To analyze the distribution and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and evaluate their potential ecological risks, the concentrations of 16 PAHs were measured in 43 surface sediment samples from the Bering Sea and western Arctic Ocean. Total PAH (tPAH) concentrations ranged from 36.95 to 150.21ng/g (dry weight). In descending order, the surface sediment tPAH concentrations were as follows: Canada Basin>northern Chukchi Sea>Chukchi Basin>southern Chukchi Sea>Aleutian Basin>Makarov Basin>Bering Sea shelf. The Bering Sea and western Arctic Ocean mainly received PAHs of pyrogenic origin due to pollution caused by the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels. The concentrations of PAHs in the sediments of the study areas did not exceed effects range low (ERL) values.

Several species of tuna fish were analyzed for 210Po content in their edible muscle tissues. This study was carried out as a part of baseline data generation around a large nuclear power plant situated at Kudankulam, southeast coast of India. The concentration of 210Po in the muscle tissue ranged from 40.9±5.2 to 92.5±7.9Bq/kg of fresh fish, and the highest activity was recorded for the tuna Euthynnus affinis and the lowest for Auxis thazard. The committed effective dose to the local residents was calculated to be 62.7–141.8μSvyear−1.

An exploration of historical data suggested that eutrophication patterns might drive long-term fluctuations in Cystoseira populations along the west Istrian Coast (northern Adriatic Sea, Croatia). The regimes of northern Italian rivers, which flow approximately 100km west of the study area, mainly modulate the eutrophication levels of the northern Adriatic Sea. A regression of Cystoseira populations from the 1970s through the 1990s corresponded to increased levels of eutrophication in the study area. During the late 1990s, the density of sea urchins, which are efficacious macroalgal predators, decreased, likely due to an intense formation of pelagic mucilage aggregates that resulted in mass mortality episodes of macrozoobenthic species. During the 2000–2013 period, an oligotrophication of the northern Adriatic formed the basis for the recovery of Cystoseira taxa, whose abundances from 2009 to 2013 were similar to those characterising the most flourishing Mediterranean Cystoseira assemblages.

Oil slicks were detected using satellite Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images in 2011. We investigated potential origins and regional and seasonal features of oil slick in the Bohai Sea. Distance between oil slicks and potential origins (ships, seaports, and oil exploitation platforms) and the angle at which oil slicks move relative to potential driving forces were evaluated. Most oil slicks were detected along main ship routes rather than around seaports and oil exploitation platforms. Few oil slicks were detected within 20km of seaports. Directions of oil slicks movement were much more strongly correlated with directions of ship routes than with directions of winds and currents. These findings support the premise that oil slicks in the Bohai Sea most likely originate from illegal disposal of oil-polluted wastes from ships. Seasonal variation of oil slicks followed an annual cycle, with a peak in August and a trough in December.

Fecal sterols in sediments were used to assess the degree of sewage contamination in Ria de Aveiro lagoon and Mondego River estuary for the first time. Coprostanol, the major fecal sterol, averaged 1.82±4.12μgg−1, with maxima of 16.6μgg−1. The northwestern sector of the Ria and a marina at Mondego estuary showed the highest level of sewage contamination. This scenario was confirmed by several diagnostic ratios based on fecal sterols and other phytosterols. Our data revealed that in spite of the improvements achieved in the last decades, there is still a need for control the organic inputs into the aquatic environment in the studied regions.

Excess nutrients are potential factors that drive phase shifts from seagrasses to macroalgae. We carried out a manipulative field experiment to study the effects of macroalgae Ulva pertusa loading and nutrient addition to the water column on the nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) contents (i.e., fast indicators) as well as on the morphology and structure (i.e., slow indicators) of Zostera marina. Our results showed rapid impact of increased macroalgae and nutrient load on Z. marina C/N ratios. Also, macroalgae addition resulted in a trend of decreasing belowground biomass of seagrasses, and nutrient load significantly decreased above to belowground biomass ratio. Although some morphological/structural variables showed relatively fast responses, the effects of short-term disturbance by macroalgae and nutrients were less often significant than on physiological variables. Monitoring of seagrass physiological indicators may allow for early detection of eutrophication, which may initiate timely management interventions to avert seagrass loss.

Marine organisms are known to play important roles in transforming nutrients in sediments, however, guidelines to optimize sediment restoration are not available. We conducted a laboratory mesocosm experiment to investigate the role of hard clams, polychaetes, the degree of physical disturbance and denitrifying bacterial concentrations in removing total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and total organic carbon (TOC) in marine sediments. Response surface methodology was employed to analyze the results of initial experiments and in a subsequent experiment identified optimal combinations of parameters. Balancing the TN, TP, TOC removal efficiency, our model predicted 39% TN removal, 33% TP removal, and 42% TOC removal for a 14-day laboratory bioremediation trial using hard clams biomass of 1.2kgm−2, physical disturbance depth of 16.4cm, bacterial density of 0.18Lm−2, and polychaetes biomass of 0.16kgm−2, respectively. These results emphasize the value of combining different species in field-based bioremediation.

Mangrove tidal wetland habitats are recognised as highly vulnerable to large and chronic oil spills. This review of current literature and public databases covers the last 6 decades, summarising global data on oil spill incidents affecting, or likely to have affected, mangrove habitat. Over this period, there have been at least 238 notable oil spills along mangrove shorelines worldwide. In total, at least 5.5milliontonnes of oil has been released into mangrove-lined, coastal waters, oiling possibly up to around 1.94millionha of mangrove habitat, and killing at least 126,000ha of mangrove vegetation since 1958. However, there were assessment limitations with incomplete and unavailable data, as well as unequal coverage across world regions. To redress the gaps described here in reporting on oil spill impacts on mangroves and their recovery worldwide, a number of recommendations and suggestions are made for refreshing and updating standard operational procedures for responders, managers and researchers alike.

The Gulf of Urabá (northwestern Colombia) is a geostrategic region, rich in biodiversity and natural resources. Its economy is mainly based on agribusinesses and mining activities. In this research is determined the impact of these activities in bottom surface sediments of the estuary. Thus, grain size, total organic carbon, total nitrogen, carbonates, Ag, Al, Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn concentrations from 17 surface sediment samples were obtained and enrichment factors (EF) as well as geo-accumulation indices (Igeo) were calculated to determine the contamination level in the gulf. EF and Igeo values revealed that the estuary is extremely contaminated with Ag and moderately contaminated with Zn. Therefore, the observed enrichment of Ag may be explained as a residue of the extraction of gold and platinum-group metals and the enrichment with Zn associated mainly to pesticides used in banana plantations.

Simplified physical models and geometrical considerations reveal general physical and dynamical properties of microplastic particles (0.5–5mm) of different density, shape and size in marine environment. Windage of extremely light foamed particles, surface area and fouling rate of slightly positively buoyant microplastic spheres, films and fibres and settling velocities of negatively buoyant particles are analysed. For the Baltic Sea dimensions and under the considered idealised external conditions, (i) only one day is required for a foamed polystyrene particle to cross the sea (ca. 250km); (ii) polyethylene fibres should spend about 6–8months in the euphotic zone before sinking due to bio-fouling, whilst spherical particles can be retained on the surface up to 10–15years; (iii) for heavy microplastic particles, the time of settling through the water column in the central Gotland basin (ca. 250m) is less than 18h. Proper physical setting of the problem of microplastics transport and developing of physically-based parameterisations are seen as applications.