The contamination of surface sediments in Guan River Estuary, China, by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) has been fully investigated. Total concentrations of 21 PAHs ranged from 90 to 218ng/g with an average of 132.7ng/g, which is relatively low in comparison with other estuaries around the world. PAH concentrations appeared to be positively correlated with clay content and negatively correlated with sediment grain size. Source identification implied that the PAHs originated mainly from pyrolytic sources. However, source patterns may be continuously changed to a petrogenic origin due to the heavy ship traffic and continuous discharge of oily sewage in this area. The PAH levels were also compared with international Sediments Quality Guidelines and Sediments Quality Criteria, and the results indicated low negative effects for most individual PAHs. However, toxic effects related to FLO would occur occasionally in most locations in the estuary.

Mesozooplankton (Body size 20–200μm) along with the surface water were collected from coastal regions of Sundarban, northeastern part of Bay of Bengal considering three seasons, namely premonsoon, monsoon and postmonsoon. Samples were analyzed for community structure and the dominant copepod species were further analyzed for trace metal concentration. In total, 50 copepods were identified (22 families and 43 genera). The dominant mesozooplankton species included 9 copepods and an epipelagic chaetognath, exhibited both spatial and seasonal variations. Metal concentration exhibited considerable inter-specific variations for the copepods and the mean concentrations were: Fe, 1350.2–51118.3μg/g; Al, 647.2–73019.1μg/g; Ni, 32.4–110.3μg/g; Mn, 122.8–1066.5μg/g; Pb, 0.04–97.5μg/g; Pb, 10.6–97.5μg/g; Cd, 4.2–21.6μg/g; Cu, 17.4–145.1μg/g; Zn, 225.7–1670.9μg/g; Cr, 21.7–194.3μg/g; Co, 1.32–111.1μg/g. Metal concentrations showed the following order: Sagitta bedoti>Coryceas danae>Oithona sp.>Eucalanus subcrassus>Labidocera euchaeta>Paracalanus parvus>Acartiella tortaniformis>Acartia spinicauda>Pseudocalanus serricaudatus.

This study investigated the concentrations and distribution of Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in sediments of 12 rivers from South Bohai coastal watersheds. The highest concentrations of ΣPFAS (31.920ngg−1dw) and PFOA (29.021ngg−1dw) were found in sediments from the Xiaoqing River, which was indicative of local point sources in this region. As for other rivers, concentrations of ΣPFAS ranged from 0.218 to 1.583ngg−1dw were found in the coastal sediments and from 0.167 to 1.953ngg−1dw in the riverine sediments. Predominant PFAS from coastal and riverine areas were PFOA and PFBS, with percentages of 30% and 35%, respectively. Partitioning analysis showed the concentrations of PFNA, PFDA and PFHxS were significantly correlated with organic carbon. The results of a preliminary environmental hazard assessment showed that PFOS posed the highest hazard in the Mi River, while PFOA posed a relative higher hazard in the Xiaoqing River.

A recent comprehensive survey covering 125 sites in Hong Kong waters recorded 29 soft coral species in 14 genera, 38 species of gorgonians in 19 genera and six species of black corals in two genera. Environmental variabilities based on water quality data collected by Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department were analyzed using multivariate statistics to find variables that are significantly correlated with coral distribution patterns. Eleven water quality zones with similar environmental variabilities were recognized, which could further be classified into five groups, namely Inner Bay, Outer Bay, Eastern, Western and Southern waters. LINKTREE analysis provided an overall trend indicating the importance of salinity, sediment and nutrient loadings in affecting octocoral and black coral distribution from west to east of Hong Kong waters, and from inner to outer bays. Furthermore, water turbidity and wave exposure could also affect the coral distribution patterns from north, northeast to southern waters.

This study provides a first estimate of the sources, distribution, and risk presented by emerging organic contaminants (EOCs) in coastal waters off southwestern Taiwan. Ten illicit drugs, seven nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), five antibiotics, two blood lipid regulators, two antiepileptic drugs, two UV filters, caffeine, atenolol, and omeprazole were analyzed by solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (SPE–LC–MS/MS). Thirteen EOCs were detected in coastal waters, including four NSAIDs (acetaminophen, ibuprofen, ketoprofen, and codeine), three antibiotics (ampicillin, erythromycin, and cefalexin), three illicit drugs (ketamine, pseudoephedrine, and MDMA), caffeine, carbamazepine, and gemfibrozil. The median concentrations for the 13 EOCs ranged from 1.47ng/L to 156ng/L. Spatial variation in concentration of the 13 EOCs suggests discharge into coastal waters via ocean outfall pipes and rivers. Codeine and ampicillin have significant pollution risk quotients (RQ>1), indicating potentially high risk to aquatic organisms in coastal waters.

Seagrass meadows are valuable ecosystem service providers that are now being lost globally at an unprecedented rate, with water quality and other localised stressors putting their future viability in doubt. It is therefore critical that we learn more about the interactions between seagrass meadows and future environmental change in the anthropocene. This needs to be with particular reference to the consequences of poor water quality on ecosystem resilience and the effects of change on trophic interactions within the food web. Understanding and predicting the response of seagrass meadows to future environmental change requires an understanding of the natural long-term drivers of change and how these are currently influenced by anthropogenic stress. Conservation management of coastal and marine ecosystems now and in the future requires increased knowledge of how seagrass meadows respond to environmental change, and how they can be managed to be resilient to these changes. Finding solutions to such issues also requires recognising people as part of the social–ecological system. This special issue aims to further enhance this knowledge by bringing together global expertise across this field. The special issues considers issues such as ecosystem service delivery of seagrass meadows, the drivers of long-term seagrass change and the socio-economic consequences of environmental change to seagrass.

The world’s northernmost harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) population, which inhabits Svalbard, Norway, constitutes a genetically distinct population. The present study reports concentrations of 14 PCBs, 5 chlordanes, p,p′-DDT, p,p′-DDE, hexachlorobenzene (HCB), mirex, and, α-, β-and γ-hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) in blubber, and pentachlorophenol, 4-OH-heptachlorostyrene, 10 OH-PCBs and 14 perfluoroalkyl substances in plasma of live-captured harbor seals from this population (4 males, 4 females, 4 juveniles), sampled in 2009–2010. Concentrations of PCB 153, p,p′-DDE, oxychlordane, α-HCH and mirex and perfluoroalkyl sulfonates in Svalbard harbor seals were considerably lower than harbor seal from more southerly populations, while concentrations of HCB, OH-PCBs and perfluoroalkyl carboxylates were similar for harbor seals from Svalbard and southern areas. Concentrations of PCBs and pesticides in the Svalbard harbor seals were 60–90% lower than levels determined a decade ago in this same population. Current concentrations of legacy POPs are not considered a health risk to the harbor seals from Svalbard.

This two-year study is the first attempt to analyse the ecological effects of breakwater systems on soft-bottom assemblages along the North Tyrrhenian coast. Differently from previous studies focusing on infauna of on-shore and off-shore sides, we compared the assemblages inhabiting the surrounding soft-bottoms not directly protected by the breakwaters, defining our sampling stations at varying distances from the breakwaters and at constant distance from the coast.Data collected revealed that abundance, species richness and M-AMBI ecological quality differed between northern and southern sides, and were related to distance from structures. Multivariate analyses of relationships between assemblages and abiotic characteristics support this hypothesis. The extension of these effects, that resulted to be weak and limited to a restricted area, could be a consequence of coastal current on local hydrodynamics. This study provides novel and critical information for the management of the coastal defence infrastructure spreading along the western coast of Italy.

Sustainable exploitation of coastal ecosystems is facilitated by tools which allow reliable assessment of their response to anthropogenic pressures. The Infaunal Quality Index (IQI) and Multivariate-AMBI (M-AMBI) were developed to classify the ecological status (ES) of benthos for the Water Framework Directive (WFD). The indices respond reliably to the impacts of organic enrichment in muddy sand habitats, but their applicability across a range of pressures and habitats is less well understood. The ability of the indices to predict changes in response to pressures in three distinct habitats, intertidal muddy sand, maerl and inshore gravel, was tested using pre-existing datasets. Both responded following the same patterns of variation as previously reported. The IQI was more conservative when responding to environmental conditions so may have greater predictive value in dynamic habitats to provide an early-warning system to managers’. Re-calibration of reference conditions is necessary to reliably reflect ES in different habitats.

This study reports results of analysis of sediment cores collected from the Patos Lagoon estuary. This estuary receives materials from land runoff into Patos and Mirim lagoons and from exchange with the adjacent South Atlantic Ocean through a narrow inlet. Sediment from these sources is mostly natural, but additional contributions associated with source/activities related to the port of Rio Grande. The aim of this study was to estimate rates of accumulation of the sediments and to assess the significance of metal inputs from these activities relative to natural inputs. Our results indicate an average sedimentation rate of 0.3cm/yr and that the transport of suspended solids from offshore sources into the estuary was enhanced after the deepening of the channel and construction of the breakwaters (in the early 1900). Results for metal accumulation in these sediments suggest that there have been only minor enrichments which can be attributed to anthropogenic sources.