Ballast water exchange was measured for the first time in Bilbao Harbour, one of the most active of northern Spain. Between 1997 and 2006, 41,900,980.34 ballast water tn were loaded and 13,272,709 tn were discharged. Bilbao Harbour appears to be mainly a source of ballast water, 90% of which would be discharged in European harbours. We estimated that vessels carrying liquid and solid bulk have higher probabilities of exporting ballast water, whereas those with liquid bulk and containers are more likely to introduce it. From 30 potentially harmful phytoplankton species identified to date near harbour facilities, there would be a high risk of exporting at least Alexandrium minutum, Dinophysis sp., Heterosigma akashiwo, Karlodinium sp., Ostreopsis cf. siamensis, Pfiesteria-like and Prorocentrum minimum. Invasion risk by ballast water was tested by analyzing the response of six strains of H. akashiwo from different geographic areas to varying salinity. Results show that successful growth of foreign strains would be possible.

Benthic samples from coastal locations off Southwestern Norway were examined and the specimens of Thyasiridae were identified to species. A multivariate analysis based on 13 parameters was carried out and the environmental preferences of all thyasirid species present were determined. The potential of the Thyasiridae as indicators of organic enrichment was investigated by using direct canonical correspondence analyses to identify correlations between selected environmental parameters and the collected biological data. The presence of Thyasira sarsi together with a low biodiversity is a good indicator of organic enrichment. High thyasirid species diversity seems to indicate good environmental conditions, and single thyasirid species that lack symbiotic bacteria might also be useful as indicators of good environmental conditions.

The incidental capture in fisheries is probably the main conservation problem affecting seabirds. While the capture of albatrosses and petrels on longline hooks is well-known worldwide, the bycatch of diving seabirds in gillnets is an overlooked conservation problem. During a winter coastal fishing trip, the capture of Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) was recorded in driftnet and bottom setnet fisheries for the first time in southern Brazil. The highest captures rates were found in driftnets, from 146.5 to 545.5penguins/km² of net and a total of 56 dead penguins were recorded. In the bottom gillnet, a total of 12 birds were killed and the capture rates varied from 41.7 to 125.0penguins/km² of net. Although preliminary, the results presented in this paper were consistent between sets. If we consider the magnitude of driftnet and setnet fishing fleets, and that most dead penguins were adults, the impact upon Magellanic penguin populations is probably significant.

Methoxylated brominated diphenyl ethers (MeO-BDEs) in aquatic environments have been found to be primarily of natural origin in the marine environment and not from biotransformation of synthetic PBDEs. Two of the eight MeO-PBDEs (2′-MeO-BDE-68 and 6-MeO-BDE-47) that were detected in anchovy from the Yangtze River Delta, were natural products from marine organisms. So 2′-MeO-BDE-68 and 6-MeO-BDE-47 were chosen to study the potential to modulate androgen, estrogen, or thyroid hormone receptor- (AR, ER, ThR) mediated responses by use of reporter gene assays. 2′-MeO-BDE-68 was antiandrogenic at 50μM, estrogenic at 10μM and antiestrogenic at 10 and 50μM (IC₅₀=4.88μM). 2′-MeO-BDE-68 enhanced luciferase expression by 5nM T3 at 50μM. 6-MeO-BDE-47 exhibited potent antiandrogenicity at 1μM and greater (IC₅₀=41.8μM) and possessed estrogenic activity at 10μM and antiestrogenic activity at 10 and 50μM (IC₅₀=6.02μM).

The wreck of the Rainbow Warrior, a 40-m ship sunk on 12 December 1987 in Matauri Bay (34° 59′ S, 173° 56′ E), Cavalli Islands, northeastern New Zealand, offers an opportunity to investigate the impact of artificial substrate on temperate carbonate sedimentation. Surface sediment samples showed no significant textural or compositional difference between sediments near the wreck and those far from it. The large and diverse carbonate-producing community resident on the wreck (dominated by bryozoans, corals and sponges) has not had a measurable influence on adjacent bottom sediments (dominated by bivalves and barnacles), even after 21years. It is likely that carbonate production on the Rainbow Warrior is insufficient to leave any sedimentary record over the potential lifetime of the wreck on the seafloor, which informs our understanding of the long-term impacts of shipwrecks (and other artificial substrata) on the local benthic environment in shallow temperate ecosystems.

Waters and sediments from the Potiguar Basin (NE Brazilian coast) were investigated for the presence and nature of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and aliphatic hydrocarbons. The region receives treated produced waters through a submarine outfall system serving the industrial district. The total dispersed/dissolved concentrations in the water column ranged from 10–50ngL⁻¹ for ∑16PAH and 5–10μgL⁻¹ for total aliphatic hydrocarbons. In the sediments, hydrocarbon concentrations were low (0.5–10ngg⁻¹for ∑16PAH and 0.01–5.0μgg⁻¹ for total aliphatic hydrocarbons) and were consistent with the low organic carbon content of the local sandy sediments. These data indicate little and/or absence of anthropogenic influence on hydrocarbon distribution in water and sediment. Therefore, the measured values may be taken as background values for the region and can be used as future reference following new developments of the petroleum industry in the Potiguar Basin.

The impact of human activity on the sediments of Todos os Santos Bay in Brazil was evaluated by elemental analysis and ¹³C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (¹³C NMR). This article reports a study of six sediment cores collected at different depths and regions of Todos os Santos Bay. The elemental profiles of cores collected on the eastern side of Frades Island suggest an abrupt change in the sedimentation regime. Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) analysis corroborates this result. The range of depths of the cores corresponds to about 50years ago, coinciding with the implantation of major onshore industrial projects in the region. Principal Component Analysis of the ¹³C NMR spectra clearly differentiates sediment samples closer to the Subaé estuary, which have high contents of terrestrial organic matter, from those closer to a local oil refinery. The results presented in this article illustrate several important aspects of environmental impact of human activity on this bay.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of oxidative stress biomarkers of pollution in native mussels Mytilus edulis chilensis from the Beagle Channel. Spatial and seasonal variations of catalase, glutathione-S-transferase and lipid peroxidation in gills and digestive gland were analyzed in relation to environmental parameters, heavy metals in sediment and in tissue. Four sites with anthropogenic impact and a control site were selected and monitored during the four seasons of 2007. We found significant differences among sites in concentrations of dissolved nutrients and heavy metals in sediments, with the highest values recorded at sites with anthropogenic pressure. Different patterns were observed between concentrations of metals in tissues and in sediments suggesting differences in bioavailability. There were also significant differences in biomarker responses among sites, despite the strong seasonal variability. Our results showed relatively moderate levels of pollution in the study area as a result of urban influences.

Data on shipping traffic in one of the busiest seaports in the world, the Port of Kaohsiung, were analyzed to evaluate the implications for ballast water management. Results show that 67% of the arriving vessels were registered to a flag of convenience, which typically have a lower degree of environmental records. The top five donor countries historically suffer from harmful algal bloom problems. The short journey and busy trading between these countries and Taiwan lead to a higher risk of inoculation. In addition, only 1.4% of all vessels visited more than once every year during the 9-year span, indicating that the port authority encounters many new vessels each year. These findings could influence the design and application of ballast water management strategies as well as highlight the challenges in their implementation. We suggest that an analysis of vessel traffic patterns should be coupled with other useful vessel information to make risk assessment successful.