1. Pollution in Coastal and Shelf Seas:
An Overview
Huge topic; 766,000 hits on Google!
An overview of key points,
Some of more important topics in more detail (* )
Case study of Black Sea.
What is pollution (UN version)?
“Marine pollution is the introduction by humans into the marine environment, directly or indirectly, of substances or energy that can lead to deleterious effects on e.g. biological systems, human health, fisheries, or reduce the quality of the environment for use by the leisure industry”

2. Types of pollutants- major categories
Sewage discharges (high organic carbon, plus other materials)
Nutrients* (at high levels)
Metals*
Hydrocarbons/oil*
Chlorinated compounds, and other synthetic organics (endocrine disrupters, herbicides, unknown organics etc.)
Plastics/garbage
Radio-nuclides (power/reprocessing plants- Cs-137, Sb-125, Chernobyl Cs-134)
Heat (power stations; impact on species composition & > bacterial respiration)

3. Some pollutants may be naturally present
However, Human activity often has enhanced releases, e.g.
Metals released from mine spoil
Eutrophication may enhance occurrence of toxin release from HABs, (Harmful Algal Blooms)
Natural oil seeps

4. Origins of pollutants:
Domestic effluents
Industrial effluents [direct (outfalls) and indirect (e.g. via atmosphere)]
Ship origin (sinking tankers, washing tanks, anti-fouling agents etc)

5. Impact of pollutants
Function of toxicity
Sub-lethal effects- pressure on species
Bio-accumulation through food web
Control of Marine Pollution requires knowledge of:
Pathways by which pollutants reach the coastal and shelf seas
Rates of inputs and dispersal of pollutants
Forms in which pollutants occur and how they behave in marine systems

6. Note that as the coastal and Shelf seas systems are open to inputs from land and atmospheric source, controlling pollution here is synonymous with controlling Global Pollution!
It is clear that knowledge of relevant marine physics, biology, chemistry and geology/sedimentology are all needed to provide an interdisciplinary view of pollution.

7. From Simpson, 1994

8. Nutrients in coastal waters
Referring to N, P and Si, as essential nutrients for phytoplankton growth
Major input through rivers, although atmosphere can be important for N (ammonia, nitrate)
Human impact principally through use of fertilisers and detergents
Recent estimates of impact of human activities on P fluxes = 2.4 X pre-human

9. Nitrate in the southern North Sea 1989, µM

10. Phytoplankton, organic carbon inputs, bacteria and oxygen demand
(highly simplified!)
oxygen
Low or no oxygen:
Eutrophic conditions
produces
Oxidation provides energy
respiration
Humans
algae
bacteria
N P
CO2
Dead organic matter
supplies
Sewage/C inputs

11. Increase in biomass, on dying high bacterial respiration and oxygen reduction = Eutrophication
Impact in terms of fish mortality, red-tide incidence etc.
Particularly important when no or limited mixing with oxygenated waters
Major impact in restricted exchange environments (e.g. Baltic Sea)
Can be large-scale impact – e.g. Gulf of Mexico
Controls include reduced use of fertilisers, ban on P based detergents

12. Oxygen minimum zone (shaded) that develops annually in response to nutrient and other inputs to the Gulf of Mexico

13. Metals as Pollutants in the coastal zone
Example of metals released from mining in Spain
Mining since Roman times, of Iberian pyrite belt in Andalucia
Build up of mine tailings- residue after most metals removed from sulphide ores, but still high metal content
Sulphides oxidised in air- products sulphate and acid!
Very low pH waters

14. Tailing dams typically contain acid (pH2) waters and sulphide sludge
Background source of Zn and other heavy metals to S Spanish coastal waters
Zn signal can be followed for very long distances and into Mediterranean Sea
Los Frailes mine spill, April 1998, released circa 6 x 106 m3 sludge and water released into Guadiamar river
Concern over damaging Doñana Park (UNESCO world biosphere reserve)
1.5 m thick layer of sludge covered Ha of flood plain but was diverted from park

15. Image showing grey layer of metal laden sludge deposited on the flood plain of the Guadiamar.
(c/o Dr E. Achterberg)

16. Main rivers draining mining areas
Manganese
Strait of Gibraltar
Copper

17. Oil pollution
Crude oil formed from organic remains of dead organisms over geologic time-scales.
Thousands of organic compounds may be present
50-98% of compounds hydrocarbons (C and H only)

18. Oil introduced into marine environment through variety of routes:
Major incidents- sinking tankers- most
Washing out tanks at sea (now banned)
Land based inputs

19. Fate of Crude oil spilt on seawater:
Fate and behaviour of spilt crude oil will depend on composition (origin)
As oil is hydrophobic and < dense that water, will form thin layer at interface with atmosphere
L of oil will cover 1 km2 to about 0.1 µm- thicker if major spill
Film moves with wind and tides

24. Examples of legislation to reduce pollution:
Tri- butyl Tin (TBT)
Major impact on certain molluscs
Impact on oyster growth (deformed shells; reduced growth)
Now banned, even on larger vessels

25. Banning of “over the side” dumping of garbage at sea (1988)