European Marine Waters Research Articles

How Representative Are European AERONET-OC Sites of European Marine Waters?

Data from the Ocean Color component of the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET-OC) have been extensively used to assess Ocean Color radiometric products from various satellite sensors. This study, focusing on Ocean Color radiometric operational products from the Sentinel-3 Ocean and Land Colour Instrument (OLCI), aims at investigating where in the European seas the results of match-up analyses at the European marine AERONET-OC sites could be applicable. Data clustering is applied to OLCI remote sensing reflectance RRS(λ) from the various sites to define different sets of optical classes, which are later used to identify class-based uncertainties. A set of fifteen classes grants medium-to-high classification levels to most European seas, with exceptions in the South-East Mediterranean Sea, the Atlantic Ocean, or the Gulf of Bothnia. In these areas, RRS(λ) spectra are very often identified as novel with respect to the generated set of classes, suggesting their under-representation in AERONET-OC data. Uncertainties are finally mapped onto European seas according to class membership. The largest uncertainty values are obtained in the blue spectral region for almost all classes. In clear waters, larger values are obtained in the blue bands. Conversely, larger values are shown in the green and red bands in coastal and turbid waters.

Philometroides giginosantoroi n. sp. (Nematoda: Philometridae), a new muscle-infecting species in the Mediterranean moray (Muraena helena) revealed using integrative taxonomy.

Philometroides Yamaguti, 1935 is a genus of dracunculoid nematodes of the family Philometridae Baylis & Daubney, 1926 comprising tissue-infecting species worldwide. In the present study, a new species of Philometroides is described from the Tyrrhenian Sea (central-western Mediterranean Sea) using integrative approaches such as light and scanning microscopy, histopathology and 18S rRNA sequencing. Philometroides giginosantoroi n. sp. found in the skeletal muscles of the Mediterranean moray Muraena helena can be distinguished from its congeners by a combination of morphological traits and in particular by having the oral aperture with 3 large sclerotized triangular oesophageal teeth. The molecular analyses and phylogenetic reconstructions support its status as a new taxon and placed it within a clade of tissue-infecting species, although also confirmed mismatches in the generic assignment of several species. Philometroides giginosantoroi n. sp. is the second species of the genus found in the Mediterranean Sea and in general in the European marine waters and the third species of the family known to infect the family Muraenidae.

Tracking aquatic animals for fisheries management in European waters

AbstractAcoustic telemetry (AT) has emerged as a valuable tool for monitoring aquatic animals in both European inland and marine waters over the past two decades. The European Tracking Network (ETN) initiative has played a pivotal role in promoting collaboration among AT researchers in Europe and has led to a significant increase in the number of tagged and observed aquatic animals in transboundary European waters. While AT benefits decision‐making and delivers essential data to management bodies, its potential for management decision‐making mechanisms has yet to be fully harnessed. We reviewed existing research, studies, and organisational initiatives related to aquatic animal tracking and their utility in fisheries management in European waters. We found that AT has already contributed to many aspects of fisheries management, such as improved understanding of stock dynamics, identification of critical habitats, assessment of migration routes, and evaluation of the effectiveness of conservation measures. However, broader utilisation of tracking technologies is needed. By leveraging the full potential of AT, managers can make more informed decisions to protect, restore, and sustainably manage European waters and creatures that live therein.

New tools and recommendations for a better management of harmful algal blooms under the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive

Marine harmful algal blooms (HABs), caused by various aquatic microalgae, pose significant risks to ecosystems, some socio-economic activities and human health. Traditionally managed as a public health issue through reactive control measures such as beach closures, seafood trade bans or closure of mollusc production areas, the multifaceted linkages of HABs with environmental and socio-economic factors require more comprehensive ecosystem-based management approach tools to support policies. This study promotes a coordinated understanding and implementation of HAB assessment and management under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), targeting the achievement of Good Environmental Status (GES) in European marine waters. We introduce two novel tools: GES4HABs (GES for HABs) decision tree, and MAMBO (environMental mAtrix for the Management of BlOoms), a decision support matrix. These tools aim to streamline HABs reporting and prioritize resource allocation and management interventions. The GES4HABs decision tree defines a sequence of decision steps to identify HAB management strategies according to their state (evaluated against predefined baselines) and causes (anthropic or natural). MAMBO is proposed to address different HABs and their interaction with human and environmental pressures. The matrix utilizes two axes: natural trophic status and level of human influence, capturing major aspects such as nutrient supply. While acknowledging the limitations of this simplified framework, MAMBO categorizes marine regions into quadrants of varying management viability. Regions with high human influence and eutrophic conditions are identified as most suitable for effective management intervention, whereas regions with minimal or mixed human influence are deemed less amenable to active management. In addition, we explore and describe various indicators, monitoring methods and initiatives that may be relevant to support assessments of HAB status and associated pressures and impacts in the MSFD reporting. Finally, we provide some recommendations to promote the consideration of HABs in ecosystem-based management strategies, intensify efforts for harmonizing and defining best practices of analysis, monitoring and assessment methodologies, and foster international and cross-sectoral coordination to optimize resources, efforts and roles.

Status and Trends in the Rate of Introduction of Marine Non-Indigenous Species in European Seas

Invasive alien species are a major worldwide driver of biodiversity change. The current study lists verified records of non-indigenous species (NIS) in European marine waters until 2020, with the purpose of establishing a baseline, assessing trends, and discussing appropriate threshold values for good environmental status (GES) according to the relevant European legislation. All NIS records were verified by national experts and trends are presented in six-year assessment periods from 1970 to 2020 according to the European Union Marine Strategy Framework Directive. Altogether, 874 NIS have been introduced to European marine waters until 2020 with the Mediterranean Sea and North-East Atlantic Ocean hosting most of the introductions. Overall, the number of new introductions has steadily increased since 2000. The annual rate of new introductions reached 21 new NIS in European seas within the last six-year assessment period (2012–2017). This increase is likely due to increased human activities and research efforts that have intensified during the early 21st century within European Seas. As Europe seas are not environmentally, nor geographically homogenous, the setting of threshold values for assessing GES requires regional expertise. Further, once management measures are operational, pathway-specific threshold values would enable assessing the effectiveness of such measures.

MPs and NPs intake and heavy metals accumulation in tissues of Palinurus elephas (J.C. Fabricius, 1787), from NW Aegean sea, Greece

European marine waters are infested with plastic, with an average density of 1 plastic item in every four square-meters. Research relevant to MPs-NPs ingestion by wild decapods in European waters is limited, none of which regards the European spiny lobster. Totally 4102 plastic particles were extracted from the spiny lobster stomach tissues of both sexes. Out of the 63 samples analysed only three (4.8%) of them were found with no plastic particles. The range of number of MPs in stomachs was from 20 to 273 MPs individual−1. The 98.3% were fragments. In total 3833 plastic particles were extracted from the gill tissues of both sexes. MPs were found in all samples (n = 50),99.2% of the detected particles were fragments. The MPs detected in gills ranged from 11 to 339 MPs individual−1. The DLS method was used in order to evaluate the NPs presence. Nanoplastics were detected in 22.6% of stomachs and in the 48.1% of gills. A total of 43 polymer types were identified in both tissues. Also, our study assessed the accumulation of heavy metals at the edible tail muscle. Certain elements were detected above the EU's Maximum Residue Level, including arsenic. The present results are alarming and the potential human health implications could be serious.

Reappraisal of the hyperdiverse

Morphologically similar species are often overlooked but molecular techniques have been effective in signalling potential hidden diversity, boosting the documentation of unique evolutionary lineages and ecological diversity. Platynereis dumerilii and Platynereis massiliensis are part of a recognised species complex, where differences in the reproductive biology have mainly been highlighted to date. Analyses of DNA sequence data (COI, 16S rDNA and D2 region of the 28S rDNA) of populations of the apparent morphotype of P. dumerilii obtained from a broader sampling area along European marine waters, including the Azores and Webbnesia islands (Madeira and Canaries), provided compelling evidence for the existence of at least 10 divergent evolutionary lineages. Complementing the genetic data, morphological observations of the better represented lineages revealed two major groups with distinctive paragnath patterns. Two new Platynereis species were erected: P. nunezi sp. nov., widespread in the Azores and Webbnesia islands, and P. jourdei sp. nov., restricted to the western Mediterranean. The new combination P. agilis is also proposed for Nereis agilis, previously unaccepted for one of the lineages present both in the Northeast Atlantic and western Mediterranean. Platynereis dumerilii is redescribed based on topotypic material. However, uncertainty in the identity of P. massiliensis due to the original brief description and the absence of type and topotypic material prevents the unequivocal assignment to the lineage assumed in this and previous studies. The remaining five lineages are represented by only a few small specimens with morphological features poorly preserved and were therefore not described in this study. ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:50079615-85E5-447E-BDD7-21E81C2A6F4D

Recent regional changes in nutrient fluxes of European surface waters

We have quantified inputs and fate of nutrients in European fresh and marine waters from 1990 to 2018. We have used the conceptual model GREEN to assess the impact of efforts on curbing nutrient pollution in European regions. In the first two decades, i.e. in the 1990s and through the start of the new millennium, nutrient inputs to waters decreased significantly. Nutrient pollution in freshwaters and to the sea largely reduced in all regions, although at different pace. However, around 2008–2010 trends in nutrient inputs changed, marking an increase in the last decade, particularly from agricultural diffuse sources. In some regions, current nutrient inputs to waters are close to those estimated at the beginning of the 1990s. At the end of the study period, nutrient concentrations in freshwaters remain above thresholds congruent with good ecological status of water bodies in most downstream reaches. European policies tackling point sources are close to reach their maximum impact. In the face of this approaching ceiling, sustainable nutrient management on agricultural land becomes pivotal for effective nutrient control in river basins. The regional approach highlighted differences across Europe that may provide tailored opportunities to plan effective strategies for achieving environmental targets.

From 13 to 22 in a second stroke: revisiting the European Eumida sanguinea (Phyllodocidae: Annelida) species complex

Abstract Eumida sanguinea is a recognized polychaete species complex which, in previous studies, has been reported to have additional undescribed diversity. We detected nine additional lineages by analysing DNA sequence data (mitochondrial: COI, 16S rRNA and nuclear loci: ITS region and 28S rRNA) of E. sanguinea morphotype populations from a broader sampling effort in European marine waters. Traditional morphological features failed to provide consistent differences or unique characters that could be used to distinguish these Eumida species. However, by complementing DNA data with morphometrics, geographic range, colour and pigmentation patterns, we revealed five new species. Two of these undescribed species derived from the previously signalled Eumida lineages S21 and GB22, which are here named as E. schanderi sp. nov. and E. fenwicki sp. nov., respectively. Three other species are based on newly discovered lineages, namely E. fauchaldi sp. nov., E. langenecki sp. nov. and E. pleijeli sp. nov. From the six new lineages remaining, three are represented by fewer than two well-preserved specimens, which prevented further comprehensive analysis. The last three lineages were only distinct when using mitochondrial markers. Integrative taxonomy is essential to elucidate evolutionary phenomena and eventually allow informed use of species complexes exhibiting stasis in biomonitoring or other ecological studies.

Citizen scientists contributing to alien species detection: the case of fishes and mollusks in European marine waters

AbstractCitizen science (CS) expands the spatial and temporal scale of alien species records. As such, it has been recognized as a complementary tool in alien species management and large‐scale biodiversity conservation. The present study assessed the contribution of CS to the recording of marine alien fishes and mollusks in European marine waters by reviewing data available through the European Alien Species Information Network, portals, public databases, and scientific literature. In total, 8,513 CS records were retrieved, following a filtering procedure, and assessed. A positive relationship was found between CS records and time, with most of records being reported during the last decade. The presence of alien fishes was recorded by citizens in seven out of nine Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) subregions, while mollusks were recorded in all MSFD subregions. Most of the CS records of fishes were reported in the Mediterranean Sea and mostly in the Aegean‐Levantine Sea. Conversely, most of the CS records of mollusks were reported in NE Atlantic Ocean, mostly in the Greater North Sea. A key finding is that eight species were documented for the first time in European marine waters and other three were recorded outside of their known distribution range. The majority of CS reporting was funneled through scientific surveys in which the nature of CS participation was limited to data collection only. The main categories of citizen scientists included school children, students, divers, naturalists, and various volunteers. Overall, 88.5% of marine alien fishes and mollusks recorded by citizens were validated by taxonomical experts, and only 15.8% out of the validated records were supplemented with pictures. CS can contribute to early detection and enhance cost‐effectiveness of monitoring and surveillance programs regarding alien species in European seas. Still, it requires proper scientific support and adequate validation tools mechanisms.

Evaluating the progress in achieving Good Environmental Status in the Mediterranean: A methodology to assess the effectiveness of Marine Strategy Framework Directive's Programmes of Measures

The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (2008/56/EC) aims to achieve Good Environmental Status of the European Union's marine waters for which the EU Member States are preparing Programmes of Measures (PoMs) to coordinate policies and improve the marine environmental status. These Programmes are revised every six years, yet there is currently no comprehensive and robust methodology to assess the effectiveness of PoMs and their contribution to reaching Good Environmental Status. This paper presents a new and concrete methodology combining policy, socio-economical, and environmental aspects, relying on available monitoring data, official reporting, and expert judgement to yield easily comparable numerical results. The utility of this methodology is also demonstrated on a series of hypothethical measures under descriptors 1 (Biological diversity), 3 (Commerical fisheries stocks), 6 (Seafloor integrity), and 10 (Marine litter). The demonstration shows how the method can be used by policy and decision-makers across the EU, as well as a variety of expert and non-governmental actors to evaluate the progress and potential of individual PoMs on national and (sub)regional levels. Therefore, the method could pave the way to more coherent, coordinated and effective measures to protect EU seas.

Shedding light on the river and sea lamprey in western European marine waters

Lampreys are ancestral jawless vertebrates with particularly complex life histories. Population declines resulting from increased anthropogenic pressure have been observed. For semelparous diadromous lampreys, the marine phase remains largely a black box, making targeted management and conservation measures difficult to implement. Here, we collated a database of 168904 hauls from both fisheries-dependent and fisheries-independent surveys between 1965 and 2019. Lampreys were observed in only 254 hauls (<1% lamprey presence); 421 sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus and 300 European river lamprey Lampetra fluviatilis were identified. Sizes ranged from 13 to 92 cm and from 14 to 42 cm, respectively. The majority of lampreys (61%) were caught by mobile demersal gear types. The highest presence of both species was recorded within the Greater North Sea, followed by the Bay of Biscay. L. fluviatilis was observed closer to the coast than P. marinus. For both lampreys, there was an increase in size with distance from the coast. P. marinus were predominantly <60 cm and observed from August to February, indicating that these were sexually immature juveniles migrating out to sea. For L. fluviatilis, the majority were thought to be adults (>20 cm) and occurred in autumn, indicating inshore migration. Our observations provide insight into the ecology of lampreys at sea and highlight study locations and gear types, which may be more pertinent for future research. Greater awareness is needed during surveys to collate catch information on lampreys and improve understanding of their ecology and phenology at sea.

Benthic monitoring of oil and gas offshore platforms in the North Sea using environmental DNA metabarcoding.

Since 2010, considerable efforts have been undertaken to monitor the environmental status of European marine waters and ensuring the development of methodological standards for the evaluation of this status. However, the current routine biomonitoring implicates time-consuming and costly manual sorting and morphological identification of benthic macrofauna. Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding represents an alternative to the traditional monitoring method with very promising results. Here, we tested it further by performing eDNA metabarcoding of benthic eukaryotic communities in the vicinity of two offshore oil and gas platforms in the North Sea. Three different genetic markers (18S V1V2, 18S V9 and COI) were used to assess the environmental pressures induced by the platforms. All markers showed patterns of alpha and beta diversity consistent with morphology-based macrofauna analyses. In particular, the communities' structure inferred from metabarcoding and morphological data significantly changed along distance gradients from the platforms. The impact of the operational discharges was also detected by the variation of biotic index values, AMBI index showing the best correlation between morphological and eDNA data sets. Finally, the sediment physicochemical parameters were used to build a local de novo pressure index that served as benchmark to test the potential of a taxonomy-free approach. Our study demonstrates that metabarcoding approach outperforms morphology-based approach and can be used as a cost and time-saving alternative solution to the traditional morphology-based monitoring in order to monitor more efficiently the impact of industrial activities on marine biodiversity.

Domestic waste emissions to European waters in the 2010s

Estimation of domestic waste emissions to waters is needed for pollution assessment and modelling. We assessed quantity and location of domestic waste emissions to European waters for the 2010s. Specifically, we considered discharges of domestic waste Population Equivalent (PE, the amount of waste that equals to 60 g per day of Biochemical Oxygen Demand), and mean annual loads (t/y) of total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and 5-days Biochemical Oxygen Demand. The spatial resolution and extent of the analysis corresponded to the CCM2 River and Catchment Database for Europe, for catchments of mean area of 6.4 km2. The assessment is based on available European databases that allowed pinpointing waste emissions to a high spatial and conceptual resolution. Content gaps, particularly concerning domestic waste from isolated dwellings, were filled through alternative sources of information, exploiting population density and national statistics data. The dataset is of interest for assessing waste emissions to and fate through European fresh and marine waters also beyond the three pollutants evaluated in this study.

Monitoring the Environmental, Social and Economic Dimensions of the Landing Obligation Policy

Aiming to end the practice of discarding unwanted catches back to the sea within European marine waters, an obligation to land the catches of all regulated commercial species was introduced with the Common Fisheries Policy by the first of January 2019. The implementation of this new fisheries regulation urges the definition of standard monitoring protocols to track potential changes in the fishery system. Importantly, this framework needs to be multi-dimensional to capture the ecological, social and economic components of the system. Aiming to address this challenge, a set of 39 candidate indicators were identified by means of literature review and expert consultation. Experts in European fisheries gathered to discuss the selection of a restricted set of indicators to understand changes in fishery systems resulting from the implementation of the landing obligation (LO). A survey was completed by the experts to assess the adequacy of the indicators against pre-defined quality criteria and to identify expected direction of change. Based on survey results, the 39 indicators were ranked according to their adequacy for the monitoring of the LO potential effects. This ranking was dominated by indicators related to the exploited species. Because the LO is not yet fully implemented, experts expressed uncertainty in the properties of many indicators, particularly of ecosystem and social indicators. The feasibility to operationalise a monitoring framework with the prioritised indicators was explored with data from a Spanish demersal otter-trawl fishery, an exercise that evidenced that most indicators could be collected and that it would be feasible to track these variables over time in the framework of a monitoring program.

The LifeWatch Taxonomic Backbone: Connecting information on taxonomy, biogeography, literature, traits and genomics

The Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) is responsible for the set-up of the LifeWatch Taxonomic Backbone (LW-TaxBB), as a central part of the European LifeWatch Infrastructure. The LW-TaxBB aims to (virtually) bring together different component databases and data systems, all of them related to taxonomy, biogeography, ecology, genetics and literature. By doing so, the LW-TaxBB standardises species data and integrates biodiversity data from different repositories and operating facilities and is the driving force behind the species information services of the Belgian LifeWatch.be e-Lab and the Marine Virtual Research Environment that are being developed. The mission of LifeWatch is to advance biodiversity research and to provide major contributions to address the big environmental challenges, such as knowledge-based solutions for environmental managers in the field of conservation or dealing with long-standing ecological questions that could so far not be addressed due to a lack of data or a lack of good and easy access to data. This is being achieved by giving access to data and information through a single infrastructure which (virtually) brings together a large range and variety of datasets, services and tools. Scientists can use these tools and services to construct so-called Virtual Research Environments (VREs), where they are able to address specific questions related to biodiversity research, including e.g. topics related to conservation. They are not only offered an environment with unlimited computer and data storage capacity, but there is also transparency at all stages of the research process and the generic application of the e-infrastructure opens the door towards more inter- and multidisciplinary research. The LW-TaxBB – virtually - brings together different component databases and data systems, dealing with five major components: (1) taxonomy, through regional, national, European, global and thematic databases, (2) biogeography, based on databases dealing with species occurrences, (3) ecology, in the form of species-specific traits, (4) genetics and (5) literature, by linking all available information to the relevant sources and through tools that can intelligently search this literature. The LifeWatch Taxonomic Backbone is a two-way street: besides using the tools and functionalities it is offering – which are often developed based on identified needs within the scientific community -, scientists can also contribute themselves to make it more complete. Feedback on all available data and information (e.g. taxonomy and traits) is highly appreciated and communicated with the experts involved in the different component databases. All distribution information collected by individual scientists can become part of the biogeographic component of this backbone, by contributing occurrence data to the system. Through the LW-TaxBB, users benefit in several ways, amongst others by: Easy access to data and information to a variety of resources The opportunity to quality control their own data, by cross-checking with data available through the LW-TaXBB Free and easy access to a wide range of data services and web services Possibility to combine available services into workflows, and link several systems together Easy access to data and information to a variety of resources The opportunity to quality control their own data, by cross-checking with data available through the LW-TaXBB Free and easy access to a wide range of data services and web services Possibility to combine available services into workflows, and link several systems together Major components of the LW-TaxBB are – amongst others - the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) and the European node of the Ocean Biogeographic Information System (EurOBIS). WoRMS is an authoritative classification and catalogue of marine names currently containing 233,275 accepted marine species. EurOBIS publishes distribution data on marine species, collected within European marine waters or collected by European researchers outside European marine waters and currently contains 24.8 million distribution records. Both these systems have a strong link and collaboration agreements with international initiatives such as e.g. the Catalogue of Life (CoL), the Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS) and the Global Biodiversity Information System (GBIF) and aim to collaborate with other ESFRIs such as DiSSCO and ELIXIR.

Mechanistic niche modelling to identify favorable growth sites of temperate macroalgae

The European seaweed cultivation sector is in a transition phase with the rise of seaweed aquaculture due to an increased interest in seaweed resources. Identifying regions with optimal growth conditions for the cultivation of specific seaweed species contributes to the cultivation process. An understanding how these regions evolve under climate change is required to ensure favorable growth conditions on the long-term. In the present research, regions with favorable growth conditions for specific seaweed species were identified by combining physiological and environmental data in a mechanistic niche model. The outcome of the mechanistic model is a species-specific response, the habitat suitability, which quantifies growth as a function of the temperature, salinity, light and nutrient requirements of the seaweed species. Habitat suitability was quantified in European marine waters for brown seaweeds (i.e. Fucus serratus, F. vesiculosus, Ascophyllum nodosum, Saccharina latissima, Laminaria digitata, Laminaria hyperborea) and red seaweeds (i.e. Chondrus crispus, Gracilaria gracilis, Furcellaria lumbricalis). The model was validated using independent distribution data and the validation statistic was good (area under the curve; AUC > 0.8) for five out of nine species and fair (0.6 < AUC < 0.8) for the remaining four species. The warm-temperate region extending from the coast of Portugal to the south coast of Brittany is currently a suitable habitat for most of the studied species. Due to climate change, we predict that the most optimal environmental conditions will shift northwards, i.e. 110 to 635 km by 2100, depending on the climate scenario. The results of the present study can be used to: (1) select target species for seaweed aquaculture in a specific marine region; (2) select sites for long-term, optimal growth conditions of the specific seaweed species in this study. As such, our results contribute to the decision making process in marine spatial planning and blue growth prioritization.

Laticorophium baconi (Shoemaker, 1934) (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Corophiidae: Corophiini): first record in European marine waters

Laticorophium baconi (Amphipoda, Corophiidae) was recorded for the first time in European marine waters from buoy fouling communities at the Sant Carles de la Rapita marina (Alfacs Bay, Eastern Mediterranean Spanish coast). Presence of juveniles, adult males, brooding and ovigerous females were indicative of a well-established population. An entire description of the species, together with a dichotomous key to Corophiini genera characterized by urosome segments fused with uropod 1 ventrally inserted, are provided. This record supports the view that L. baconi may have been overlooked and/or potentially confused with otherCorophiini species such as Apocorophium acutum in previous studies

Distributions of concentrations of bisphenol A in North American and European surface waters and sediments determined from 19 years of monitoring data

Concentrations of bisphenol A (BPA) in North American and European fresh and marine surface waters and sediments were analyzed to quantify environmental levels and evaluate trends over the years 1996–2014. In North American surface water and sediment, 68% of 1030 weighted observations were below a detection limit (varied widely between studies). In Europe, 33% of 5057 weighted observations were below a detection limit. In North America and Europe, 50th percentile concentrations were 0.005 μg L-1 and 0.029 μg L-1 in freshwater and 0.0011 μg L-1 and 0.007 μg L-1 in marine water. The 95th percentile concentrations in freshwater were the same in North America and Europe at 0.30 μg L-1 and were 0.024 μg L-1 and 0.15 μg L-1 in marine water, respectively. Fiftieth percentile concentrations in North American and European freshwater sediment were 0.7 ng g-1 dry weight (dw) and 7.0 ng g-1 dw and in marine sediment were 1.0 ng g-1 dw and <0.03 ng g-1 dw, respectively. The 95th percentile concentrations were 39 ng g-1 dw and 177 ng g-1 dw in freshwater sediment and 100 ng g-1 dw and 63 ng g-1 dw in marine sediment, respectively. Most concentrations were below published chronic toxicity values or regulatory limits. BPA freshwater concentrations in both regions appear to have remain relatively unchanged over the 19 year period during which BPA production and use in polycarbonate plastic production increased significantly. There is no clear correlation between BPA or polycarbonate production and BPA levels in surface waters.

Exploring change in the relative abundance of marine megafauna in the Bay of Biscay, 2004–2016

Conservation has moved from species-centered to ecosystem-based approaches: the Marine Strategy Framework Directive requires the maintenance or restoration of ‘Good Environmental Status’ of all European marine waters. Monitoring biodiversity at the scale of whole ecosystems is salient, but challenging owing to the large spatial scale involved and the large spatio-temporal heterogeneity of marine ecosystems. We capitalized on the integrated ecosystemic PELGAS survey carried out in spring in the Bay of Biscay to document patterns of change in marine megafauna relative abundance at the community level over more than a decade (2004–2016). The relative abundance of the twenty-three most frequently sighted species (6 cetaceans and 17 seabirds) was estimated by distance sampling, and averaged over the study period and area. Temporal changes were investigated with a Dynamic Factor Analysis. This exploratory analysis suggested that approximately one third of all species showed an increase, another third a decrease, and the last third no overall change in relative abundance. The relative abundance of offshore species, including that of all studied cetaceans, slightly increased in spring between 2004 and 2016. Further investigations will correlate the uncovered changes at the marine megafauna community level with concommittent biological and oceanographic processes that are routinely monitored on the PELGAS integrated ecosystemic surveys.