Breakwaters are widely used in coastal development. Breakwaters can alter habitats by undermining shallow coastal ecosystems, especially coral reefs. However, recent studies indicate that mature breakwaters can have well-developed corals and coral-associated fishes. Breakwaters with colonized corals may act as surrogates of natural coral reefs against the global coral crisis. Here, we examined the composition of corals, fishes, and benthic biota/abiota between natural reefs and mature breakwaters to evaluate the possibility of breakwaters supplementing natural reefs. We found equal or higher coral cover, fish abundance, and species richness on breakwaters. Conversely, differential coral growth forms and fish assemblages on mature breakwaters suggested the irreplaceability of natural reefs. Corals and coral reef fishes on mature man-made structures, however, may improve the resistance and resilience of coral reefs. Conclusively, despite high coral cover on mature man-made structures appropriate management (e.g., marine reserves) is still necessary to sustain the coral reefs.

EU ocean policies increasingly incorporate regional measures. Under the long standing Common Fisheries Policy, such measures aim at improving and reforming existing policy, either by taking into account region specific social or ecologic requirements or by establishing procedures and institutions to achieve a regional fit. By contrast, the EU’s emerging integrated Marine Environmental Policy was designed to draw heavily on regional procedural and institutional mechanisms from the outset. The developing regional measures raise the question whether they contribute to improving institutional structures governing the use and conservation of EU waters. This article analyzes the existing and future regional measures of the two policies and their varying purposes and scopes. It develops a typology for categorizing the regional aspects and examines the effects of regional measures on EU institutions and the theoretical EU integration debate.

The need for quantitative molecular methods is growing in environmental, food, and medical fields but is hindered by low and variable DNA extraction and by co-extraction of PCR inhibitors. DNA extracts from Enterococcus faecium, seawater, and seawater spiked with E. faecium and Vibrio parahaemolyticus were tested by qPCR for target recovery and inhibition. Conventional and novel methods were tested, including Synchronous Coefficient of Drag Alteration (SCODA) and lysis and purification systems used on an automated genetic sensor (the Environmental Sample Processor, ESP). Variable qPCR target recovery and inhibition were measured, significantly affecting target quantification. An aggressive lysis method that utilized chemical, enzymatic, and mechanical disruption enhanced target recovery compared to commercial kit protocols. SCODA purification did not show marked improvement over commercial spin columns. Overall, data suggested a general need to improve sample preparation and to accurately assess and account for DNA recovery and inhibition in qPCR applications.

Knowledge of dispersal and establishment during the early stages of invasion is essential for allocating monitoring effort, detecting nascent populations and predicting spread. The scarcity of these data, however, provides little guidance for monitoring programs. Here we present data on the adult distribution and the subsequent pattern of larval recruitment from a nascent population of the invasive tunicate Ciona intestinalis in Prince Edward Island, Canada. Existing niche models indicate the entire study site is suitable for recruitment, suggesting an equal probability of detection throughout the site. In contrast, we found a heterogeneous pattern of larval recruitment, including areas of zero recruitment. By fitting a dispersal kernel, we show Ciona is not capable of naturally dispersing between bays, restricting further spread, and provide guidance for future monitoring. Our results also highlight how large-scale models, although important, lack the small-scale patterns essential for monitoring and early detection of invasive species.

The increasing risks of potential oil spills in the arctic regions, which are characterized by low temperatures, are a big challenge. The traditional dispersant method has shown limited effectiveness in oil cleanup. This work studied the role of mineral fines in the formation of oil–mineral aggregates (OMAs) at low temperature (0–4°C) environment. The loading amount of minerals and dispersant with different dispersant and oil types were investigated under a full factorial design. The shapes and sizes of OMAs were analyzed. Results showed that the behavior of OMA formation differs when dispersant and mineral fines are used individually or together. Both the experimental and microscopic results also showed the existence of optimal dispersant to oil ratios and mineral to oil ratios. In general, poor oil removal performance was observed for more viscous oil. Corexit 9500 performed better than Corexit 9527 with various oils, in terms of oil dispersion and OMA formation.

Pharmaceuticals are common chemical contaminants in estuaries receiving effluent from wastewater and sewage treatment facilities. The purpose of this research was to examine benthic microalgal (BMA) community responses to sublethal exposures to tylosin, a common and environmentally persistent antibiotic. Bioassays, using concentrations of 0.011–218μmoltylosinl−1, were performed on intertidal muddy sediments from North Inlet Estuary, SC. Exposure to tylosin resulted in a reduction in total BMA biomass and primary productivity. Furthermore, exposure seemed to retard diatom growth while having a minimal effect on cyanobacteria biomass. Estuarine systems receiving chronic inputs of trace concentrations of tylosin, as well as other antibiotics, may experience significant reductions in BMA biomass and primary productivity. Given the well-documented role of BMA in the trophodynamics of estuaries, these impacts will likely be manifested in higher trophic levels with possible impairments of the structure and function of these sensitive systems.

Biomarkers, which can detect changes at the biochemical level, have been used for many years as early warning tools in environmental monitoring. In order to distinguish between natural variability and the potential effects of anthropogenic pollution, it is essential to identify background levels and establish the potential influence of abiotic (season, temperature and salinity) and biotic (gametogenesis) factors. In this study, we examined various biomarkers of stress (glutathione S-transferase (GST)), reproduction (vitellin-like proteins) and damage (lipid peroxidation (LPO) and DNA damage (DNA)) in marine mussels (Mytilus spp.) from a known pristine hybrid zone. Levels of all biomarker expression varied between seasons and appeared to be linked to the reproductive cycle. Oxidative stress in winter, with low GST expression and a higher expression of LPO and DNA damage displayed could be explained by low food availability. These data provide vital baseline information for future ecotoxicological and environmental monitoring studies.

PAH-degrading bacteria, including Novosphingobium sp. PCY, Microbacterium sp. BPW, Ralstonia sp. BPH, Alcaligenes sp. SSK1B, and Achromobacter sp. SSK4, were isolated from mangrove sediments. These isolates degraded 50–76% of 100mg/l phenanthrene within 2weeks. Strains PCY and BPW also degraded pyrene at 98% and 71%, respectively. Furthermore, all of them probably produced biosurfactants in the presence of hydrocarbons. Interestingly, PCY has a versatility to degrade various PAHs. Molecular techniques and plasmid curing remarkably revealed the presence of the alpha subunit of pyrene dioxygenase gene (nidA), involving in its pyrene/phenanthrene degrading ability, located on megaplasmid of PCY which has never before been reported in sphingomonads. Moreover, genes encoding ferredoxin, reductase, extradiol dioxygenase (bphA3A4C) and exopolysaccharide biosynthetase, which may be involved in PAH degradation and biosurfactant production, were also found in PCY. Therefore, we conclude that these isolates, especially PCY, can be the candidates for use as inoculums in the bioremediation.

Microorganisms have developed copper-resistance mechanisms in order to survive in contaminated environments. The abundance of the copper-resistance genes cusA and copA, encoding respectively for a Resistance Cell Nodulation protein and for a P-type ATP-ase pump, was assessed in copper and non-copper-impacted Chilean marine sediment cores by the use of molecular tools. We demonstrated that number of copA and cusA genes per bacterial cell was higher in the contaminated sediment, and that copA gene was more abundant than cusA gene in the impacted sediment. The molecular phylogeny of the two copper-resistance genes was studied and reveals an impact of copper on the genetic composition of copA and cusA genes.

In this study, the levels, sources and historical trends (2007–2012) of PAH pollution in surface sediments in the northern Adriatic Sea (Croatia) have been assessed. In addition, ecotoxicological risks have been estimated by evaluating the PAH dataset against Sediment Quality Guidelines (SQGs). The results indicate that PAH in surface sediments are of pyrolitic origin with no clear positive or negative trend in PAH concentration over the investigated period. Evaluations against SQG and mSQGq indicate that surface sediments at all sampling sites have a low to medium ecotoxicological risk. In order to improve trend analysis and characterization of PAH pollution in surface sediments in this region an increase in spatial resolution of sampling points is recommended.