The influence of nutrients on the growth of Ulva prolifera was studied in the SYS by field experiments. The wet weight of U. prolifera gradiently increased from 11.94% to 25.92% in proportion to contents of DIN supply, which indicated DIN content was essentially decisive for the output of U. prolifera blooms. Continuous nutrient supply could promote the growth of U. prolifera, indicated by the increase of growth rate from 10.46% of the batch culture to 42.17% of the in situ culture. The higher P utilized rate in all treatments showed P was the potential limited factor for the growth of U. prolifera. Moreover, it was calculated about 4.1×105t organic matter was begot by U. prolifera in the whole Yellow Sea based on the statistical relationship between output of U. prolifera and DIN content. This work could be convenient to evaluate biomass and prepare enough tools to manage U. prolifera.

The Paranaguá Estuarine Complex (PEC) includes the naturally oligotrophic (NO) Mel Island which is surrounded by sea grasses, a naturally eutrophic (NE) Benito Inlet adjacent to mangrove wetlands and the highly impacted eutrophic (IE) Paranaguá Bay, home of one of Brazil’s largest ports. The results from this study indicate that reactive As and pyrite increase with sediment depth near Paranaguá port in the IE region. At the NE region, near a mangrove fringe, the reactive As, Fe, Mn and pyrite remained relatively high along the sediment column while near the sea grasses at NO the As contents were low. The degree of trace metal pyritization (DTMP) and the degree of pyritization (DOP) was highest at the IE site, slightly increasing with depth. These baseline results indicate that influence of trophic conditions and presence of marine vegetation may be directly related to As behavior in coastal systems.

Microplastics (<5mm) have been discovered in fresh and saltwater ecosystems, sediments, and wastewater effluent around the world. Their ability to persist and accumulate up food chains should be a concern as research is still experimenting with techniques to assess their long-term effects on the environment. I sought to characterize the microbeads found in facial exfoliating cleansers so as to better understand how to reduce this source of pollution through consumer use and wastewater treatment solutions. By sampling products from national-grossing cosmetic personal care brands, I was able to gather information on the size, color, volume, mass, and concentration of polyethylene beads in the cleansers. From that data, I modeled onto a consumer survey the estimated volume of microplastics entering a wastewater stream. Through inquiry, I learned the practices of two local wastewater treatment facilities. My findings show that consumer decisions and treatment protocols both play crucial parts in minimizing microplastic pollution.

The status of Kuwait’s fisheries landings and relative abundance for major species was reviewed using research data from Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research and landing data from the Kuwait’s Central Statistical Bureau. Landing data showed significant decreases for major commercial species such as zobaidy (Pampus argenteus), suboor (Tenualosa ilisha), hamoor (Epinephelus coioides), newaiby (Otolithes ruber) and hamra (Lutjanus malabaricus) while abundance data for the shrimp Penaeus semisulcatus showed significant reduction in the recent years mainly because of overfishing. The catch-rate data showed continuous decline for major species such as zobaidy, newaiby and hamoor, which indicate that stock abundances of these species are low. The reduction in stock abundance in context with changes in habitat quality, particularly the effects of reduced discharge of the Shatt Al-Arab, is discussed.

Metal speciation studies were carried out on three intertidal core sediments of the industrially impacted Dudh creek located along west coast of India. Metals indicated a drastic increase in the bioavailable fraction towards the surface of the cores, suggesting an increase in anthropogenic metal input in recent years as compared to the past. Also, when compared with Vaitarna estuary and Khonda creek of Thane district, the speciation of metals in Dudh creek sediments was observed to have been highly modified in recent years. High concentrations of metals associated with bioavailable fractions therefore suggested a risk of toxicity to sediment associated biota of Dudh creek.

Major (Al) and trace metal (Cu, Pb, Zn, Cr, Ni, Cd, and As) concentrations in 29 surface sediment samples from the eastern continental shelf of Hainan Island were evaluated to determine the level of contamination. A multivariate analysis indicated that the sources of Cd, As, and Pb were primarily anthropogenic, whereas the sources of Cu, Zn, Cr, and Ni were primarily natural and/or partially anthropogenic. Enrichment factor (EF) and geoaccumulation index (Igeo) values were calculated to assess the anthropogenic contamination in the region. Both the EF and Igeo values indicated relatively elevated Cd and As concentrations. This study provides a useful aid for sustainable marine management in the region.

Marine debris is a recognized global ecological concern. Little is known about the extent of the problem in the Mediterranean Sea regarding litter distribution and its influence on deep rocky habitats. A quantitative assessment of debris present in the deep seafloor (30–300m depth) was carried out in 26 areas off the coast of three Italian regions in the Tyrrhenian Sea, using a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV). The dominant type of debris (89%) was represented by fishing gears, mainly lines, while plastic objects were recorded only occasionally. Abundant quantities of gears were found on rocky banks in Sicily and Campania (0.09–0.12 debris m−2), proving intense fishing activity. Fifty-four percent of the recorded debris directly impacted benthic organisms, primarily gorgonians, followed by black corals and sponges. This work provides a first insight on the impact of marine debris in Mediterranean deep ecosystems and a valuable baseline for future comparisons.

A disposable instrument for measuring water turbidity in rivers and coastal oceans is described. It transmits turbidity measurements and position data via a satellite uplink to a processing server. The primary purpose of the instrument is to help document changes in sediment runoff from river catchments in North Queensland, Australia. The ‘river drifter’ is released into a flooded river and drifts downstream to the ocean, measuring turbidity at regular intervals. Deployment in the Herbert River showed a downstream increase in turbidity, and thus suspended sediment concentration, while for the Johnstone River there was a rapid reduction in turbidity where the river entered the sea. Potential stranding along river banks is a limitation of the instrument. However, it has proved possible for drifters to routinely collect data along 80km of the Herbert River. One drifter deployed in the Fly River, Papua New Guinea, travelled almost 200km before stranding.

Since 2004, an international testing program has certified 53 shipboard treatment systems as meeting ballast water discharge standards, including limits on certain microbes to prevent the spread of human pathogens. We determined how frequently certification tests failed a minimum requirement for a meaningful evaluation, that the concentration of microbes in the untreated (control) discharge must exceed the regulatory limit for treated discharges. In 95% of cases where the result was accepted as evidence that the treatment system reduced microbes to below the regulatory limit, the discharge met the limit even without treatment. This shows that the certification program for ballast water treatment systems is dysfunctional in protecting human health. In nearly all cases, the treatment systems would have equally well “passed” these tests even if they had never been turned on. Protocols must require minimum concentrations of targeted microbes in test waters, reflecting the upper range of concentrations in waters where ships operate.

The value of rehabilitating oiled wildlife is an on-going global debate. On October 5, 2011, the cargo vessel C/V Rena grounded on Astrolabe Reef, New Zealand (NZ), spilling over 300 tonnes of heavy fuel oil. As part of the Rena oil spill response, 383 little blue penguins (LBP, Eudyptula minor) were captured, cleaned, rehabilitated and released back into a cleaned environment. This research investigates foraging behaviour changes due either to the oil spill or by the rehabilitation process by comparing the diving behaviour of rehabilitated (n=8) and non-rehabilitated (n=6) LBPs and with LBP populations throughout NZ. Stabile isotope analysis of feathers was also used to investigate diet. There were no foraging behaviour differences between rehabilitated and non-rehabilitated LBPs and the overall diving behaviour of these LBPs have similar, if not less energetic, foraging behaviour than other LBPs in NZ. This suggests the rehabilitation process and clean-up undertaken after the Rena appears effective and helps justify the rehabilitation of oiled wildlife across the world.