Concentrations of eight metals and metalloids (Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn, Mn, Se, Ni and As) were evaluated from 41 nesting females (blood) and 13 dead (tissues) Olive Ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea), a species classified as vulnerable and also listed in Appendix I of the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). The mean blood, liver and kidney lead concentration were 0.02±0.01, 0.11±0.08 and 0.06±0.03μgg−1 ww respectively, values lower than other turtle species and locations, which it could be due to the gradual disuse of leaded gasoline in Mexico and Central America since the 1990s. Mean concentration of cadmium was 0.17±0.08 (blood), 82.88±36.65 (liver) and 150.88±110.99μgg−1 (kidney). To our knowledge, the mean renal cadmium levels found is the highest ever reported worldwide for any sea turtle species, while other six elements showed a concentration similar to other studies in sea turtles.

The Atlantic invasion of Indo-Pacific lionfish (Pterois volitans/P. miles) has been as swift as it has been disastrous. Lionfish are non-native to the Mediterranean, but an invasion is perhaps even more likely than for the Atlantic. First, as for the Atlantic, there are many major cities on the coast of the Mediterranean (where aquarium-keeping is a common practice and chances of accidental and deliberate releases are high), and second, lionfish are native to the Red Sea, to which the Mediterranean is connected via the Suez Canal. Furthermore, there have already been four records of lionfish in the Mediterranean and so the pretext for an invasion is already in place. Up until now, however, it has been difficult to gauge the likelihood of an infestation of lionfish in the Mediterranean as, unlike the Atlantic, this sea has not been examined in terms of its hydrodynamics, ocean climate, and bathymetry, all factors known to be relevant to assessing the possibility of invasion. Motivated by this knowledge-gap, this study used remote sensing and computer modeling to investigate the connectivity between areas along the Mediterranean coastline that fulfill the necessary physical criteria to serve as potential lionfish habitat. Model results from the Mediterranean were compared and contrasted to those from the Atlantic and eastern Pacific. The Atlantic was considered because the lionfish invasion there has been voracious. Meanwhile, the eastern Pacific is interesting as a site without native lionfish, but with plenty of opportunity for their introduction, but no invasion yet recorded. Results indicated that, unlike in the Atlantic, connectivity among potential lionfish habitats in the Mediterranean was low in the study and comparable to that in the eastern Pacific. Although oceanographic conditions in the Mediterranean were found unfavorable for wide dispersion of lionfish larvae, hotspots where numerous lionfish sightings would forewarn an impending invasion were identified. This paper can therefore serve as a guide to the most efficient monitoring of lionfish in the Mediterranean and to where removal efforts should be concentrated, should the species become established.

Oil–shoreline interaction (or “beaching” as commonly referred to in literature) is an issue of major concern in oil spill modeling, due to the significant environmental, social and economic importance of coastal areas. The present work studies the improvement of the representation of beaching brought by the introduction of the Oil Holding Capacity approach to estimate oil concentration on coast, along with new approaches for coast type assignment to shoreline segments and the calculation of permanent oil attachment to the coast. The above were tested for the Lebanon oil spill of 2006, using a modified version of the open-source oil spill model MEDSLIK-II. The modified model results were found to be in good agreement with field observations for the specific case study, and their comparison with the original model results denote the significant improvement in the fate of beached oil brought by the proposed changes.

The occurrence of triclosan (TCS) and triclocarban (TCC) in a subtropical river (Jiulong River) and its estuary was investigated for two years. TCS and TCC were ubiquitously detected in the Jiulong River and its estuary. The levels of TCS and TCC ranged from less than the method detection limit to 64ng/L and from 0.05 to 14.1ng/L in the river, respectively. The levels of TCS and TCC in the estuary ranged from 2.56 to 27.25ng/L and 0.38 to 5.76ng/L, respectively. Temporal and spatial variations of TCS and TCC in the Jiulong River and its estuary were observed during the investigation. The weather conditions did not show significant correlations with TCS and TCC, whereas several water quality parameters showed high correlations with TCS and TCC. The microcosm studies showed that both direct photolysis and biodegradation contributed to TCS removal, whereas indirect photolysis was important for TCC removal in the surface water.

Bivalve samples from 142 sites were analyzed to determine the concentration and toxicity equivalents (TEQ) of dioxins and furans (D/F) as part of the NOAA National Status and Trends Program. The total concentration of 17 D/F ranged from not detected to 203pg/g wet weight of tissue. Octachlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin, OCDD, had a concentration range from not detected to 189pg/g and a mean concentration of 8.65pg/g. OCDD was the dominant D/F compound detected and accounted for, on average, over 70% of the total D/F concentration. The TEQ (compared to 2,3,7,8-TCDD) ranged from 0.12 to 7.32pg TEQ/g. The TEQ for 39% of the bivalves analyzed were below 0.238pg TEQ/g. TEQ above human consumption advisory concentration of 1.2pg TEQ/g were found in 9.3% of the samples analyzed. TEQ for D/F indicate very limited human health concerns from consumption of bivalves at most of the locations sampled.

China’s coastal area is severely damaged by marine invasive species. Traditional tort theory resolves issues relevant to property damage or personal injuries, through which plaintiffs cannot cope with the ecological damage caused by marine invasive species. Several defects exist within the current legal regimes, such as imperfect management systems, insufficient unified technical standards, and unsound legal responsibility systems. It is necessary to pass legislation to prevent the ecological damage caused by marine invasive species. This investigation probes the fundamental principles needed for the administration and legislation of an improved legal framework to combat the problem of invasive species within China’s coastal waters.

A detailed investigation of mercury concentrations in the bottom sediments of Minamata Bay was performed in May, 2012. A total of 691 sediment samples were obtained from 107 sampling points in the bay. The weighted average total mercury concentration and the total mass of mercury in the bottom sediments of Minamata Bay were estimated to be 2.3mg/kg dry weight basis and 3.4tons, respectively. The average concentration of total mercury in the surface layer of the sediments was 3.0mg/kg dry weight basis, and the distribution pattern of total mercury concentrations in the surface layer was found to have changed little in comparison to results reported 25years ago. In addition, based on the results of seawater monitoring in Minamata Bay from 2010 to 2012, the amounts of total mercury and methylmercury mobilized from sediments and dissolved in the water column were 0.7 and 0.1kg/yr, respectively.

The island of St. Vincent in the Lesser Antilles supports an ongoing, legal cetacean hunt, which targets several species for human consumption. Little is known regarding the healthfulness and potential health risks of these foods in this setting. Following established methodologies we analyzed 39 raw muscle tissue samples and 38 raw blubber samples from two cetacean species for total mercury and methyl-mercury. We also analyzed samples of muscle tissue from an unknown cetacean species prepared for consumption. We report high concentrations of total mercury and methyl-mercury in these tissues as compared to published data for other seafood products. Further, our findings indicate that the traditional preparation method most often used locally in St. Vincent yields a finished food product with a much higher mercury concentration than the unprocessed tissue. Our results highlight the potential for negative human health effects related to the consumption of these food products in St. Vincent.

This paper presents the first detailed investigation on the residual levels of organochlorine insecticide (OCI) concentrations in the Cochin estuarine sediment. It aims in elucidate their distribution and ecological impact on the aquatic system. Concentrations of persistent organochlorine compound (OC) were determined for 17 surface sediment samples which were collected from specific sites of Cochin Estuarine System (CES) over a period of November 2009 and November 2011. The contaminant levels in the CES were compared with other worldwide ecosystems. The sites bearing high concentration of organochlorine compounds are well associated with the complexities and low energy environment. Evaluation of ecotoxicological factors suggests that adverse biological effects are expected in certain areas of CES.

The major aim of this study was to investigate heavy metal content of edible fish in the PRD. Eleven species of fish (consisting of 711 individuals) [catfish (Clarias fuscus), tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus), grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus), bighead carp (Aristichthys nobilis), mandarin fish (Siniperca kneri), snakehead (Channa asiatiea), black bass (Micropterus salmoides), mangrove snapper (Lutjanus griseus), star snapper (Lutjanu stellatus), snubnose pompano (Trachinotus blochii) and orange-spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides)] were collected for the analyses of heavy metals. Overall concentrations (mg/kg, ww) in the fish muscles were: As (0.03–1.53), Pb (0.03–8.62), Cd (0.02–0.06), Ni (0.44–9.75), Zn (15.7–29.5), Cr (0.22–0.65), Cu (0.79–2.26), Mn (0.82–6.91). Significant level of Pb were found in tilapia at all locations. It is recommended that heavy metal concentrations in different fish species must be determined on a regular basis in the future so as to reduce human health risks from acute and chronic food intoxication.