The use of sonar by military vessels during military exercises may produce acoustic pollution of the marine environment. States have an obligation under international law to reduce and control this form of pollution. Regulation of the use of sonar is rendered more complex by the specific regime applicable to warships, i.e. sovereign immunity. Immunity however does not prevent in all cases action by States other than the flag State, notwithstanding the limitations imposed by Art. 236 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. More importantly, immunity does not prevent the flag State from taking measures to reduce pollution caused by its own warships. Under some environmental treaties, flag States not only may, but have the obligation to adopt measures.

Heavy oil (HO) on the sea surface penetrates into fish eggs and prevents the normal morphogenesis. To identify the toxicological effects of HO in the context of the egg types, we performed exposure experiments using floating eggs and sinking eggs. In the course of development, HO-exposed embryos of floating eggs showed abnormal morphology, whereas early larva of the sinking eggs had almost normal morphology. However, the developing peripheral nervous system of sinking eggs showed abnormal projections. These findings suggest that HO exposed fishes have problems in the developing neurons, although they have no morphological malformations. Through these observations, we conclude that HO is strongly toxic to floating eggs in the morphogenesis, and also affect the neuron development in both floating and sinking eggs.

Contaminated sediments may have wide-ranging impacts on human and ecological health. A series of in situ caged exposure studies using juvenile Chinook salmon was conducted in the Lower Duwamish Waterway (LDW). Chemical analysis of sediment, water, and fish tissue were completed. Additionally, in 2004, DNA adducts in hepatic and gill tissues were measured. Gills contained significantly higher DNA adducts at stations B2 and B4, prompting further analysis of gills in 2006 and 2007. Fluorescent aromatic compounds (FACs) in bile, and CYP1A1 in hepatic tissue were also measured during 2006 and 2007, respectively. FACs in field-caged fish were comparable or significantly higher than wild-caught fish LDW fish and significantly higher than lab fish after only 8–10days, demonstrating the equivalency of exposure to that of migrating salmon. Furthermore, selected biomarkers appear to be capable of detecting spikes in contamination between sampling years, emphasizing the need for multiple year data collection.

The complexity of the relationships between Alexandrium minutum (Am.) concentration in the water ([A.m.](w)), Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning contamination in the digestive gland ([PSP](dg)) and valve behavior was explored in oysters Crassostrea gigas. Two experiments were conducted, during which oysters' valve behaviour were analyzed. Oysters, first acclimated for 10-days with the non harmful microalgae Heterocapsa triquetra (H.t.), were exposed to four microalgae mixtures at constant total concentrations of 10 x 10(3) cells ml(-1) (experiment-1) and 5 x 10(3) cells ml(-1) (experiment-2): 100% Am.; 50% A.m.-50% H.t.; 25% A.m.-75% H.t.; 100% H.t. At the end of experiment-2, [PSP](dg) were measured. At 10 x 103 cells ml(-1), the microalgal ingestion decreased (p < 0.05) with increasing [A.m.](w) but not at 5 x 10(3) cells ml(-1) (p > 0.05). The frequency of microclosures specifically increased with [A.m.](w) (p < 0.05) and the opening duration with [PSP](dg) (p < 0.0001). Oysters exhibiting the maximum increase in opening duration also exhibited the highest [PSP](dg). The results are discussed in terms of oyster physiology and origin of the behavioral response. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Adverse effects of invasive alien species (IAS), or biological pollution, is an increasing problem in marine coastal waters, which remains high on the environmental management agenda. All maritime countries need to assess the size of this problem and consider effective mechanisms to prevent introductions, and if necessary and where possible to monitor, contain, control or eradicate the introduced impacting organisms. Despite this, and in contrast to more enclosed water bodies, the openness of marine systems indicates that once species are in an area then eradication is usually impossible. Most institutions in countries are aware of the problem and have sufficient governance in place for management. However, there is still a general lack of commitment and concerted action plans are needed to address this problem. This paper provides recommendations resulting from an international workshop based upon a large amount of experience relating to the assessment and control of biopollution. Highlights ► We summarize the results of an international workshop on marine biopollution. ► We recommend science-based information support for bioinvasion management. ► We outline types of bioinvasion monitoring and consider topical research needs. ► We emphasize the role of taxonomy training and public involvement. ► Biopollution should be treated in the same way as any other type of pollution.

After the implementation of the Water Framework Directive (WFD), there is an increasing need to monitor pollutant concentrations entering surfaces waters. This concerns all kinds of effluents, as well as urban waters (i.e., wastewater and stormwater). This study provides the first database on the occurrence of 88 individual substances in urban water and highlights direct discharges of these substances to the aquatic environment. Indeed, these hazardous pollutants, listed or not in the WFD, could be released without any treatment to watercourses during a storm.

International audience | Riparian wetlands are subject to nitrogen enrichment from upgradient agricultural and urban land uses and also from flooding by nitrogen-enriched surface waters. The effects of this N enrichment on wetland soil biogeochemistry may be mediated by both the presence of plants and the presence of redox-active compounds, specifically iron oxides in the soil. Despite the extensive research on wetland N cycling, the relative importance of these two factors on nitrogen is poorly known, especially for forested wetlands. This study evaluates the responses of the N and the Fe cycles to N enrichment in a riparian forested wetland, contrasting vegetated field plots with plots where the vegetation was removed to test the role of plants. Furthermore, in vitro anaerobic incubations of the experimental soils were performed to track Fe chemical changes over time under anoxic or flooded conditions. Wetland soils treated with N in form of urea, as expected, had significantly higher amounts inorganic nitrogen. In the soils where vegetation was also removed, in addition to inorganic nitrogen pool, increase in organic nitrogen pool was also observed. The results demonstrate the role of vegetation in limiting the effects excess urea has on different soil nitrogen pools. Results from anaerobic incubation of the experimental soils demonstrated the effects of N enrichment on the wetland Fe cycle. The effects of excess nitrogen and the role of vegetation on the Fe cycle in riparian wetland soil became more evident during anaerobic incubation experiments. At the end of the field experiment, Fe concentrations in the soils under the treatments were not significantly different from the control soils at the 5% confidence level. However, during the anaerobic incubation experiment of soils collected at the end of the experiment from these plots, the N-enriched soils and the unvegetated soils maintained significantly elevated concentrations of reducible Fe(III) for the initial 2-week period of incubation, and the soils collected from the plots with both the treatments had the highest Fe(III) concentrations. After 20 days of incubation, however, the Fe (III) concentrations decreased to the similar concentrations in all the incubated soils. The study clarifies the roles vegetation play in mediating the effects of N enrichment and also demonstrates that N enrichment does affect wetland redox cycle, which has strong implications on ecosystem services such as water quality improvement.

The paper deals with determination of the economic elements of water management, which reflect the specific foundations, processes, principles and goals that are determined by the water policy. In terms of services, this represents the economic valorization of the foundations in manageable and unmanageable technical and natural systems, in which processes take place to bring water to a certain target quantity and quality, as well as provide safety against water in time and space. The use of, and protection against water, are under the pressures and influence of natural climatic and soil factors, the balance condition of surface and groundwater, and in particular human activities and demands for the characteristics of water in a water body, water area and in the river basin. These factors influence the demand for services, which also depends on the available domestic product, its volume of use, tastes and preferences. The offer consists of services for a particular quantity and quality of the available water, and for a certain degree of safety from the harmful effects of water, which are achieved by the employees of the functional facilities and systems. Together with the activities of the association, population and public services, the use of, and protection against water make up the totality of water management. It requires a decision process in all of the functions involved in planning, organization, management and control. Water management is identified with the water policy and activity, although there is a difference between them. The first is represented by a decision-making system in planning, organization, management and control, while the second is represented by the activity systems of government in the field of protection against water, as well as the protection and use of water. The activity consist of certain services which are performed by the employees of the companies, through the provision and performance of water management services in various time and space, in accordance with the offer and the demands of the users.

This paper presents aquatic macroinvertebrate community composition at six investigated localities of Drina River. Sampling was performed during 2004. Field data together with characteristics of the community were used to estimate the status of the river. According to our results good water quality, within the limits of the 2nd category, was evaluated for Drina River.