Marine pollution and its effects on ecosystems continue to pose serious challenges for the sustainable management of coastal and open-ocean areas. Thus, studies that connect marine pollution to larger ecosystem stressors, such as climate change and environmental degradation, are especially appreciated. The growing human impact on the Arctic Ocean, resulting from the melting of polar ice, underscores the importance of understanding the fate of marine pollutants under ice conditions.
The key questions this session aims to answer are: What do we know about the sources of marine pollution? Which factors influence the dispersion of pollutants in the aquatic environment? What happens to the contaminants in the water column, sediments, and on the sea surface? How do marine pollutants interact with biota?
The impact of other environmental stressors, such as artificial light, noise, and thermal pollution, on marine ecosystem resilience is also an important topic for discussion.
The Mediterranean region is one of the largest maritime traffic routes in the world.Large accidental spills have declined considerably, but smaller, routine spills from operational activities continue to occur and have a cumulative impact on the coasts. Assessing operational oil discharge coastal impacts requires not only modelling oil dispersion and transformation but also statistical approaches to address system uncertainties. This study follows the Oil Spill Risk Analysis (OSRA) framework (Sepp-Neves et al., 2016), simulating large ensembles of hypothetical spills under diverse meteo-oceanographic conditions to capture the full range of variability. Unlike previous studies, in which virtual spill release points were placed in high-traffic shipping zones (Liubartseva et al., 2015, 2023), release points were distributed homogeneously along the Mediterranean coast , in order to isolate the influence of oceanographic mesoscale dynamics on hazard mappig for the beached oil. The oil spill hazard is quantified following the methodology developed by Sepp-Neves et al., (2020), which demonstrated that beached oil concentration patterns are well described by a Weibull distribution. Using this methodology, Weibull distributions of beached oil concentrations were computed for all Mediterranean coastal states, together with the associated mean beached oil and hazard index. Three characteristic regimes are identified based on the relationship between Weibull mean values and beaching event frequency. A combination of low mean and low frequency, observed for example along the Turkish coast, is indicative of mesoscale current dynamics that predominantly keep the oil away from the coast. A low mean associated with high frequency, as found for Syria, suggests that currents frequently advect oil toward the coast under divergent flow conditions, resulting in repeated beaching events at low concentrations. In contrast, a high mean beached oil concentration coupled with low frequency, observed for Cyprus, reflects current dynamics that funnel oil toward the coast under convergent flow conditions, leading to extreme oil pollution events. Seasonal variations in hazard were also considered.Across nearly all Mediterranean coastal states, autumn generally shows the lowest beached oil pollution hazard, followed by winter and summer, while spring is associated with the highest beached oil hazard. This pattern is generally observed across the Mediterranean region, with only minor exceptions.
References
Sepp-Neves, A.A., Pinardi, N. & Martins, F. (2016). IT-OSRA: applying ensemble simulations to estimate the oil spill risk associated to operational and accidental oil spills, Climate dynamics, 66:939–954.
Sepp-Neves, A. A., Pinardi, N., Navarra, A., & Trotta, F. (2020). A general methodology for beached oil spill hazard mapping. Frontiers in Marine Science, 7.
Liubartseva, S., Dominicis, M. D., Oddo, P ., Coppini, G., Pinardi, N., & Greggio, N. (2015). Oil spill hazard from dispersal of oil along shipping lanes in the southern Adriatic and northern Ionian Seas. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 90, 259–272.
Liubartseva, S., Coppini, G., Verdiani, G., Mungari, T., Ronco, F., Pinto, M., ... Lecci, R. (2023). Modeling chronic oil pollution from ships. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 195.
How to cite: Mateus, I., Pinardi, N., Lyubartseva, S., Coppini, G., and Atake, I.: Mapping Oil Spill Hazard in the Coastal Mediterranean Sea, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-11222, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-11222, 2026.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have garnered considerable attention over the last decade due to their persistence in the environment and potential negative health effects on living organisms, including humans. However, our understanding of their occurrence, transport, and fate in the marine environment remains limited. For example, the interaction of PFAS with marine phytoplankton, which serve as entry points for several contaminants into the marine food web, has not yet been thoroughly examined. In this study, we overcame the challenging issues related to PFAS sorption onto filter membranes and successfully investigated algal uptake of PFAS by various marine diatoms (i.e., Thalassiosira pseudonana, Thalassiosira weissflogii, Phaeodactylum tricornutum, and Chaetoceros muelleri) under environmentally realistic conditions. Volume concentration factors (VCFs) of PFAS by T. pseudonana showed a positive correlation with PFAS carbon chain length, and the presence of a sulfonic group enhanced uptake. For perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs), logVCFs ranged from 0.17 (C4-PFCA) to 5.65 (C14-PFCA), and, on average, VCF increased by 4-fold per carbon added from C6 to C14. The uptake of PFAS isomers by algae was also examined. Linear PFAS showed a higher affinity for algal cells compared to branched PFAS (e.g., logVCFL-PFOS = 3.40, logVCFbr-PFOS = 3.20). Emerging PFAS such as HFPO-DA (GenX) exhibited very little accumulation in diatoms (logVCF = 0.39). We observed that temperature (18°C vs. 4°C) and light (light vs. dark) had no significant effect on PFAS uptake. Interestingly, reducing salinity appears to slightly increase algal PFAS uptake. Among the four diatom species tested in this study, T. weissflogii exhibited the lowest PFAS accumulation, and the degree of PFAS uptake was proportional to the surface-to-volume ratio of algal cells. The cellular distribution of PFAS in diatoms was also investigated. C8 to C10 PFCAs were primarily associated with the cytoplasmic fraction, whereas C11 to C14 PFCAs were mostly associated with the frustule. Our findings represent an important systematic study of PFAS uptake by marine phytoplankton and of algal PFAS accumulation in response to environmental factors, which will benefit modeling of emerging contaminants in the marine food web/environment.
How to cite: Lee, C.-S. and Yu, J.-Y.: Accumulation, isomeric fractionation, and cellular distribution of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in diverse marine diatoms, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-2449, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-2449, 2026.
While plastics are ubiquitous contaminants in the marine environment and, as part of "novel entities", recognized as a planetary boundary threat, there are still critical knowledge gaps regarding their vertical distribution, particularly for small microplastics.
A recent survey of floating plastics across the North Pacific Oceans documented the widespread distribution and identified areas with increased concentrations of plastics. These include the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre, which is well predicted by models based on ocean currents, and a previously unpredicted hotspot of surface-floating plastics in the World Heritage Site Papaha̅naumokua̅kea Marine National Monument. Based on these surface observations, we here present measurements of (micro)plastics across the water column and in abyssal sediments at three stations, exceeding depths of 5 km.
Particle samples across the water column at multiple depths and from deep-sea sediments were collected during research cruise SO268/3 aboard the German RV SONNE (May – July 2019), covering both hotspots and a less contaminated intermediate open ocean site. Plastic items were isolated from the particulate matrix using a combination of enzymatic and chemical digestion methods and density separation. Identification and characterization of microplastics present in the samples was carried out using FT-IR imaging down to an analytical size detection limit of 11 µm.
Microplastics were detected across the whole depth range down to the sediments at all three stations. Concentrations in the water column ranged from 8 to 2600 items m-3 and 1100 to 3200 items kg-1 in sediments. Distribution patterns among stations differed, indicating site-specific transport and deposition mechanisms due to different environmental factors and conditions. Across stations and depths, the polymer composition was broadly consistent and dominated by polyethylene and polypropylene. A substantial share of detected plastic items was close to the lower size detection limit, emphasizing the importance of this small particle fraction and the need to include it in future surveys.
Taken together, our results contribute to narrowing critical knowledge gaps regarding the distribution of marine microplastics, demonstrate their widespread vertical dispersion. The similar polymer composition and uniform size distribution across all samples and depths suggest that plastic items partly originate from surface fallout. Furthermore, our results underscore the role of the water column and the deep seafloor as substantial but comparatively understudied reservoirs of microplastics, ultimately highlighting the need for expanded research efforts and effective strategies to mitigate marine plastic pollution.
How to cite: Rynek, R., Tekman, M., Veit-Köhler, G., Wagner, S., Reemtsma, T., and Jahnke, A.: From Surface Hotspots to Abyssal Sediments: Vertical Distribution of (Micro)plastics in the North Pacific Ocean, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-13338, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-13338, 2026.
Identifying the source of marine pollution is critical for environmental protection, yet it remains computationally challenging when sources are moving and ocean currents are uncertain. We propose a Bayesian inference framework to identify single and multiple release events from vessels moving along predefined paths in the Mediterranean Sea. Our approach utilizes a Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithm with an adaptive scheme to robustly infer release locations, injection times, and relative source contributions.
The likelihood function is constructed using logistic regression to quantify the discrepancy between binary satellite-like observations and a probabilistic spill distribution generated by a stochastic Lagrangian Particle Tracking (LPT) model driven by realistic ocean currents. We demonstrate the efficiency of this method through synthetic scenarios involving both separate and overlapping pollution patches. The results highlight the framework's ability to successfully reconstruct release parameters even in complex, stochastic flow fields, showing strong agreement when compared against global optimization baselines. This work offers a rigorous tool for environmental forensics in maritime contexts.
How to cite: Lakkis, I.: Bayesian Source Identification of Marine Pollution from Moving Vessels in the Mediterranean, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-17187, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-17187, 2026.
Strontium-90 (90Sr) is an anthropogenic radionuclide, which, due to its radiological relevance, has been most intensively monitored in the past. In terms of initial activity, over 630 PBq of this radionuclide have been distributed globally from stratospheric fallout of bomb-testing, and there are more localized contributions from tests, accidents, and releases from reprocessing plants which will be superimposed on this background. In the past, massive sample sizes (up to 100 L of seawater or 100 g of coral aragonite) were required to quantify 90Sr, even immediately after the peak period of global fall-out from bomb testing. With mass spectrometry it would be possible to reduce the sample size requirements at least by a factor of 100, i.e. sample sizes of 1 L of seawater or 1 g of aragonite. On the other hand, the high amount of strontium dissolved in seawater complicates the use of mass spectrometric methods, as an isotopic abundance sensitivity of at least 1·10−15 is required to detect the estimated main 90Sr signal. With recent advances in isobar separation techniques in accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) at the University of Vienna, this has come within reach, offering new research possibilities. The new technique uses an ion-cooler and laser-photo-detachment to suppress the stable isobar 90Zr, which interferes with measurements of 90Sr, almost completely. With initial test samples, we could confirm an isotopic abundance sensitivity of 8·10−16 (90Sr/Sr), sufficient for application to ocean water samples. In this presentation, we will show a comparison of 90Sr to 236U (Uranium-236), another radioactive ocean tracer that has been studied intensively recently. Using this approach, we studied contemporary coral skeleton material in the Indian Ocean (Pemba Bay, Mozambique) and the Pacific Ocean (Tarawa, Kiribati), and further the methods, requirements, and impact of variations in sample preparation. We also present the first results from ocean water samples from two depth profiles in the south Atlantic (GEOTRACES cruise GA10/JC068), and the associated sample preparation and blank levels for these types of samples. Finally, we will present the implications for the overall abundance of both tracers from global fall-out, compare with historic data, and discuss the potential for multi-isotope applications of both tracers.
How to cite: Winkler, S., Hain, K., Martschini, M., Merchel, S., Carilli, J., Zinke, J., Steier, P., and Golser, R.: Exploring the lowest levels of environmental Strontium-90 compared to Uranium-236 in marine carbonates and seawater , EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-17568, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-17568, 2026.
Fjords are characterized by restricted exchange with open-ocean waters, often due to the presence of a sill that limits horizontal transport and isolates bottom water masses. Oxygen-depleted conditions can develop even in the absence of substantial freshwater discharge from land, as fjords may effectively trap and accumulate organic matter exported from adjacent open-sea surface waters (e.g., Framvaren, Hunnbunn). When a river discharges into a fjord, an additional estuarine effect comes into play, whereby river-borne organic matter fluxes further enhance bottom-water deoxygenation (e.g., Drammensfjord, Bærumsbassenget). In both scenarios, strong vertical stratification develops, severely limiting oxygen supply to deeper layers. In populated coastal regions, anthropogenic discharges often introduce pollutants whose biogeochemical impacts—such as enhanced mercury methylation—are amplified under low-oxygen conditions.
In this study, we implemented a coupled three-dimensional hydrodynamic–biogeochemical model in Julia, integrating the Oceananigans modeling framework with the OxyDep biogeochemical module. The analysis focuses on the Oslofjord and Drammensfjord, with the objectives of (i) simulating present-day conditions and (ii) quantitatively assessing the relative contributions of different drivers to the persistence of permanent bottom anoxia, seasonal anoxia, and episodic anoxia. The coupled model is further used to evaluate how changes in anthropogenic forcing—specifically variations in nutrient loading—affect the interannual variability of the fjords’ oxygen state.
How to cite: Yakushev, E., Ghaffari, P., Khmelnitskaya, O., Novikov, M., Berezina, A., Iakubov, S., and Staalstrøm, A.: Modeling deoxygenation in fjord systems, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-12909, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-12909, 2026.
Socio-economic and human activities represent the major impacts on marine pollution affecting the marine ecosystems, raising increasing scientific, societal and policy interest due to the long-term consequences for the environment and the coastal economies.
Especially in semi-enclosed basins such as the Mediterranean Sea, the accumulation of marine litter, and particularly plastic items, represents a serious issue, intensified by intense anthropogenic pressure, high coastal population density and circulation patterns.
The identification of plastic litter sources and their tracking on the sea surface represents a first step to identify the most vulnerable areas and accumulation hotspots.
To achieve this goal, the hydrodynamic Lagrangian model Track Marine Plastic Debris (TrackMPD) was applied in the strait of Sicily considering rivers as input sources of plastic litter. The area is characterized by the presence of important hydrodynamic processes, including sea currents, mesoscale eddies, upwelling events etc. The quantities of plastic items to be released by rivers into the marine environment were estimated considering the data provided by “The Ocean Cleanup” website.
The model’s results were compared with the in-situ data collected during the monitoring campaign conducted by “Agenzia Regionale per la Protezione ambientale” (ARPA) and “Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche” (CNR) in August 2018 and 2019, where microplastic items were sampled using a Manta net along fixed transects.
Since the actual discharging point and period of the debris recorded by ARPA-CNR were unknown, the comparison was performed by considering 105 scenarios, each characterized by a different starting day of the daily particle release. The scenarios span a temporal interval from May up to the sampling day; for each subsequent scenario, the discharging time window progressively decreases as the release start date is shifted forward by one day.
The accumulation and density maps were realized for each scenario. A buffer area was considered around each transect and the sum of the simulated particles within it was calculated, comparing the results with the microplastics sampled. The comparison between the simulations and the in-situ campaigns was performed by computing the coefficient of determination, R².
The results highlight the difficulties validating the hydrodynamic model by using the in-situ data, indeed very low R2 values were performed for each scenario.
Further developments of this work include the determination of realistic scenarios of plastic discharge into the marine environment through a detailed study of the territory, considering local productive activities and the resulting pollutant generation, coupled with targeted sampling campaigns to provide data for model implementation and/or validation.
How to cite: Corbari, L., Capodici, F., Aronica, S., Fontana, I., Giacalone, G., Campanella, S., D’Amato, D., Marino, G., and Ciraolo, G.: Modeling Plastic Litter Sources, Transport, and Accumulation in the Strait of Sicily: Linking Hydrodynamics and Field Observations, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-19044, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-19044, 2026.
The concept of the Digital Twin of the Ocean (DTO) has transitioned from a research vision to an operational paradigm in the ILIAD project. Several of the mature Digital Twin components are available as reusable, findable (through the Iliad Registry: https://iliad-registry.inesctec.pt) and interoperable application packages, enabling automated environmental monitoring and decision support. This contribution presents the Cretan Sea oil spill DTO, focusing on near-real-time oil spill detection and forecast.
The presented system implements an end-to-end workflow based on Sentinel-1 SAR imagery, orchestrated through Common Workflow Language (CWL). Incoming satellite data are automatically ingested, processed, and analysed using containerized application packages, enabling scalable and reproducible execution across cloud and HPC infrastructures. Oil spill detection is performed using a deep learning approach based on a combination of FCOS and U-Net convolutional neural networks, trained to discriminate oil slicks from look-alike phenomena in SAR imagery. The results are systematically compared against a statistical detection methodology implemented via the SNAPpy library, providing robustness and methodological benchmarking.
Detected oil spill events trigger downstream Digital Twin services, including high-resolution marine forecasting and oil spill transport modelling. The forecasting framework integrates dynamically downscaled atmospheric forcing from WRF, hydrodynamic fields from NEMO, and sea state information from WAVEWATCH III, providing coastal-scale predictions at kilometer resolution. Oil spill transport and fate are simulated using the already established and validated MEDSLIK-II software [1], with results visualized through operational web platforms to support rapid situational awareness. Additionally, a 4D immersive visualization tool is introduced to present the oil spill evolution and fate in an intuitive spatio-temporal environment, enhancing operational readiness and enabling first responders and non-expert stakeholders to rapidly interpret complex model outputs without reliance on conventional map-based products.
By packaging satellite analytics, numerical modelling, and orchestration logic into reusable application packages, the system demonstrates how post-project DTO assets can be operationalized beyond the ILIAD lifecycle. The Cretan Sea DTO illustrates a transferable Digital Twin workflow for automated oil spill detection and response, supporting environmental monitoring authorities with timely, data-driven decision support.
References
[1] M. De Dominicis, N. Pinardi, G. Zodiatis, and R. Archetti, “MEDSLIK-II, a Lagrangian marine surface oil spill model for short-term forecasting – Part 2: Numerical simulations and validations,” Geosci. Model Dev., vol. 6, pp. 1871–1888, 2013. doi: 10.5194/gmd-6-1871-2013
How to cite: Parasyris, A., Metheniti, V., Fazzini, N., Marques, F. C., Oliveira, M. A., Quarta, M. L., Folegani, M., Kozyrakis, G., Alexandrakis, G., and Kampanis, N.: A Digital Twin enabled satellite workflow for automated oil spill detection and forecasting, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-7033, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-7033, 2026.
Marine ecosystems play a critical role in the transformation of inorganic mercury (Hg) species into methylmercury (MeHg), which then bioaccumulates and biomagnifies through food webs. As a result of biomagnification, marine ecosystems represent a major exposure pathway also for terrestrial organisms that rely on marine resources, including humans. The well-documented toxicity of MeHg, tragically demonstrated by historical events such as the outbreak of the Minamata disease, underscores the need for a deeper understanding of its environmental dynamics and for sustained monitoring of Hg levels in both biotic and abiotic compartments. This need has become increasingly urgent in light of the profound and ongoing ecosystem alterations driven by climate change.
High-resolution numerical simulations of Hg fate and transport in the Mediterranean Sea were run to provide insights into the spatial and temporal variability of Hg species concentrations in seawater and within the plankton food web. This information was used to extrapolate Hg concentration in fish of different trophic levels and estimate ecological risk. The risk is estimated by combining modeled MeHg concentrations across different functional groups with established ecotoxicological thresholds for dietary exposure and information on fish habitat, allowing an assessment of potential ecological risks. Although uncertainties in model predictions remain - primarily due to relatively sparse observational data and limited mechanistic understanding of key processes such as methylation - coupled models have been shown to reproduce large-scale spatial gradients observed in the field reliably. This approach provides a novel framework for linking environmental dynamics with Hg distribution and trophic transfer, identifying areas of elevated exposure risk and supporting more informed monitoring and management strategies.
How to cite: Rosati, G., Celic, I., Solidoro, C., and Canu, D.: Mercury Exposure and Risk in Mediterranean Marine Wildlife: A Modelling Approach, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-21135, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-21135, 2026.
The Arctic region faces increasing pollution from long-range atmospheric transport of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) being a notable threat to marine ecosystems already under pressure from climate change. Despite emission reductions in industrialized nations, understanding the sources, pathways, and temporal evolution of PAH deposition to Arctic and subarctic seas remains critical for effective pollution management and international cooperation. This study presents a comprehensive assessment of priority PAH compounds across Arctic and subarctic marine regions from 1990 to 2021 using the GLEMOS (Global EMEP Multi-media Modeling System) multicompartment chemical dispersion model at 3×3° global resolution. Simulations use emissions from the Global Emission Modeling System (GEMS) inventory, providing spatially and temporally resolved emission estimates across all major source regions. We quantify atmospheric concentrations and total deposition fluxes, providing spatial estimates of contaminant loading to vulnerable polar marine environments over three decades of significant Arctic environmental transformation. The source attribution framework identifies sector-specific and region-specific contributions to Arctic PAH contamination, linking GEMS emission sources in lower latitudes to deposition patterns across Arctic and subarctic receptors. This source-receptor analysis reveals the relative importance of different economic sectors (e.g., residential heating, transportation, industrial processes) and geographic regions in driving Arctic contamination, enabling targeted policy interventions and accountability frameworks. Our results reveal significant spatial heterogeneity in PAH deposition patterns across the Arctic, with distinct hotspots corresponding to dominant atmospheric transport pathways and regional emission intensities. Temporal trends reveal the effectiveness of emission reduction policies in some regions while highlighting emerging concerns from rapidly developing economies. The long-term GLEMOS simulations capture how changing emission profiles, atmospheric circulation patterns, and Arctic physical conditions have influenced contaminant delivery to polar marine systems. By quantifying where Arctic pollution originates and how these patterns have evolved over three decades, this work contributes to the ongoing Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) assessment efforts. The findings provide essential information for understanding PAH exposure risks to Arctic marine ecosystems, informing international pollution control agreements, and establishing baseline conditions for future monitoring priorities in this rapidly changing region.
How to cite: Garcia Arevalo, I. and Travnikov, O.: Tracking Pollution Pathways to the Arctic: Sector and Regional Source Contributions to PAH Deposition Over Three Decades, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-21612, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-21612, 2026.
Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are an emerging pollutant which have been detected in marine environments. Seamounts represent a prominent feature of the seafloor, exhibiting remarkable biodiversity and specificity. However, little is known for the existence of ARGs in seamounts, let alone the profiles of ARGs and their associations with microbial communities in seamount ecosystems. In this study, high-throughput sequencing and metagenomic approaches were employed to investigate the distribution, possible hosts, mobility, and potential sources of ARGs in sediments across various depths and slopes of the Zhongnan Seamount. Results showed that the most abundant ARG types were elfamycin, aminoglycoside, and tetracycline, accounting for 71.00% of the total ARG abundance. ARG abundance was significantly higher in abyssopelagic zone sediments, suggesting that the seamount acts as a sink and deep-sea regions may be a major reservoir for ARGs. A strong positive correlation between ARG abundance and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) indicated a high potential for horizontal gene transfer (HGT), with key genes EF-Tu, rpsJ, parC, and parE, identified as predominant mediators of horizontal transfer. Based on the analysis of metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs), 36 bacterial genera were identified as ARG hosts, dominated by Methylomirabilota and Pseudomonadota. Fast expectation-maximization microbial source tracking (FEAST) model identified particles from the continental input which contributed 44.31% of ARG in seamount, indicating direct anthropogenic influences due to long-distance terrestrial pollutant dispersal from coastal area to deep sea. The origins of the other ARGs remain unidentified, suggesting the existence of abundant natural ARGs in the seamount. Overall, these findings indicate that a seamount is a hotspot for ARGs, provides valuable insights into the prevalence of ARGs in seamount environments and enhances our understanding of their sources, hosts and dissemination in seamount ecosystems.
How to cite: Yang, Y., Guo, N., and Xie, W.: Distribution and sources of antibiotic resistance genes in seamount sediments system, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-1521, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-1521, 2026.
Nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) are essential trace elements for marine organisms, and their deficiency can affect the growth and metabolism of these organisms. However, they are widely recognized as elements that cause toxic effects when they bioaccumulate in excessively high concentrations in organisms. Bivalves are sessile organisms that live attached to sediments or the water column and are considered important organisms for environmental pollution monitoring because they can accumulate pollutants, such as trace metals, in their bodies from the surrounding environment. Advances in isotope analysis technology have enabled the use of stable metal isotopes to determine whether metals bioaccumulate in bivalves. In the case of gastropods, they prey not only on seaweed but also on other shellfish, providing scientific information for the study of metal accumulation and isotope fractionation processes along the food chain. However, there is no research on the stable isotopes of metals. Therefore, this study presented the concentrations and stable isotope compositions of Ni, Cu, and Zn in Korean coastal bivalves and gastropods, and investigated bioaccumulation and isotope fractionation according to species, food chain, size, and habitat type.
Bivalve and gastropod samples were purchased from 16 fish markets along the Korean coast and completely digested on a hot plate using a closed digestion method with a mixture of acids. The concentrations of metals (Ni, Cu, Zn) in mollusks were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS; iCAP-Q). For high-precision, stable isotope analysis of Ni, Cu, and Zn, a three-step purification process was performed using AG 50W-X8, AG MP1, and Chelex-100. The isotope composition was then measured using a multi-collector ICP-MS at the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST). The accuracy of concentration and isotope measurements was verified using five certified reference materials (ERM-CE278k, SRM-1566b, IAEA-452, IAEA-461, BCR-668), and the results were consistent with reported values.
Oysters (Crassostrea gigas) had the highest Cu (113.48 mg/kg) and Zn (582.19 mg/kg) concentrations among bivalves, while their average Ni concentration (0.38 mg/kg) was the lowest. The concentrations of Cu and Zn in bivalves were within similar ranges except for oysters, but there were significant differences in isotopic composition. The average Cu isotope values in bivalves ranged from -0.18 to +1.43‰, and the Zn isotope showed a difference of 1.06‰ in the Mactra quadrangularis (+0.17‰) and the Lamarcka avellana (+1.23‰). The average concentrations of Ni, Cu, and Zn in marine gastropods were 2.41, 86.5, and 270.1 mg/kg, respectively, with a large concentration difference of 13 to 86 times depending on the species. Although the average Ni concentration in gastropods was lower than in bivalves, the concentrations of Cu and Zn were 6.1 and 1.9 times higher, respectively, in gastropods than in bivalves. The Cu isotope fractionation of Batillus cornutus was mainly negative, with a maximum difference of 1.21‰ from Rapana venosa, which had the heaviest isotope data. Both minimum (+0.18‰) and maximum (+0.81‰) values of Zn isotopes appear in Rapana venosa, showing that isotopic composition varies depending on habitat and size, even within the same species.
How to cite: Park, C., Jeong, H., and Ra, K.: Ni, Cu, and Zn isotopic compositions of bivalves and gastropods from the Korean coast, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-2679, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-2679, 2026.
The distribution, transformation, and impacts of marine pollutants are strongly modulated by background biogeochemical conditions, including nutrient availability, organic matter cycling, and oxygen dynamics. Accurately resolving these processes in shelf seats therefore requires modelling approaches that combine advanced ecosystem representation with high spatial resolution. In this study, we present a high-resolution coupled hydrodynamical–biogeochemical modelling framework developed for the North Sea to simulate seasonal variability in nutrients, oxygen, and organic matter.
The system is based on the unstructured-grid Finite Volume Community Ocean Model (FVCOM) coupled to the Oxygen Depletion biogeochemical model (OxyDep) via the Framework for Aquatic Biogeochemical Models (FABM). The horizontal grid resolution varies from approximately 1–2 km at the open boundaries to about 200 m or finer in targeted regions, with 42 sigma layers in the vertical. The model is forced by atmospheric, tidal, and open-boundary conditions from operational products, while biogeochemical boundary conditions are derived from Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service datasets.
Simulations for a full annual cycle reproduce the major seasonal phases of North Sea biogeochemistry. Winter conditions are characterized by light limitation of phytoplankton growth, elevated surface nutrient concentrations, and high dissolved oxygen associated with low temperatures. In spring, the development of the phytoplankton bloom leads to rapid nutrient consumption and pronounced oxygen gradients that closely follow phytoplankton biomass. Enhanced zooplankton activity and increased production of dissolved and particulate organic matter occur during late spring and early summer, followed by reduced primary production and lower oxygen concentrations during summer stratification driven by intensified organic matter mineralization. In autumn and early winter, the system gradually returns to well-mixed, winter-like conditions. The simulated spatial patterns and seasonal evolution of nutrients, chlorophyll, and dissolved oxygen are consistent with available observational products.
By resolving the natural seasonal baseline of nutrient and oxygen dynamics at high spatial resolution, the model provides a robust reference state against which additional anthropogenic nutrient inputs can be assessed. External nutrient sources associated with activities such as aquaculture, coastal discharges, and other human pressures may substantially alter local biogeochemical conditions and oxygen regimes. The presented unstructured-grid framework offers the spatial detail required to investigate how such inputs interact with physical transport and ecosystem processes, influencing nutrient dispersion, pollutant transformation, and potential environmental impacts. As such, it provides a suitable high-resolution tool for studying nutrient enrichment and pollution-related processes in the North Sea and comparable shelf environments.
How to cite: Yakushev, E., Ghafari, P., Berezina, A., and Børve, E.: Simulating North Sea biogeochemical dynamics using a high-resolution unstructured-grid model, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-21678, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-21678, 2026.
Plastic pollution poses considerable threats to the marine ecosystem, necessitating comprehensive risk assessment. However, the evaluation of multiple ecological risk pathways for marine organisms in the global ocean remains limited. Here, we assess the global risks of plastic ingestion, entanglement, pollutant adsorption (Methylmercury, MeHg; Perfluorooctane, PFOS), and additive leaching (Bisphenol A, BPA; Phthalate esters, PAEs) by integrating a marine plastic model, multi-size marine organism data, as well as MeHg and PFOS datasets. We reveal significant ingestion risks concentrated in the mid-latitude North Pacific and Atlantic Ocean, North Indian Ocean, and pronounced leaching of plastic additives in these regions. Entanglement hotspots align with regions of flourishing coastal fisheries, highlighting a significant threat to marine species. Furthermore, our analysis indicates that marine plastic debris acts as a vector for persistent organic pollutants. Modeled adsorption load are highest for PFOS on plastics in the North Atlantic and along the densely populated coasts of East and Southeast Asia (0.1–0.3 pg m⁻²), and for MeHg in the North Indian Ocean and the Southwest Atlantic Ocean (1–18 pg m⁻²). Using future emission scenarios, we project plastic concentrations and estimate reduced risks under emission control strategies. These findings underscore the urgent need for targeted cleanup efforts and policy interventions to mitigate the pervasive impact of plastic pollution on marine ecosystems.
How to cite: Zhang, Z., Wu, P., Wang, X., Pang, Q., Wang, Y., Zhang, X., Kvale, K., Zeng, E., Lei, L., and Zhang, Y.: Toward a United Ecological Risk Assessment of Marine Plastics, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-2759, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-2759, 2026.
Legacy pollutants in aquatic sediments pose risks to valuable habitats, especially in estuaries of historically industrialized rivers like the Elbe. The fate of these particles is closely tied to the dynamics of suspended particulate matter (SPM) and its interactions with organic matter. While experimental studies have demonstrated that metal and organic pollutant affinities vary across different SPM compounds, the translation of these findings into predictive mathematical transport models remains challenging. In tidally influenced transition waters such as the Elbe estuary, the composition of SPM is known to vary over both time and space, thereby limiting the understanding of the transport behavior of legacy pollutants.
This contribution presents the findings of a recent study [1] that investigated the long-term seasonal dynamics of heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Zn, Hg) and persistent organic pollutants (HCB, DD’x and PCB 180) in SPM, at two sites along the Elbe River, one tidal and one nontidal, using statistical modelling of monitoring data from 2007 to 2021. It further introduces an empirical partitioning approach based on Turner’s formulation [2], which estimates the aqueous–solid partitioning coefficient (Kd) of metals as a function of salinity, suspended solids, and an organic matter proxy. The underlying data for this approach were gathered in several field campaigns and laboratory experiments (2023–2025) within the interdisciplinary research project CTM-Elbe.
Statistical modelling of long-term data has revealed that suspended solid concentration (SSC) largely explains the variation in unfiltered metal concentrations in water, reflecting the combined effects of sediment resuspension and seasonal biomass cycles [1]. Both organic and inorganic fractions of SPM were identified as key drivers of Cd, Zn, Cu, and Hg distribution and transport. In contrast, the particle-bound content of organic pollutants was poorly explained by SSC or organic carbon, reflecting limitations of the particulate sampling method. These insights support the development of new hydrodynamic transport models that account for metal partitioning under estuarine conditions, thereby enhancing our understanding of legacy pollutant transport and fate. Such models are essential for improving future sediment management and risk assessment strategies for legacy pollution in complex estuarine systems such as the Elbe.
References
1. Ortiz Gutierrez, V.; Fricke, B.; Kelln, J.; Zimmermann, T.; Pröfrock, D. (2025): Seasonal influence of suspended particulate matter on metal and organic pollutant distribution under fluvial and tidal conditions in the Elbe River. Water Research 291. DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2025.125177.
2. Turner, A. (1996): Trace-metal partitioning in estuaries: importance of salinity and particle concentration. Marine Chemistry 54 (1-2). DOI: 10.1016/0304-4203(96)00025-4.
How to cite: Ortiz Gutierrez, V., Fricke, B., Zimmermann, T., Pröfrock, D., Hoppe, P., and Kelln, J.: Influence of Suspended Particulate Matter on the Distribution and Transport of Metal and Organic Pollutants in the Elbe estuary, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-6751, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-6751, 2026.
Marine plastic pollution has traditionally been recognized for its physical impacts, including aesthetic degradation, ghost fishing, ingestion and entanglement of marine organisms, and the generation of microplastics. In recent years, however, plastic debris has also gained attention as a potential chemical pollution source due to the release of various additives incorporated into plastic products. In a previous screening analysis of marine plastic debris and newly manufactured plastic products, we found that polyvinyl chloride (PVC)-coated ropes used in oyster aquaculture contained exceptionally high concentrations of bisphenol A (BPA), reaching up to 101,000 ng/g. Based on the concentration differences between new products and weathered debris collected from coastal environments, the total amount of BPA potentially released from PVC-coated ropes used in Korean oyster farms was estimated to be approximately 140–194 kg. These findings suggest that aquaculture gear may represent a previously underappreciated source of chemical contamination in marine environments. In this study, we investigated the release behavior of BPA from PVC-coated aquaculture ropes under controlled laboratory conditions and evaluated the environmental distribution of BPA in marine sediments. Coated ropes were exposed to seawater at two temperatures (6 °C and 26 °C), representing winter and summer conditions, to assess seasonal variability in BPA release. The results showed rapid leaching of BPA into seawater, with substantially higher release rates at 26 °C than at 6 °C. On average, BPA concentrations in seawater at 26 °C were approximately two to three times higher than those observed at 6 °C over the same exposure period, indicating strong temperature dependence of BPA mobilization. In parallel, surface sediments (0–2 cm) were collected from oyster farming areas, urban coastal sites, and offshore reference locations. Sediment analysis revealed significantly higher BPA concentrations in aquaculture sites compared to urban and offshore areas. Overall, our findings demonstrate that PVC-coated ropes used in oyster aquaculture can act as a significant source of BPA to the marine environment, highlighting the need to consider aquaculture gear as a contributor to chemical pollution in coastal ecosystems.
How to cite: Jang, M., Han, G. M., Ha, S. Y., and Hong, S. H.: Plastic Gear in Korean Aquaculture as a Source of Bisphenol A in Coastal Marine Environments, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-8734, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-8734, 2026.
Over the past five decades, Taiwan has experienced rapid economic development and industrial growth, leading to significant heavy metal pollution and severe environmental impacts. Although public awareness of environmental pollution increased during the 1990s, leading to the implementation of various environmental protection policies, heavy metals remain among the most persistent contaminants in marine systems. Once introduced into coastal waters, these elements are accumulated in marine sediments over time, making sedimentary records valuable indicators for reconstructing historical pollution trends.
The Taiwan Strait is a shallow continental shelf system in which tidal currents play a crucial role in sediment erosion and transport. Sediments in the strait are expected to contain modern fluvial inputs derived primarily from rivers in western Taiwan, which are subsequently transported northward by prevailing coastal currents. Our primary objective is to reconstruct the historical evolution of heavy metal contamination in the Taiwan Strait sediments and to evaluate the influence of industrial development and environmental regulations on observed geochemical trends.
Sediment cores were collected from nearshore to offshore environments in the Taiwan Strait to capture spatial variability associated with sediment transport processes. The 210Pb dating, grain size, and geochemical analyses (Zn, Cr, Pb, Co, Ni, Cu, Cd, Fe, Mn, Al, K) were applied to sediment cores. The 210Pb activity is used to determine sedimentation rates and constrain sediment ages. Grain-size data were integrated with geochemical results to distinguish between pollution signals and natural sedimentological influences. We assumed that the records show increased heavy metal levels associated with the start of industrial activity, followed by a decrease in the late 1990s due to the enforcement of environmental policies such as the ban on leaded gasoline. The findings provide important insights into the effectiveness of domestic regulations in controlling heavy metal pollution. Moreover, these results suggest that regulations can significantly reduce marine pollution, as evidenced by the decline in pollution levels in Manila Bay following the implementation of stricter environmental laws. Overall, this study demonstrates that marine sediments are powerful archives for tracking pollution histories and play a critical role in environmental management, contributing to the future marine environments.
How to cite: Liang, C.-H., Su, C.-C., and Chang, M.-S.: History of heavy metal pollution recorded in sediments in the Taiwan Strait, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-9196, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-9196, 2026.
This study investigates microplastic pollution pathways and fate in the Goro Lagoon (NW Adriatic Sea), integrating geochemical and stable isotope analyses across sediments, lagoon waters, and bivalve mollusks (Ruditapes philippinarum) to trace contaminant dispersion and bioaccumulation. We developed a validated protocol for microplastic extraction from complex, organic-rich matrices: alkaline H₂O₂/NaOH digestion, oil separation exploiting the lipophilic properties of plastics, Nile Red staining, and stereomicroscopic quantification under blue light with ImageJ for size distribution. Microplastics were ubiquitous, with the highest abundances found in sediments and biota, indicating widespread environmental contamination. Complementary ICP-MS (32 trace/major elements), EA-IRMS (δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N, %C/%N; δ¹⁸O in shells), and XRF analyses revealed distinct chemical and isotopic signatures across matrices, reflecting local environmental gradients and stressors. These patterns highlight microplastic hotspots linked to sediment-water exchanges and bivalve uptake within lagoon dynamics. These findings underscore microplastics as persistent marine pollutants interacting with coastal geochemistry and biota, supporting sustainable shellfish management and advancing monitoring protocols for pollution assessment.
How to cite: Pignoni, E., Aquilano, A., Azaaouaj, S., Sfriso, A., Corbau, C., and Coltorti, M.: Microplastic Contamination and Geochemical Tracers in the Goro Lagoon Ecosystem: Pathways, Fate, and Biota Interactions, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-9283, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-9283, 2026.
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Rapid transfer of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances through submarine canyons: Sources, pathways and implications
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Zesheng Xu1, Ian Kane1, Bart van Dongen1, Holly Shiels2, Richard Kimber2 and Michael Clare3 |
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1. Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK (e-mail: zesheng.xu@manchester.ac.uk) 2. Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK 3. National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, UK |
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Submarine canyons are important conduits for the transfer of terrestrial materials, including pollutants, into the deep ocean, yet their role in mediating the distribution and fate of persistent pollutants such as Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) remains underexplored. PFAS are globally pervasive as ‘forever chemicals’, which pose significant ecological and health risks due to their persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxicity. The deep sea is therefore a potentially important sink for these compounds but the pathways, processes, and ecological implications of PFAS transport via submarine canyons remain understudied. This study aims to address critical knowledge gaps regarding the transport and distribution of PFAS in submarine canyons, focusing on sedimentary dynamics of PFAS transport and deposition patterns. We present an ongoing case study from the Nazaré Canyon, based on 20 sediment cores collected across the system, together with current-meter and sediment-flux measurements from two canyon-head sites. PFAS in sediments are quantified by LC–MS/MS. The extraction method is adapted from Powley (2005). We add a nitrogen blow-down concentration step to improve sensitivity, and replace HCl/NaOH with acetate-based reagents to better recover short-chain PFAS under milder conditions. Method performance is assessed using estuarine mud from the Liverpool Bay/Mersey system as a reference matrix. This result dataset will be used to test mechanistic links between sediment transport, depositional settings, and PFAS occurrence. In the future, we are using targeted sorption experiments and organic geochemical characterisation to constrain controlling interactions, and the approach will be applied across canyon systems with contrasting sediment feeder mechanisms (Setubal, Whittard and Nazaré canyons) to assess the importance of land-shelf-canyon connectivity. We will also extend measurements to sediments and selected benthic biota to support ecological risk assessment.
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How to cite: Xu, Z.: Rapid transfer of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances through submarine canyons: Sources, pathways and implications, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-14666, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-14666, 2026.
In the last decade, there has been a significant rise in interest in anthropogenic litter and plastic pollution in the marine environment. The recently proposed Integrated Marine Debris Observing System is expected to encompass three main components: in situ observations, remote sensing, and numerical modeling (Maximenko et al. 2019).
In this work, we show the model-based outcome from systematic observations of floating marine macro litter in the Western Mediterranean and Adriatic seas. Regular ship-based observations of marine litter in the Mediterranean provide unique field data generated by complex hydrodynamic conditions and uncertain pollution sources. The observed floating macro litter distributions 2023–2024 were tracked for 150 days (Liubartseva et al., 2018) using the Parcels Lagrangian model (Delandmeter and van Sebille, 2019). Simulations were implemented using the plasticparcels python package, which is specifically designed for plastic transport and dispersion (Denes and van Sebille, 2024). The drift of virtual particles was forced by the sea surface currents provided by the Copernicus Marine Service reanalysis (Escudier et al., 2021) and by 10-m wind fields from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) ERA5 reanalysis (Hersbach et al., 2023). Turbulent diffusion was represented as a 2D random walk process.
Monthly maps of litter occurrence frequency showed the areas where the litter was most/least likely to be transported. These maps can be superposed with the distributions of the Mediterranean megafauna, such as cetaceans and sea turtles, to conduct the associated risk assessment.
A dedicated web-based application was developed to track the fate of beached litter under the absorbing boundary conditions. This analytical tool allows interactive analysis of the histograms and spatial distributions of beached virtual particles. The results can be compared with vulnerable coastlines as turtle nesting sites to evaluate the risk of contact.
This work was carried out within the framework of the Life CONCEPTU MARIS Project (LIFE20 NAT/IT/001371).
References
Delandmeter, P., van Sebille, E., 2019. The Parcels v2.0 Lagrangian framework: new field interpolation schemes. Geosci. Model Dev. 12, 3571–3584.
Denes, M.C., Van Sebille, E., 2024. Plasticparcels: A python package for marine plastic dispersal simulations and parameterisation development using parcels. J. Open Source Softw. 9, 7094.
Escudier, R., Clementi, E., Cipollone, A., et al., 2021. A high resolution reanalysis for the Mediterranean Sea. Front. Earth Sci. 9, 1060.
Hersbach, H., Comyn-Platt, E., Bell, B., et al., 2023. ERA5 post-processed daily statistics on pressure levels from 1940 to present. Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) Climate Data Store.
Liubartseva, S., Coppini, G., Lecci, R., Clementi, E., 2018. Tracking plastics in the Mediterranean: 2D Lagrangian model. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 129, 151–162.
Maximenko, N., Corradi, P., Law, K.L., et al., 2019. Toward the Integrated Marine Debris Observing System. Front. Mar. Sci. 6, 447.
How to cite: Bravo, S. and the CONCEPTU MARIS Team: Embedding marine macro litter observations into the Lagrangian particle tracking model , EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-18705, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-18705, 2026.
In accordance with the International Maritime Organization (IMO)’s Net Zero policy in 2023, the maritime sector has adopted a target of achieving zero greenhouse gas emissions, leading to an increase in vessels powered by eco-friendly fuels such as ammonia, hydrogen, methanol, LNG, and batteries. When leakage occurs, these fuels exhibit different behaviors depending on their material properties, resulting in varying risks and impacts. Toxic fuels such as ammonia and methanol can cause direct human and environmental impacts, while flammable fuels such as hydrogen and LNG pose risks of fire and explosion, leading to severe secondary impacts. However, studies addressing the risks and impacts of leakage accidents involving eco-friendly marine fuels remain limited. In this study, an algorithm is developed to predict the risks and impacts of eco-friendly marine fuel leakage accidents by incorporating fuel-specific characteristics. The results of this study are expected to support risk assessment and contribute to effective accident response and mitigation. This research was supported by Development of Platform and Prediction System of Ship Fuel dispersion and Damage for Response and Control of Eco-Friendly Ship Accident of Korea institute of Marine Science & Technology Promotion(KIMST) funded by the Korea Coast Guard(KIMST-(RS-2023-00236401))
How to cite: Lee, S. and Lee, S.: Prediction of Airborne and Marine Impact from Eco-Friendly Ship Fuel Leakage Accidents, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-16221, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-16221, 2026.
Mud shrimp Austinogebia edulis, an economically important sea food, has been protected in marine protected areas (MPAs) that are established in the western coast of Taiwan. However, there was no significant improvement in the abundance of A. edulis in MPAs in the last ten years. As benthic organisms in coastal wetlands, mud shrimp have ability to accumulate perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA), which has the highest detection rate and concentration among eight per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in coastal waters collected from 12 sampling sites along the coastline of Taiwan, through sediment and water exposure. Therefore, we investigated the abundance of A. edulis and the concentrations of PFBA in the sediment simultaneously to have a preliminary understanding of the occurrence of PFBA in mud shrimp breeding conservation areas. Grid sampling was conducted at two mud shrimp breeding conservation areas (Wanggong and Shengang) to estimate the abundance of A. edulis based on the burrow openings counted in the 0.09 m2 in November 2025. Then, sediment samples were collected from locations where higher or no burrow openings were observed. Additionally, mud shrimp samples were collected from Wanggong mud shrimp breeding conservation area and near Shengang mud shrimp breeding conservation area to confirm PFBA in biota samples. The average concentrations of PFBA in the sediment samples from Wanggong and Shengang mud shrimp breeding conservation areas were 56.40 ng g−1 and 52.65 ng g−1, respectively. Average abundances of A. edulis estimated for the sediment sampling sites located in Wanggong and Shengang mud shrimp breeding conservation areas were 13 and 40 number m−2, respectively. Moreover, the PFBA concentration in mud shrimp samples collected from Wanggong mud shrimp breeding conservation area (52.9 ng g−1) was higher than those collected near Shengang mud shrimp breeding conservation area (23.5 ng g−1). Even though our results indicated that sediment environments with lower concentrations of PFBA might habitat more mud shrimp, frequent investigation on the occurrence of PFBA and studies focusing on the bioaccumulation feature and potential impacts on mud shrimp were necessary to provide information for MPA management strategies and the transfer and bioaccumulation of PFASs through the food chain.
How to cite: Yang, P.-Y., Liang, Y.-C., and Lu, T.-H.: Occurrences of Perfluorobutanoic Acid (PFBA) in the mud shrimp breeding conservation areas in the western coast of Taiwan, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-22208, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-22208, 2026.
Plastics released into the sea are considered a significant global problem due to their substantial environmental, economic, social, political, and cultural consequences.
Knowledge of plastic sources is fundamental for monitoring and modeling the transport and fate of plastics in the environment. This work focuses on plastic fluxes from the Mediterranean coastal population, which have been identified as the primary sources of plastic pollution in the basin.
Data from the NASA/NOAA Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Day/Night Band (DNB) onboard the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Platform (SNPP) are used as indicators for population-related plastic fluxes into the area. We process the monthly cloud-free composites provided by the Earth Observation Group at the National Geophysical Data Center in Boulder, Colorado, US (Elvidge et al., 2017).
A new algorithm distributes a predefined total annual plastic flux (Kaandorp et al., 2020), proportionally to nighttime lights in a coastal region, taking into account country-specific correction factors obtained from Human Development Indices (Mai et al., 2020). Our analysis examines the estimates of total annual plastic flux that vary by three orders of magnitude at present. Uncertainties in country-specific correction factors are also reviewed.
The averaged 2015–2024 plastic fluxes kg/day from the coastal Mediterranean population are represented at a horizontal resolution of 15 arcseconds. In addition, country-level plastic contributions are provided, quantified, and compared.
A freely available dataset is ready for modeling and source-focused observation planning through PANGAEA: https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.987840
This work was carried out within the framework of the Space It Up Project funded by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and the Ministry of University and Research (MUR) – contract n. 2024-5-E.0 – CUP n. I53D24000060005.
References
Elvidge, C.D., Baugh, K., Zhizhin, M., Hsu, F.C., Ghosh, T., 2017. VIIRS night-time lights. Int. J. Remote Sens., 38,5860–5879. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01431161.2017.1342050
Kaandorp, M.L., Dijkstra, H.A., Van Sebille, E., 2020. Closing the Mediterranean marine floating plastic mass budget: Inverse modeling of sources and sinks. Environ. Sci. Technol., 54, 11980–11989. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.0c01984
Mai, L., Sun, X.-F., Xia, L.-L., Bao, L.-J., Liu, L.-Y., Zeng, E.Y., 2020. Global riverine plastic outflows. Environ. Sci. Technol. 54, 10049–10056. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.0c02273
How to cite: Liubartseva, S., Coppini, G., Causio, S., and Campanati, C.: How can we obtain seaward plastic fluxes from the Mediterranean coastal population using NASA's Black Marble data?, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-4774, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-4774, 2026.
Posters virtual: Tue, 5 May, 14:00–18:00 | vPoster spot 1a
EGU26-3528 | Posters virtual | VPS20
Litter detection and mapping from the combined use of multispectral UAV imagery and Deep Learning: A case study from GreeceTue, 05 May, 14:48–14:51 (CEST) vPoster spot 1a
Litter pollution has grown to be the most prominent threat to the coastal ecosystems, affecting both the environment and the local communities. An important step towards the mitigation of coastal pollution is the effective monitoring of the issue. The rapid evolution of Remote Sensing has offered many new techniques for the detection of beach litter, and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), especially, have proven to be invaluable tools. In this study, different approaches of beach litter detection are evaluated in order to determine which ones yield the most promising results. The data used were collected in the area of Palio Faliro, Greece and included RGB and Multi-spectral images. For the detection of the litter from the UAV images, two Deep Learning (DL) models were utilized, namely the Mask R-CNN and the YOLOv3. The accuracy of these two DL models in beach litter detection and also explore the potential challenges that may arise while trying to monitor the coastal environment with UAV methods. Our study findings suggest that the combined use of DL methods and UAV imagery can provide a cost-effective and scalable solution in litter detection and can assist relevant decision-making actions. Future work will focus on evaluating different DL methods under other experimental settings as well which will help towards assessing the wider applicability of the combined use of drone imagery and DL approaches in litter detection in coastal areas.
KEYWORDS: Remote Sensing, coastal little, UAVs, drones, deep learning, ACCELERATE project
Acknowledgements
This study is financially supported by the ACCELERATE MSCA SE program of the European Union’s Horizon research and innovation program under grant agreement No. 101182930
How to cite: Mitsopoulou, C., Petropoulos, G. P., Detsikas, S. E., Lekka, C., Grigoriadis, K., Polychronos, V., Mamagiannou, E.-M., Gkotsikas, C., Chardavellas, K., and Katsou, E.: Litter detection and mapping from the combined use of multispectral UAV imagery and Deep Learning: A case study from Greece, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-3528, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-3528, 2026.
EGU26-6313 | Posters virtual | VPS20
An Environmental Impact Assessment Framework for Ammonia and Methanol as Future Marine Fuels in Singapore Coastal WatersTue, 05 May, 15:18–15:21 (CEST) vPoster spot 1a
As one of the world’s largest bunkering hubs, Singapore is actively preparing for the transition to low- and zero-carbon marine fuels such as ammonia and methanol. While these fuels offer distinct decarbonisation benefits, their use raises environmental safety concerns in the densely trafficked and ecologically sensitive waters of the Singapore Strait. Unlike conventional oil fuels, spills of ammonia and methanol behave primarily as dissolved plumes, with distinct physicochemical behaviour and toxicity pathways that challenge current environmental impact assessment (EIA) and spill response practices.
This study proposes an integrated EIA framework tailored to upcoming low-carbon fuels in Singapore’s coastal waters. Drawing on international practice, the local regulatory context, and scientific evidence, the framework integrates hazard identification, hydrodynamic and water quality modelling of spill scenarios, ecotoxicological risk assessment, and spatial sensitivity mapping of key marine receptors, including coral reefs, mangroves, aquaculture zones, and coastal water intakes. Ammonia and methanol are evaluated within the same framework to illustrate fuel-specific risks: methanol presents short-term toxicity risks despite rapid biodegradation, whereas ammonia exhibits both acute and chronic toxicity with complex speciation dynamics under tropical conditions.
How to cite: Shen, H., Wang, Z., and Tkalich, P.: An Environmental Impact Assessment Framework for Ammonia and Methanol as Future Marine Fuels in Singapore Coastal Waters, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-6313, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-6313, 2026.
