The value of rehabilitating oiled wildlife is an on-going global debate. On October 5, 2011, the cargo vessel C/V Rena grounded on Astrolabe Reef, New Zealand (NZ), spilling over 300 tonnes of heavy fuel oil. As part of the Rena oil spill response, 383 little blue penguins (LBP, Eudyptula minor) were captured, cleaned, rehabilitated and released back into a cleaned environment. This research investigates foraging behaviour changes due either to the oil spill or by the rehabilitation process by comparing the diving behaviour of rehabilitated (n=8) and non-rehabilitated (n=6) LBPs and with LBP populations throughout NZ. Stabile isotope analysis of feathers was also used to investigate diet. There were no foraging behaviour differences between rehabilitated and non-rehabilitated LBPs and the overall diving behaviour of these LBPs have similar, if not less energetic, foraging behaviour than other LBPs in NZ. This suggests the rehabilitation process and clean-up undertaken after the Rena appears effective and helps justify the rehabilitation of oiled wildlife across the world.

Concentrations of V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Cd and Pb were determined in muscle, liver and gonads of two ecologically contrasting fishes, Helicolenus dactylopterus (benthic) and Pagellus bogaraveo (benthopelagic). Elevated concentrations of As, Se and Cd found in tissues of both species appear to mirror the contribution of volcanic activity to the natural inputs of elements to Azorean waters. Results showed different element accumulation between the two species. Whereas higher concentrations were found in the liver of P. bogaraveo, elevated values were observed in the muscle of H. dactylopterus. Differences in accumulation are most likely related to metabolic rates, diet specificities and habitat. Concentrations in gonads varied up to four orders of magnitude, being higher and more variable in P. bogaraveo than H. dactylopterus. Elevated values of Cd were detected in gonads of both species despite its non-essential role on metabolic functions, presumably related to elimination.

A microbiological survey of the Priolo Bay (eastern coast of Sicily, Ionian Sea), a chronically polluted marine coastal area, was carried out in order to discern its intrinsic bioremediation potential. Microbiological analysis, 16S rDNA-based DGGE fingerprinting and PLFAs analysis were performed on seawater and sediment samples from six stations on two transects. Higher diversity and variability among stations was detected by DGGE in sediment than in water samples although seawater revealed higher diversity of culturable hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria. The most polluted sediment hosted higher total bacterial diversity and higher abundance and diversity of culturable HC degraders. Alkane- and PAH-degrading bacteria were isolated from all stations and assigned to Alcanivorax, Marinobacter, Thalassospira, Alteromonas and Oleibacter (first isolation from the Mediterranean area). High total microbial diversity associated to a large selection of HC degraders is believed to contribute to natural attenuation of the area, provided that new contaminant contributions are avoided.

Benthic marine litter along the Portuguese coast, was recorded in 14 trips on stern trawlers covering a distance of 2117km and an area of 56.2km2, average depth range 90–349m. 2034 items of marine litter were registered, 76% were plastics and 38.6% were originated from fishing related activities. Plastic was present in all the trawls and had the highest average density of all litter categories, 50itemskm−2.The highest density of marine litter (178.9±64.0itemskm−2) was found in the proximity of the Tagus river mouth, probably related to the high population density in the Lisbon metropolitan area.This study highlights the need to raise fishermen awareness for the adoption of good environmental practices that will contribute to the reduction of marine litter.

The distribution of polychaetes associated with an offshore gas platform built on a muddy–sandy bottom in the northern Adriatic Sea was investigated with emphasis on their feeding structure. Polychaete species were collected at different distances from the rig using a Van Veen grab. Assessment of the polychaete community and trophic groups for impacts related to the presence of the platform demonstrated significantly different abundances at rising distances from the rig. The present findings highlight an effect of the rig on the spatial distribution of polychaete assemblages. Even though the effects of gas platforms on surrounding benthic communities have been investigated in the Adriatic Sea, no studies have addressed the distribution of polychaete trophic groups along a gradient based on distance from the rig.

Little knowledge is available about the potential impact of commercial silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) on estuarine microbial communities. The Hugli river estuary, India, is susceptible to heavy metals pollution through boat traffic, and there is the potential for Ag-NP exposure via effluent discharged from ongoing municipal and industrial activities located in close proximity. This study investigated the effects of commercial Ag-NPs on native microbial communities in estuarine sediments collected from five stations, using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) technique. An increase in the number of bacteria in consortium in sediments was observed following exposure to Ag-NPs. In general microbial communities may be resistant in estuarine systems to the antimicrobial effects of commercial Ag-NPs, but key microorganisms, such as Pelobacter propionicus, disappeared following exposure to Ag-NPs. In conclusion, the T-RFLP analysis indicated that Ag-NPs have the potential to shape estuarine sediment bacterial community structure.

In order to assess metal contamination on the Mediterranean coast of Egypt, 45 sediment samples, seawaters and bivalve specimens were collected from Rosetta coastal area for Mg, Al, K, Fe, Sr, Zn, Pb, Mn, As, Ce, Ni, Cr and Zr analyses by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometer. The Enrichment Factor (EF), the Geoaccumulation Index (Igeo) and the Contamination Factor (CF) indicated that the coastal sediments of Rosetta area were severely enriched, strongly polluted with As, Pb and very highly contaminated with As, Pb, Ni, Ce, mostly as a result of anthropogenic inputs. Comparison with other samples from the Arabian Gulf, Red Sea and abroad coasts suggested that the studied samples have higher concentrations of Fe, Pb, As, Zn and Ni. The natural sources of heavy metals in the study area are attributed to weathering and decomposition of mountain ranges of the Sudan and Ethiopia, while the anthropogenic ones are the metals produced from industrial, sewage, irrigation and urban runoff.

The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in PM2.5 contribute significantly to health risk. The objectives of this study were to assess the occurrence and variation in the concentrations and sources of PM2.5-bound PAHs sampled from the atmosphere of a typical southeastern Chinese city (Guangzhou) from June 2012 to May 2013, with the potential risks being investigated. The annual average concentration of PM2.5 was 64.88μgm−3. The annual average concentration of PAHs in PM2.5 was 33.89ngm−3. Benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) was found to be the predominant PAH in all PM2.5 samples throughout the year, constituting approximately 8.78% of the total PAH content. The significant meteorological parameters for most of the PAHs were sunshine time, air pressure, and humidity, together representing 10.7–52.4% of the variance in atmospheric PAH concentrations. Motor-vehicle exhaust and coal combustion were probably the main sources of PAHs in PM2.5 in Guangzhou. The average inhalation cancer risk (ICR) for a lifetime of 70years was 5.98×10−4 (ranging from 8.39×10−5 to 1.95×10−3).

A conceptual framework was developed for assessing the sub-level of protection in 185 multiple-use marine protected areas (MPAs) in the English Channel through a survey on management effort. Data were retrieved from 153 MPAs: 4.56% were assigned low management effort, 83.70% were assigned medium management effort, and 11.76% were assigned high management effort. Overall, French MPAs performed better in terms of management effort than English MPAs and lack of consistency in ratings by different management bodies in England was found. Lack of correlation between management effort and conservation status within an available subset of 13 MPAs suggests that management may not be as influential a factor for the effective conservation of MPAs, especially in marine environments under heavy human pressure such as the English Channel. It is suggested that MPAs in such areas may therefore require an upgrade of their legal level of protection to be effective.

A high selective pre-treatment method for the extraction and analysis of mebendazole in environmental water samples was developed based on molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction (MISPE). The mebendazole imprinted polymers were synthesized in acetonitrile using methacrylic acid and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as functional monomer and cross-linker respectively. The imprinted materials showed high adsorption ability for mebendazole and were applied as special solid-phase extraction sorbents for selective separation of mebendazole. An off-line MISPE procedure was developed for the purification and enrichment of mebendazole from natural seawater samples prior to high-performance liquid chromatography analysis. The recoveries of spiked seawater on the MISPE cartridges were from 83.0% to 90.6%, and the values of the relative standard deviation were in the range of 2.78–4.13% (n=3). The satisfied results showed that this pre-treatment methodology for extracting mebendazole in seawater was simple and effective.