all concentrations (multi-xenobiotic resistance). These results suggested an activation of defence mechanisms at the molecular level.

Discharge of sewage to the coastal areas resulting in the deteriorating quality of seawater and polluted sediments has been one of important stressor in Kuwait. The objective of this study was to conduct spatial assessment of sewage contamination of coastal areas. The assessment was carried out by measuring fecal sterols as indicator of sewage contamination, in the marine sediments collected from 112 locations throughout the Kuwait’s marine areas. The samples were extracted and sterols separated. Derivatized sterols were analyzed by GC/MS in selected ion monitoring mode. The results showed that areas in the vicinity of the sewage outfalls were heavily contaminated. The western part of Kuwait Bay was worst in terms of contamination level. Two off-shore sites in Kuwait Bay were also classified as contaminated. Coprostanol levels in Kuwait Bay ranged from 0 to 39,428ng/g. Southern coastal areas were less severely contaminated.

The occurrence of 14 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) listed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency was investigated in surface seawater of Yangpu Bay, China in November 2013 (winter) and May 2014 (summer). Seventy-two samples were collected from 12 sampling sites. The total concentrations of PAHs in Yangpu Bay showed obvious variations in different seasons, which varied from 582.8 to 2208.3ngL−1 in winter and 952.4 to 1201.7ngL−1 in summer, respectively. Two-ring PAHs accounted for more than 91.6% of total PAHs in winter, and three-ring PAHs were dominant with 81.6% of total PAHs in summer. Molecular indices analyses indicated that the main source of PAHs in Yangpu Bay could be petrogenic contamination. The ecological risk assessment by Risk quotients (RQNCs and RQMPCs) showed a potential ecological risk of PAHs in Yangpu Bay, indicating a close attention should be paid to pollution of PAHs in the coastal area of Yangpu.

The work investigated concentration of trace metals in surface sediments (0–10cm; < 63μm grain size) from 15 sampling sites of diverse environmental stresses covering Hugli River Estuary (HRE) and Sundarban Mangrove Wetland (SMW), eastern coastal part of India. The trace metal concentrations in sediments exhibited an overall decreasing trend as follows: Cr (21.2–60.9)>Cu (11.60–102.47)>Ni (19.10–52.60)>Pb (7.09–183.88)>As (4.41–11.46)>Cd (0.02–4.4)>Ag (0.02–0.87). Both the geo-accumulation index (Igeo) and contamination factor (CF) values revealed significant pollution by Ag, Cd and Pb at Nurpur of HRE. Potential Ecological Risk Index (RI) (61.21±112.40) showed wide range of variations from low (19.76) to serious (463.20) ecological risk. A positive significant correlation was found between metals and organic carbon in sediments. The ecological risk associated with the trace metals in sediment was considered on the consensus based Sediment Quality Guidelines (SQGs). The work suggests that the trace metals present in sediments posed adverse effects on the sediment-dwelling organisms.

Despite their representativeness and importance in coastal waters, subtidal rocky bottom habitats have been under-studied. This has resulted in a lack of available indicators for subtidal hard substrate communities. However, a few indicators using subtidal macroalgae have been developed in recent years for the purpose of being implemented into the Water Framework Directive (WFD). Accordingly, a quality index of subtidal macroalgae has been defined as a French assessment tool for subtidal rocky bottom habitats in coastal waters. This approach is based on 14 metrics that consider the depth penetration, composition (sensitive, characteristic and opportunistic) and biodiversity of macroalgae assemblages and complies with WFD requirements. Three ecoregions have been defined to fit with the geographical distribution of macroalgae along the French coastline. As a test, QISubMac was used to assess the water quality of 20 water bodies. The results show that QISubMac may discriminate among different quality classes of water bodies.

Rapana venosa (Valenciennes, 1846) and Eriphia verrucosa (Forskal, 1775) are the dominant benthic invertebrate species along the Thrace Coast of the western Black Sea. The aim of this study was to determine toxic metal (Hg, Cr, Cd, and Pb) accumulation levels in these species, as well as within littoral sediments from this area. Our results showed that all of the metals, except for Cd, were below that in average shale. The measured accumulation levels were mostly within the range of what is naturally found within the earth’s crust. However, some study stations did have increased concentrations, indicating anthropogenic pollution in these areas.The Cd contents of E. verrucosa collected from all our study stations were well above the limits set by the Turkish Food Codex, especially in Kıyıköy, whereas Pb content was close to the limit at all stations and exceeded the limit in Kıyıköy, but Hg content was below the limit at all stations. Cd content of R. venosa exceeded the limit only in Kumköy. Pb content was below the limit, and Hg was at or slightly above the limit at all stations.

Benzotriazoles (BZTs) are used in a broad range of commercial and industrial products, particularly as metal corrosion inhibitors and as ultraviolet (UV) light stabilizer additives in plastics and polymers. In this study, dated sediment cores from two east coast estuaries were analyzed for commonly used BZTs. In Narragansett Bay, UV stabilizing BZTs (UV-BZTs) were present at high levels from 1961 on, reflecting their patent date, local production and long-term preservation in sediment. In Salem Sound, UV-BZTs were present at concentrations consistent with other coastal marine locations not influenced by BZT production. Anticorrosive BZTs (AC-BZTs) were found in both cores, with the highest levels reported to date present in Narragansett Bay, indicating sorption to, and preservation in, sediments. This study revealed that both classes of BZTs have remained structurally intact over time in coastal sediment cores, demonstrating their resistance to degradation and persistence in environmental compartments.

A method based on sample preparation by accelerated solvent extraction and analysis by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry was validated and used for determination of seven typical lipophilic marine toxins (LMTs) in marine sediment samples collected from three typical coastal bays in China. Satisfactory specificity, reproducibility (RSDs≤14.76%), stability (RSDs≤17.37%), recovery (78.0%–109.0%), and detection limit (3.440pg/g–61.85pg/g) of the developed method were achieved. The results obtained from the analysis of samples from Hangzhou Bay revealed okadaic acid as the predominant LMT with concentrations ranging from 186.0 to 280.7pg/g. Pecenotoxin-2 was quantified in sediment samples from Laizhou Bay at the concentrations from 256.4 to 944.9pg/g. These results suggested that the proposed method was reliable for determining the typical LMTs in marine sediments and that the sediments obtained from Hangzhou Bay, Laizhou Bay and Jiaozhou Bay were all contaminated by certain amounts of LMTs.

To investigate concentrations of pelagic micro- (<5mm in size) and mesoplastics (>5mm) in the East Asian seas around Japan, field surveys using two vessels were conducted concurrently in summer 2014. The total particle count (pieceskm−2) was computed based on observed concentrations (piecesm−3) of small plastic fragments (both micro- and mesoplastics) collected using neuston nets. The total particle count of microplastics within the study area was 1,720,000pieceskm−2, 16 times greater than in the North Pacific and 27 times greater than in the world oceans. The proportion of mesoplastics increased upstream of the northeastward ocean currents, such that the small plastic fragments collected in the present surveys were considered to have originated in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea southwest of the study area.