Investigating the presence of organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in wild and farmed gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) from the Western Mediterranean sea

The presence of organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in wild and farmed gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) from the Western Mediterranean, Spain, is investigated. These pollutants were determined in white and red muscle and liver by gas chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. Contaminant profiles present in both wild and farmed fish tissues include DDTs, PCBs and HCB. The highest concentrations of contaminants were found in liver, and an increase in pollutant levels was observed in autumn, before spawning. This fact is explained in light of increased food intake when sea water temperatures increase. Gilthead sea bream from Western Mediterranean populations showed significantly higher concentrations of DDTs and PCBs than farmed fish from the same area. This fact is attributed to the low level of organochlorine contaminants present in fish feed supplied to the cultured fish. The diet is highlighted as an important factor in understanding differences observed in organochlorine pollutants levels of fish tissues.     

How good is good? Human values and Europe's proposed Marine Strategy Directive

The adoption of the proposed European Marine Strategy Directive is an opportunity for a comprehensive policy for protecting, improving and sustainably using Europe's environmentally degraded seas. It calls for an ecosystem-based approach to management where humans are regarded as a key system component. Although the proposed wording has been the subject of fierce debate, the central policy goal remains achieving "Good Environmental Status". The interpretation of "good" is key to implementation and relates to human values and worldviews. We demonstrate how these vary widely across Europe. Solution of fundamental considerations such as the assignation of reference states, the balance between precautionary and evidence-based action, the degree of subsidiarity, and conservation strategies including marine protected areas, will ultimately depend upon public understanding, involvement in and support for the Directive. The social element, critical to effective adaptive management, requires greater attention within the context of a regional seas geographical framework.     

Towards an operational system for oil-spill forecast over Spanish waters: initial developments and implementation test

The ESEOO Project, launched after the Prestige crisis, has boosted operational oceanography capacities in Spain, creating new operational oceanographic services and increasing synergies between these new operational tools and already existing systems. In consequence, the present preparedness to face an oil-spill crisis is enhanced, significantly improving the operational response regarding ocean, meteorological and oil-spill monitoring and forecasting. A key aspect of this progress has been the agreement between the scientific community and the Spanish Search and Rescue Institution (SASEMAR), significantly favoured within the ESEOO framework. Important achievements of this collaboration are: (1) the design of protocols that at the crisis time provide operational state-of-the-art information, derived from both forecasting and observing systems; (2) the establishment, in case of oil-spill crisis, of a new specialized unit, named USyP, to monitor and forecast the marine oceanographic situation, providing the required met-ocean and oil-spill information for the crisis managers. The oil-spill crisis scenario simulated during the international search and rescue Exercise "Gijón-2006", organized by SASEMAR, represented an excellent opportunity to test the capabilities and the effectiveness of this USyP unit, as well as the protocols established to analyze and transfer information. The results presented in this work illustrate the effectiveness of the operational approach, and constitute an encouraging and improved base to face oil-spill crisis.     

Benthic macrophytes as a tool for delineating, monitoring and assessing ecological status: the case of Slovenian coastal waters

Benthic macrophytes from 51 sites in the upper infralittoral zone along the Slovenian rocky coast were sampled (randomly stratified) in order to (1) confirm water body (WB) boundaries, (2) select sampling points for a surveillance monitoring programme, and (3) assess preliminary Ecological Status Classes (ESC) within the European Water Framework Directive (WFD). Coverage data of macrophytes were analyzed by using cluster analysis, Simper analysis and the Ecological Evaluation Index (EEI). The vegetation was rather homogenously classified into two Cystoseiretum crinitae subassociations: Halopithetosum incurvae, and Cystoseiretosum compressae, and into Cystoseiretum barbatae association. Seven monitoring sites at a kilometer scale were selected in two significant sized WBs following the mixing zone principle and the EEI successional model. The preliminary assessment of the ESC with the EEI was in agreement with existing human pressures in the area. In view of the present results, benthic macrophytes and EEI could be valuable tools for the implementation of the WFD within the Mediterranean eco-region.     

Inshore/offshore gradients of imposex and organotin contamination in Nassarius reticulatus (L.) along the Portuguese coast

Imposex and organotin (OT) tissue contamination of the netted whelk Nassarius reticulatus (L.) were assessed in the continental shelves around the main estuaries of the central coast of Portugal (Lisbon: Tagus estuary; Setúbal: Sado estuary) and the main coastal lagoon in the Southern of Portugal (Faro: Ria Formosa). Pollution levels were higher in areas of more intense boat traffic and shipyard activities and imposex showed a clear decreasing gradient from the estuaries to the offshore, in relation to a similar gradient of tissue contamination by tributyltin. Remarkably, imposex was extensively spread over the adjacent continental shelves of Tagus and Sado estuaries. The current work shows that TBT pollution is undoubtedly a matter of concern not only for the above estuaries where harbours are implanted but also for the adjacent continental shelves, regardless the massive dilution of contaminants that may occur in these deeper areas.     

Measurement of environmental trace-metal levels in Mediterranean coastal areas with transplanted mussels and DGT techniques

Mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) and diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) devices were deployed together for three one-month periods in coastal waters of Sardinia (Italy), in order to assess the levels of Cd, Cu, Ni, and Pb in areas differently affected by anthropogenic activities. DGT devices were more sensitive than mussels in detecting differences in metal concentrations between sites, while interpretation of the biomonitoring data revealed difficulties related to the biotic and abiotic factors that can influence the measurements. Regression analysis showed a significant correlation between Cd and Pb concentrations measured in the mussel tissues and bioavailable metal levels in seawater. Moreover transplanted mussels did not accumulate Cu and Ni following pre-exposure, although DGT showed significant concentrations of bioavailable forms of these metals in seawater. The results provided an estimate of the water quality with respect to dissolved metals and pointed out the usefulness of a combination of biomonitoring and DGT techniques for a better understanding of trace metal availability in coastal waters.     

Analysis of change of red tide species in Yodo River estuary by the numerical ecosystem model

Occurrence number of red tides in Osaka Bay in Japan is more than 20 cases every year. Diatom red tide was dominant in Osaka Bay, but the non-diatom red tide was dominant in early 1990s. Therefore, the material cycling in Yodo River estuary in Osaka Bay during August from 1991 to 2000 was analyzed by using the numerical ecosystem model and field observation data to clarify the reasons of change in red tide species. Year-to-year variation in calculated concentration ratio of diatom to non-diatom corresponds to the variation in observed ratio of red tide days of diatom to non-diatom. Limiting nutrient of primary production is phosphate over the period. Diatom dominated from 1991 to 1993, but it was difficult for non-diatom to grow due to the limitation by physical condition. Non-diatom was able to grow because of good physical and nutrient conditions from 1994 to 1996. And diatom dominated again under the good physical condition, and phosphorus supply was not enough for non-diatom to grow from 1998 to 2000. Phosphate concentration in the lower layer of Yodo River estuary was important to the variation in red tide species in the upper layer of Yodo River estuary.