Soft corals in the Philippines have received little attention. In this study, community structure and size-frequency distribution of soft corals were assessed via quantitative surveys in a heavily disturbed reef system in northwestern Philippines. Relationships between selected environmental parameters and benthic components were also investigated. Results reveal that soft coral cover, density, and taxa richness were lowest at stations nearest a fish farming area, characterized by the poorest water quality. Differences in dominance of taxonomic groups may indicate differences in environmental preference or tolerance. Exposure to waves and water clarity were determined to have high correlations with the distribution of different taxa. Symmetrical size distributions of selected alcyoniids were indicative of healthy populations. However, the negative skewness of Lobophytum may indicate an eventual population decline caused by unfavorable environmental conditions. The study's findings suggest the need to conduct a detailed analysis of the different soft coral variables during coral reef surveys to improve data interpretations necessary for coral reef management in the Philippines.

Hurricane Harvey led to a broad redistribution of sediment throughout Galveston Bay and the Houston Ship Channel (GB/HSC), but the resulting changes in chemical contaminant distributions have yet to be characterized. To address this question, we collected and analyzed post-Harvey sediment for concentrations of the EPA 16 Priority Pollutant polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAHs), determining the extent to which the spatial distribution and sourcing of contaminants may have changed in contrast to historical surface sediment data (<5 cm) from the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) available for the years 1996–2011. We found a small, but detectable increase from pre- to post-Harvey in PAH concentrations, with PAH diagnostic sourcing indicating combustion origins. Of the detected PAHs, none exceeded Sediment Quality Guideline values. Overall, we have added to the understanding of PAH spatial trends within the GB/HSC region, and developed a reference PAH baseline to inform future studies.

High quality and integrated information able to show marine litter distribution at a global scale is a crucial goal to tackle the environmental problem. One of the important gaps is the definition of a global monitoring protocol and reporting. Large data infrastructures can provide a sustainable framework to host harmonized and standard litter data that can be used and re-used for any purpose, including assessment. EMODnet Chemistry has collected marine litter data since 2016 and has adopted different strategies for the management of the diverse litter data types, exploiting the advantages deriving from the application of the FAIR principles in marine litter data stewardship. The quality of the released data sets is improved allowing a better consistency within data values collected in different contexts (several countries, different techniques, …).

With the increased occurrence of plastics in the marine environment, ingestion of microplastics (MPs) by marine invertebrates such as mussels is increasing globally. This study investigated the occurrence of microplastics in mussels sold at supermarkets and wholesalers in Cape Town, South Africa. Soft tissue was extracted from mussels, digested and identified by microscopy and FTIR-ATR. MP filaments (70%) and fragments (30%) were the only types of MPs identified and an average of 0.04 MPs/g soft tissue and 3.8 MPs/mussel recorded. Blue/green (44%) and black/grey (40%), smaller than 2000 μm were the most prominent MPs recorded and the main polymer type was filamentous polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Our results suggest that retail mussels in Cape Town do not contain as high concentrations of MPs when compared to other investigations and routine monitoring of seafood in the country is suggested.

Microalgal communities that colonize the hulls of at-risk vessels – those which have the highest port residency times, lowest speeds, and most stationary time in water - are expected to change as a function of environmental factors during ocean voyages, but are rarely studied. The microalgal communities on the hull of an atypically operated ship, the T.S. Golden Bear, were quantified during the course of a voyage from San Francisco Bay to the South Pacific and back. Here we clearly demonstrate that microalgal communities can be highly resilient, and can survive physiologically strenuous journeys through extreme variation in salinity and temperature. A 42% reduction in microalgal biomass and a 62% reduction in algal cellular abundance indicated a community-wide negative reaction to an increase in both salinity and temperature after the ship left San Francisco Bay, CA and cruised southward to Long Beach, although in vivo cellular fluorescence capacity increased. Further reductions in biomass (36%) and cellular abundance (26%) occurred once the ship encountered high-temperature, high-salinity waters in Hawaii. A 17% reduction of cellular fluorescence capacity was also observed in Hawaii. Despite previous environmental stressors, upon return to temperate waters off Vallejo, CA, biomass increased 230%, cellular abundance remained stable, and cellular fluorescence capacity increased from 0.45 ± 0.26 to 0.60 ± 0.07. The methods used in the current research provide efficient, cost-effective procedures for analyzing microalgal (and macrofouling) communities, which can in turn aid regulators in creating such necessary thresholds for enforcement.

Shellfish can absorb and accumulate contaminants. The consumption of shellfish could expose humans to pollutants and increase related health risk. Perchlorate (ClO₄⁻) is a ubiquitous pollutant and could affect thyroid functions, especially for children and pregnant women. However, knowledge on the contamination of perchlorate in aquatic food such as shellfish remains limited. This study aimed to investigate the abundances of perchlorate in shellfish from South China Sea and to assess human exposure risks. A total of 178 shellfish samples from eight species were collected from offshore aquaculture waters in South China Sea. Perchlorate was detected in 99.4% of them, suggesting widespread pollution in coastal waters. Concentrations of perchlorate ranged from not detected (N.D.) to 71.5 μg kg⁻¹, with a median value of 4.33 μg kg⁻¹. Estimated daily intake (EDI) and hazard quotient (HQ) were used to assess human exposure dose and health risks, respectively. The HQ values were determined to be less than 1, indicating no significant health risks to local residents via shellfish consumption. To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate perchlorate contamination in South China shellfish and assess potential human risks.

We studied the abundance of seafloor litter in the bay of Bejaia, Algeria, in order to better understand its sources and distribution and provide scientists with the technical basis for further monitoring and reduction measures. Data were collected during trawl surveys dedicated to fishing activity, between 40 and 200m. After each trawl, litter items were manually sorted and analyzed. The highest concentration of 58,998 items/ha was recorded to the east of the bay. Overall, plastic was the dominant component of the litter with 88% of the total amount, in weight. Most of the waste was of terrestrial origin, with rivers and beaches being the main sources due to population density, highly developed tourism during the summer season, and inadequate waste management. Overall, the results provide relevant benchmarks for future monitoring and are discussed in terms of poor waste management, a critical issue in the region.

In recent decades, significant advances have been made in understanding the generation, fates and consequences of water quality pollutants in the Great Barrier Reef ecosystem. However, skepticism and lack of trust in water quality science by farming stakeholders has emerged as a significant challenge. The ongoing failures of both compulsory and particularly voluntary practices to improve land management and reduce diffuse agricultural pollution from the Great Barrier Reef catchment underlines the need for more effective communication of water quality issues at appropriate decision-making scales to landholders. Using recent Great Barrier Reef catchment experiences as examples, we highlight several emerging themes and opportunities in using technology to better communicate land use-water quality impacts and delivery of actionable knowledge to farmers, specifically supporting decision-making, behavior change, and the spatial identification of nutrient generation ‘hotspots’ in intensive agriculture catchments. We also make recommendations for co-designed monitoring-extension platforms involving farmers, governments, researchers, and related agencies, to cut across stakeholder skepticism, and achieve desired water quality and ecosystem outcomes.