Concentrations of seven metals (Al, Cd, Cu, Fe, Pb, Ni, Zn) were determined in 256 surface sediment samples, collected between May 2006 and November 2009, from 15 stations at the mouth of the Itata River and its adjacent marine zone (central-southern Chile) as part of an environmental monitoring program. The objectives of the work were to: (i) establish baseline metal concentrations in the sediments of the area and (ii) identify tendencies in the spatial and temporal distribution of the metals in these marine sediments. Concentrations were highest in the north zone of the Itata River mouth (stations E2C, E13C) for all the metals and at the stations farthest offshore from the mouth (E4, E6) for Cu, Fe, Pb, and Ni. The ranges in those concentrations were lower than those reported in other studies performed along the Chilean coast and lower than those observed in most other coastal systems around the world. Based on results of the indices used (geoaccumulation index, enrichment factor), the coastal sediments were not measurably elevated above natural levels.

Simulation models have been widely adopted in fisheries for management strategy evaluation (MSE). However, in catchment management of water quality, MSE is hampered by the complexity of both decision space and the hydrological process models. Empirical models based on monitoring data provide a feasible alternative to process models; they run much faster and, by conditioning on data, they can simulate realistic responses to management actions. Using 10years of water quality indicators from Queensland, Australia, we built an empirical model suitable for rapid MSE that reproduces the water quality variables’ mean and covariance structure, adjusts the expected indicators through local management effects, and propagates effects downstream by capturing inter-site regression relationships. Empirical models enable managers to search the space of possible strategies using rapid assessment. They provide not only realistic responses in water quality indicators but also variability in those indicators, allowing managers to assess strategies in an uncertain world.

We analyzed 68 green and blue mussels collected from Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam and the USA during 2003 and 2007, to elucidate the occurrence and widespread distributions of emerging pollutants, synthetic musks and benzotriazole UV stabilizers (BUVSs) in Asia–Pacific coastal waters. Synthetic musks and BUVSs were detected in mussels from all countries, suggesting their ubiquitous contamination and widespread distribution. High concentrations of musks and BUVSs were detected in mussels from Japan and Korea, where the levels were comparable or greater than those of PCBs, DDTs and PBDEs. Significant correlations were found between the concentrations of HHCB and AHTN, and also between the concentrations of UV-327 and UV-328, which suggest similar sources and compositions of these compounds in commercial and industrial products. To our knowledge, this is the first study of large-scale monitoring of synthetic musks and BUVSs in Asia–Pacific coastal waters.

Over the years many policy measures have been taken to prevent illegal oil discharges from ships, like the MARPOL 73/78 Convention (1983) and the Bonn Agreement (1969/1983). However, the number of discharges remained high, leading to chronic oiling of seabirds and sensitive coastlines, therefore further measures were taken. The aim of this study is to quantify the effectiveness of two key legislative regulations: the IMO-designation of the North Sea as MARPOL Special Area which took effect in 1999, and the adoption of the EU Directive on Port Reception Facilities in 2000. Under study is the heavily navigated Belgian Surveillance Area, monitored since 1991, characterised by shallow waters with ecologically important sandbanks. The aerial surveillance data from 1991 to 2010 show a stepwise decrease in ship-source oil pollution. Three time periods can be distinguished with two turning points coinciding with the actual implementation of these key legislative measures, confirming their effectiveness.

The largest municipal outfall on the west coast of Canada discharges into the southeastern Strait of Georgia, where high sedimentation from the Fraser River has maintained stable sediment geochemical and contaminant conditions from 2001 to 2011. Outfall exposure has not affected trophic structure or diversity (H′), but has significantly affected faunal composition and species richness, resulting in loss of crustaceans and echinoderms near-field. Organic biomass and production have mostly remained within expected background ranges for the Strait, due to recent increases in a low oxygen tolerant polychaete in the high deposition zone. A significant regional shift in faunal composition occurred after 2003, followed by gradual declines in richness, abundance, calcareous organisms and production. This cannot be attributed to changes in outfall exposure, but is exaggerated by it. We hypothesize that changing river flow, extreme events and shifts in offshore upwelling water temperature, oxygen and pH may be increasing geochemical stress in benthos.

In order to prove that hot air-dried crushed oyster shells (HACOS) are effective in reducing hydrogen sulfide in muddy tidal flat sediments and increasing the biomass, field experiments were carried out. The concentration of hydrogen sulfide in the interstitial water, which was 16mgSL⁻¹ before the application of HACOS, decreased sharply and maintained almost zero in the experimental sites (HACOS application sites) for one year, whereas it was remained at ca. 5mgSL⁻¹ in the control sites. The number of macrobenthos individuals increased to 2–4.5 times higher than that in the control site. Using a simple numerical model, the effective periods for suppression of hydrogen sulfide were estimated to be 3.2–7.6 and 6.4–15.2years for the experimental sites with 4 and 8tons per 10×10×0.2m area, respectively. From these results, it is concluded that HACOS is an effective material to remediate muddy tidal flats.

The dispersion of ¹³⁷Cs released from Fukushima nuclear power plant to the sea after the March 11th 2011 tsunami has been studied using numerical models. The 3D dispersion model consists of an advection/diffusion equation with terms describing uptake/release reactions between water and seabed sediments. The dispersion model has been fed with daily currents provided by HYCOM and JCOPE2 ocean models. Seabed sediment ¹³⁷Cs patterns obtained using both current data set have been compared. The impact of tides and of atmospheric deposition has been evaluated as well. It has been also found that a 2-step kinetic model (two consecutive reversible reactions) for describing water/sediment interactions produces better results than a 1-step model (one single reversible reaction).

In north Western Australia coral reefs occur near ports being developed to support rapidly expanding resources industries. Dredging for port construction is required to stop during significant mass coral spawning events due to the sensitivity of gametes and larvae to increases in turbidity and sedimentation, but the timing of this event can vary between seasons and years so monitoring is used to predict when spawning is imminent. Here we used simulations to mimick sampling strategies currently used in some coral spawning monitoring programmes in Western Australia, to assess the ability of these programmes to be able to predict multi-specific mass spawning events. We found that current practices may sometimes miss spawning events that are likely to be considered large enough to warrant stopping dredging. Generally, sampling fewer individuals in a large number of species is a better way of monitoring for upcoming spawning than sampling a large number of individuals in a small number of species, but overall, greater sampling efforts than are currently undertaken are needed if moderately sized events are to be detected reliably. Determining exactly how many samples are needed, however, depends on having a clearer definition of what actually constitutes a “significant mass spawning” event in the first place.

This paper describes different numerical models of ocean circulation the output of which can be applied to study patterns and pathways of drifting marine debris. The paper focuses on model output that is readily available rather than on numerical models that could be configured and run locally. These include operational models from the US Navy (the Navy Layered Ocean Model (NLOM), Coastal Ocean Model (NCOM), and Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM)), data assimilating reanalysis models (the Simple Ocean Data Assimilation (SODA), the Global Ocean Data Assimilation Experiment (GODAE) models), and the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) ocean reanalysis (Ocean Reanalysis System, ECMWF/ORA-S3). The paper describes the underlying physics in each model system, limitations, and where to obtain the model output.

Derelict fishing gear (DFG) is a highly persistent form of marine pollution known to cause environmental and economic damage. At-sea detection of DFG would support pelagic removal of this gear to prevent and minimize impacts on marine environments and species. In 2008, experts in marine debris, oceanography, remote sensing, and marine policy outlined a strategy to develop the capability to detect and ultimately remove DFG from the open ocean. The strategy includes three interrelated components: understanding the characteristics of the targeted DFG, indirectly detecting DFG by modeling likely locations, and directly detecting pelagic DFG using remote sensing. Together, these components aim to refine the search area, increase the likelihood of detection, and decrease mitigation response time, thereby providing guidance for removal operations. Here, we present this at-sea detection strategy, relate it to relevant extant research and technology, and identify gaps that currently prevent successful at-sea detection and removal of DFG.