Effects of Pollution on Marine Organisms

Abstract

This review covers selected 2015 articles on the biological effects of pollutants and human physical disturbances on marine and estuarine plants, animals, ecosystems and habitats. The review, based largely on journal articles, covers field and laboratory measurement activities (bioaccumulation of contaminants, field assessment surveys, toxicity testing and biomarkers) as well as pollution issues of current interest including endocrine disrupters, emerging contaminants, wastewater discharges, dredging and disposal, etc. Special emphasis is placed on effects of oil spills and marine debris due largely to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil blowout in the Gulf of Mexico. Several topical areas reviewed in the past (ballast water and ocean acidification) were dropped this year. The focus of this review is on effects, not pollutant fate and transport. There is considerable overlap across subject areas (e.g.some bioaccumulation papers may be cited in other topical categories). Please use keyword searching of the text to locate related but distributed papers. Use this review only as a guide and please consult the original papers before citing them.

Advancements in the dominion of fate and transport of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in the environment—a bibliometric study

“…Along with the environment, these PPCPs have been detected in living organisms, including birds, fishes, microbes, mammals, plankton, turtles, algae, and invertebrates (Peng et al 2018), rats, and nonhuman primates (Mearns et al 2016(Mearns et al , 2018(Mearns et al , 2019(Mearns et al , 2020Peng et al 2018). This has been grouped under the theme PPCPs in organisms.…”

Parental Effects and Reproductive Potential of Fish and Marine Invertebrates: Cross-Generational Impact of Environmental Experiences

“…The effect of noise pollution in the mating selection of the common goby (Pomatoschistus microps) and how similar males would have lower reproductive success in noisy areas [13] has already been mentioned. However, there is extensive research on how pollution impacts the reproduction of aquatic organisms in both fresh [116] and marine waters [117]. For example, endocrine disruptors affect sexual maturation, gamete production and transport, sexual behavior, fertility, and gestation by altering the integrity of the reproductive system of aquatic animals [118,119].…”

Emerging Contaminants in Seafront Zones. Environmental Impact and Analytical Approaches

“…The assessment of PPCP concentrations is necessary to evaluate the environmental health of coastal and marine ecosystems because these compounds could produce many biological effects on marine biota [14] from subcellular or cellular to organismal-levels. These effects affect vital functions as reproduction, growth, metabolism, immunity, feeding and locomotion depending on the properties of PPCPs [15].…”