Effects of Pollution on Marine Organisms

Abstract

This review covers selected 2011 articles on the biological, chemical and physical effects of natural and anthropogenic pollutants on marine and estuarine plants and animals. The review, based largely on journal articles, covers field and laboratory measurement activities (concentrations of contaminants, field surveys, toxicity testing and biomarkers). Reviewed papers focus further on pollution issues of current interest including endocrine disrupters, wastewater discharges, dredging and disposal, etc. Special emphasis is placed on oil spills and marine debris due in part to the catastrophic Deepwater Horizon blowout in the Gulf of Mexico and ongoing cleanup and the 2011 Japanese tsunami. Several topical areas reviewed in the past were dropped this year due to circumstances beyond our control. Further, the focus 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). As always, readers should only use this as a guide and must consult the original papers before citing them, including double‐checking units.