We report concentrations of organochlorine pesticides (HCB, HCHs, DDTs, dieldrin) and PCBs in the blubber of 43 common dolphins bycaught in fisheries operating off the SW coast of the UK from 1992 to 2006. Concentrations of ΣDDT (summed p,p′-DDT and its metabolites, p,p′-DDE and p,p′-TDE) and of 25 summed CB congeners ranged from 0.2 to 16.1 and 2.1 to 62.4mgkg−1 lipid weight, respectively. Concentrations of sum HCH, HCB and dieldrin were lower, ranging from not detected to 0.14, 0.01 to 0.27 and 0.01 to 0.73mgkg−1 lipid weight, respectively. All contaminants studied showed a downward time trend but only that for HCHs was statistically significant. Overall, 72% of the dolphins analysed had blubber PCB concentrations above an established toxicity threshold value.

Large scale environmental remediation projects applied to sea water always involve large amount of capital investments. Rigorous effectiveness evaluations of such projects are, therefore, necessary and essential for policy review and future planning. This study aims at investigating effectiveness of environmental remediation using three different Seemingly Unrelated Regression (SUR) time series models with intervention effects, including Model (1) assuming no correlation within and across variables, Model (2) assuming no correlation across variable but allowing correlations within variable across different sites, and Model (3) allowing all possible correlations among variables (i.e., an unrestricted model). The results suggested that the unrestricted SUR model is the most reliable one, consistently having smallest variations of the estimated model parameters. We discussed our results with reference to marine water quality management in Hong Kong while bringing managerial issues into consideration.

This study investigated the desorption behavior of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from marine plastic pellets. Long-term desorption experiments were conducted using field-collected polyethylene (PE) pellets. The results indicate that the desorption kinetics highly depends on the PE-water partition coefficients of PCB congeners. After 128d of the experiment, the smallest congener considered (CB 8) had desorbed nearly completely (98%), whereas major fractions (90–99%) of highly chlorinated congeners remained in the pellets. An intraparticle diffusion model mostly failed to reproduce the desorption kinetics, whereas an aqueous boundary layer (ABL) diffusion model well approximated the data. The desorption half-lives are estimated to 14d to 210years for CB 8 to CB 209 in an actively stirred solution (ABL thickness: 30μm). Addition of methanol to water enhanced the desorption to a large extent. A need for further work to explore roles of organic matter in facilitating solute transfer is suggested.

The effects of Si on growth, the anatomy of the roots, radial oxygen loss (ROL) and Fe/Mn plaque on the root surface were investigated in Avicennia marina (Forsk.) Vierh. seedlings under Cd stress. Si prompted the growth of seedlings and reduced the Cd concentration in the root, stem and leaf of A. marina. Si prompted the development of the apoplastic barrier in the roots, which may be related to the reduction of Cd uptake. The higher amount of ROL and Mn plaque on the root surface due to Si were also related to the promotion of Cd tolerance in A. marina seedlings. Therefore, it is concluded that the alteration of the anatomy of the roots, the increase of ROL and Mn plaque of A. marina seedlings play an important role in alleviation of Cd toxicity due to Si.

The seasonal distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls, organochlorine pesticides, organophosphorus pesticides, triazines and other organic pollutants in surface seawater from the Mar Menor lagoon (SE Spain) was characterized from spring 2009 to winter 2010 by stir bar sorptive extraction and thermal desorption followed by capillary gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (SBSE–GC–MS). The most ubiquitous pollutants were chlorpyrifos, chlortal-dimethyl, terbuthylazine, naphthalene and propyzamide throughout the year. Insecticides and herbicides were predominant in summer and spring, and fungicides were more abundant in autumn and winter. Chlorpyrifos was predominant in autumn and spring; herbicides (propyzamide, terbuthylazine and terbuthylazine-desethyl) in autumn and fungicides (flutolanil, boscalid, cyprodinil) in autumn and winter. The highest concentrations for the majority of pollutants were detected in autumn as consequence of air and surface/ground water inputs, and above all of desorption from terrigenous materials deposited in sediments by two intense flash flood events (September 2009).

The combined effects of decreased pH and increased temperature values on antioxidant enzyme activities and lipid peroxidation were evaluated for the first time in the clam Chamelea gallina and the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis, two bivalve species that are widespread along the northwestern coast of the Adriatic Sea. For 7days, bivalves were exposed to three pH values (8.1, 7.7 and 7.4) at two temperatures (22 and 28°C). Three independent experiments were carried out at salinity values of 28, 34 and 40psu. Superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione S-transferase activities as well as lipid peroxidation were measured in the gills and digestive gland of the bivalves. The results demonstrated that the experimental conditions significantly influenced the biochemical parameters of the bivalves, although the variation pattern varied depending on the species and tissues analysed.

We analyzed polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in abdominal adipose of oceanic seabirds (short-tailed shearwaters, Puffinus tenuirostris) collected in northern North Pacific Ocean. In 3 of 12 birds, we detected higher-brominated congeners (viz., BDE209 and BDE183), which are not present in the natural prey (pelagic fish) of the birds. The same compounds were present in plastic found in the stomachs of the 3 birds. These data suggested the transfer of plastic-derived chemicals from ingested plastics to the tissues of marine-based organisms.

Whilst the biological consequences of long-term, gradual changes in acidity associated with the oceanic uptake of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) are increasingly studied, the potential effects of rapid acidification associated with a failure of sub-seabed carbon storage infrastructure have received less attention. This study investigates the effects of severe short-term (8days) exposure to acidified seawater on infaunal mediation of ecosystem processes (bioirrigation and sediment particle redistribution) and functioning (nutrient concentrations). Following acidification, individuals of Amphiura filiformis exhibited emergent behaviour typical of a stress response, which resulted in altered bioturbation, but limited changes in nutrient cycling. Under acidified conditions, A. filiformis moved to shallower depths within the sediment and the variability in occupancy depth reduced considerably. This study indicated that rapid acidification events may not be lethal to benthic invertebrates, but may result in behavioural changes that could have longer-term implications for species survival, ecosystem structure and functioning.

On the 20th anniversary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, a network of very large marine protected areas (the Big Ocean network) has emerged as a key strategy in the move to arrest marine decline and conserve some of the last remaining relatively undisturbed marine areas on the globe. Here we outline the ecological, economic and policy benefits of very large-scale MPAs and show their disproportionate value to global marine conservation targets. In particular we point out that very large-scale MPAs are a critical component of reaching the Aichi targets of protecting 10% of global marine habitats by 2020, because in addition to encompassing entire ecosystems, they will bring forward the expected date of achievement by nearly three decades (2025 as opposed to 2054). While the need for small MPAs remains critical, large MPAs will complement and enhance these conservation efforts. Big Ocean sites currently contain more than 80% of managed area in the sea, and provide our best hope for arresting the global decline in marine biodiversity.

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.