Environmental studies 2025 - Part B
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04 - Global Database for Naturally Occurring Radionuclides
Associated with Offshore Oil and Gas Production
Authors: Ziran Wei, Songjie He, Stephanie Sharuga, and
Kanchan Maiti
This study presents a comprehensive dataset on Naturally
Occurring Radionuclides (NORMs) near offshore oil and
gas platforms, focusing on their occurrence, distribution,
and potential environmental impacts. It includes data on
activity levels and exposure from various matrices like
produced water, scales, and sludges, gathered from five
continents over the past 70 years.
05 - Presence and Potential Effect of Microplastics Associated with
Anthropic Activity in Two Benthic Fishes Serranus scriba and
Lithognathus mormyrus
Authors:
Amanda Cohen-Sanchez, Juan Alejandro Sanz,
Montserrat Compa, Maria Magdalena Quetglas-Llabres,
Maria del Mar Ribas-Taberner, Lorenzo Gil, Silvia Tejada,
Samuel Pinya, and Antoni Sureda
This study examined the impact of microplastics pollution
on two coastal fish species near Mallorca, showing that
areas with higher tourism activity had more plastic
contamination. It identified mainly polyethylene and
polypropylene in water, sediment, and fish tissues. Fish
from more polluted areas exhibited increased levels of
antioxidant, detoxification, and inflammation biomarkers,
indicating an adaptive response to microplastic exposure.
06 - Improving YOLOv11 for marine water quality monitoring and
pollution source identification
Author: Fang Wang
Marine pollution is a significant environmental issue,
affecting ecosystems and human health. The You Only
Look Once (YOLO) series has been used for monitoring,
but challenges like irregular shapes and interference limit
accuracy. An improved YOLOv11 model integrates
Deformable Convolutional Networks, Marine Fusion Loss,
Multi-scale Feature Fusion, and instance segmentation.
Experiments show the improved model outperforms
advanced methods, achieving an average accuracy of
90.2% and an inference speed of 3.5ms.
07 - Marine pollution in India: Status and future perspectives
Author: Sandhya Leeda D’Souza
India is a major global contributor to marine pollution,
resulting from waste, sewage, industrial pollutants, and
fishing nets. This review assesses pollution status,
mitigation measures, and effects on biota and human
health. Although control is not complete, effective
implementation could contribute to marine ecosystem
sustainability.
08 - Isolation and Characterization of a Crude Oil-Tolerant Obligate
Halophilic Bacterium from the Great Salt Lake of the United
States of America
Authors: Jonathan Oakes, Johurimam Noah Kuddus,
Easton Downs, Clark Oakey, Kristina Davis, Laith
Mohammad, Kiara Whitely, Carl E. Hjelmen and
Ruhul Kuddus
A bacterial strain from the Great Salt Lake, Salinivibrio
costicola, was tested for its ability to degrade crude oil.
The strain is motile, catalase- and lipase-positive, a
facultative anaerobe, and an obligate halophile. It forms a
biofilm but is nonpathogenic and sensitive to antibiotics.
The strain survived on desiccated agar media but failed to
reduce recoverable petroleum hydrocarbons from crude
oil. These recalcitrant halophiles could be considered for
genetic manipulation for bioremediation.
09 - Cross-Shore Microplastic Accumulation on Sri Lanka’s West
Coast One Year After the Catastrophic X-Press Pearl Pollution
Event
Authors: Paula Masiá Lillo, Susantha Udagedara, Ross
Williamson, and Daniel Gorman
The release of 50 billion microplastic pellets from the
sinking of the container ship X-Press Pearl along Sri Lanka's
western coast in 2021 serves as a case study in
understanding marine debris accumulation in coastal
ecosystems. Surveys found pellets were still present in
surface sediments, with some locations having average
densities of 588 pellets m2. Persistent contamination of
beaches highlights the need for continued monitoring to
assess environmental, wildlife, and human risks.
02 - Assessment of the transformative potential of interventions in
addressing coastal and marine plastic pollution in Norway: A
literature review
Authors: Natalya Amirova, Maraja Riechers, Isabel Richter
This article investigates the challenge of marine plastic
pollution in Norway, emphasizing the need for systemic
solutions and societal transformation. It evaluates 52
interventions from 39 studies, categorizing them based on
their transformative potential using the leverage points
perspective. Most identified interventions focus on
practical solutions like recycling and cleanups, which,
although easier to implement, show limited transformative
impact. The study highlights a few interventions that
could drive significant change and integrates insights
from social psychology to define transformative
interventions, ultimately promoting further research on
effective, impactful solutions.
03 - Diving into the past: tools for recovering historic dive traces
from film -based time depth recorders using data from Weddell
seals
Authors: EmmaLi G. Tsai, Dylan W. Schwilk, Michael A.
Castellini, and Jennifer M. Burns
The article discusses the evolution and importance of time
depth recorders (TDRs) in studying the diving behavior of
marine organisms over the past four decades,
highlighting the contributions of the Kooyman–Billups
TDR. It details a new computational method developed to
recover dive data from older film-based TDRs, particularly
those used on Weddell seals. The study compares the
newly processed data with historical analyses and finds
consistency between the two, offering an open-source
tool to analyze historical datasets, which can provide
insights into long-term behavioral changes in various
marine species.
11 - Deep-sea octocorals from bathyal canyons and seamounts of
the Ligurian Sea (NW Mediterranean Sea)
Author: Francesco Enrichetti, Giorgio Bavestrello,
Marzia Bo
This article explores the octocoral fauna associated with
cold-water coral habitats in the Ligurian Sea, specifically
within seamounts, canyons, and the continental slope, at
depths between 400 and 822 meters. Conducted during
two research campaigns in 2017 and 2021, the study
identifies ten octocoral species through meticulous
taxonomic analysis. Notable findings include a mix of
common Mediterranean bathyal species and rarer taxa,
complete with detailed morphological descriptions and
high-resolution imagery. The article also discusses
significant taxonomic challenges in the study of these
species.
12 - Drone-based application of whale tags: A “tap-and-go”
approach for scientific animal-borne investigations
Authors: Daniel M. Vogt, Stefano Pagani, Zahrek
Gonzalez-Peltier, Shane Gero, David F. Gruber,
Robert J. Wood
This document discusses the adoption of First Person
View (FPV) racing drones as a novel approach to
deploying suction-based tag devices on whales, primarily
sperm whales. Traditionally, tagging has been a complex,
skill-dependent task requiring boats and poles. The study
demonstrates how these adapted drones can effectively
deliver tags with minimal invasion, showcasing a
successful deployment method that offers speed and a
higher success rate, thus paving the way for
advancements in automated tagging solutions.
13 - Thermohaline Preconditioning for Sea Ice Formation in the
Beaufort Sea
Author: O. J. Houndegnonto, I. G. Fenty, S. Fournier, M.
Steele, M. J. Zahn , & P. Gaube
This article examines the relationship between ocean
stratification, heat content, and the timing of sea ice
formation and growth. Through in situ observations and
numerical simulations, the study identifies two distinct
growth rate clusters for sea ice and highlights the impact
of cold, shallow mixed layers and salinity stratification on
ice formation. It concludes that specific thermohaline
conditions can significantly influence the timing and rate
of sea ice growth.
17 - Innovative Forecasting: “A Transformer Architecture for
Enhanced Bridge Condition Prediction”
Author: Manuel Fernando Flores Cuenca, Yavuz Yardim,
and Cengis Hasan
The article emphasizes the need for innovative
preservation strategies for aging bridge infrastructure,
particularly in the face of challenges such as climate
change and limited maintenance budgets. Traditional
inspection methods provide only occasional snapshots of
condition ratings, lacking continuous monitoring
capabilities. This study proposes a Transformer
architecture from Natural Language Processing to better
analyze bridge conditions over time. By modeling
inspection data as temporally ordered tokens, this AI
approach significantly improves predictive accuracy for
bridge health forecasts.
18 - The impact of H2S on Hg accumulation on non-corroded
pipelines and the implications for assessing risks of offshore
decommissioning
Author: Lhiam Paton, Sandra Kiesel, Jorg Feldmann
The article discusses the challenges operators face when
managing decommissioned oil and gas infrastructure,
particularly focusing on mercury (Hg) contamination. It
highlights the necessity for operators to ensure that
contaminant concentrations are minimized, especially for
persistent contaminants like mercury. The study delves
into the behavior of mercury accumulation on pipelines,
particularly carbon steel, under different environmental
conditions, including exposure to hydrogen sulphide
(H2S). It reveals that mercury can significantly accumulate
over time and that some of it remains bioavailable, posing
risks to marine environments.
19 - SEA-SEIS ocean bottom seismometer network in the Northeast
Atlantic: Performance, data properties, biological observations
and audification innovations
Authors: Janneke I. de Laat, Sergei Lebedev, Raffaele
Bonadio, Thomas A.J. Merry, Maria
Tsekhmistrenko, David Stalling, the SEA-SEIS
Team
The SEA-SEIS project involved deploying 18 ocean-bottom
seismometers (OBS) in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean to
enhance understanding of sub-surface geological
structures, specifically the North Atlantic lithosphere, the
origins of the North Atlantic Igneous Province, and the
Iceland Plume. Over a period of 19 months, 12 of the
retrieved OBS provided valuable seismic data despite
some technical challenges. Notably, the deployment also
captured biological interactions, such as octopus egg-
laying, leading to new methodologies for data processing
and auditory representation.
20 - Benthopelagic Deep-Sea Food Webs Along a Latitudinal
Gradient in the Scotia Sea (Southern Ocean)
Authors: Jose P. Queiros, Mark Belchier, Jose Abreu, Paco
Bustamante, Martin A. Collins, Ana M. M.
Goncalves, Irene Bermudez-Gutierrez, Gabriele
Stowasser, Diana Vaz, Philip R. Hollyman, and
Jose C. Xavier
The article explores the structure of deep-sea food webs in
the Scotia Sea, a vital area for Antarctic fisheries,
particularly highlighting the ecological dynamics
influenced by climate change. Utilizing stable isotopes and
fatty acids, the study investigates food webs in three
locations, revealing similarities in structure but notable
differences in biodiversity among producers. The findings
indicate that deep-sea food webs have longer food chains
compared to coastal and pelagic systems.
21 - Improving the Knowledge on the Distribution and Ecology of
the Protected Echinoid Centrostephanus longispinus (Philippi,
1845) in the Alboran Sea
Authors: Javier Valenzuela, Emilio González-García, Ana
Mena-Torres, Adrián Martín-Taboada, Marina
Gallardo-Núñe, Antonio García-Ledesma,
Patricia Barcenas, José L. Rueda, and Ángel
Mateo-Ramírez
This study discusses the Centrostephanus longispinus sea
urchin species, which is distributed in the Atlantic and
Mediterranean but is considered rare and vulnerable due
to seabed degradation. It presents the first density and size
distribution data for this species in the Alboran Sea,
correlating its presence with seabed features,
environmental conditions, and human influences.
22 - Quantification of anthropogenic and marine sources to
atmospheric mercury over the marginal seas of China and
impact on the sea–air exchange of mercury
Authors: Xiaofei Qin, Hao Li, Jia Chen, Junjie Wei, Hao
Ding, Xiaohao Wang, Guochen Wang,
Chengfeng Liu, Da Lu, Shengqian Zhou, Haowen
Li, Yucheng Zhu, Ziwei Liu, Qingyan Fu, Juntao
Huo, Yanfen Lin, Congrui Deng, Yisheng Zhang,
and Kan Huang
This study investigates the contribution of terrestrial
anthropogenic and natural sources to atmospheric
mercury levels in marginal seas, particularly the Bohai Sea,
Yellow Sea, and East China Sea. It reveals mean total
gaseous mercury (TGM) concentrations, highlights higher
levels in coastal areas compared to open oceans, and
establishes significant correlations with environmental
factors.
24 - Marine Biodiversity in Inutil Bay (Tierra del Fuego): Patterns of
Zooplanktonic and Benthic Assemblages
Authors: Benjamín Rodríguez-Stepke, Américo Montiel,
Jonathan Poblete, , Mauricio F. Landaeta, Daniel
Pérez, Jorge Pérez-Schultheiss, Kharla Skamiotis,
Ignacio Garrido, Fernanda S. Orrego, and
Mathias Hüne
This article presents a study aimed at establishing a
biodiversity baseline in Inútil Bay, Southern Patagonia,
where high environmental heterogeneity and human
pressures have been observed. The research focuses on
key trophic components: zooplankton, megabenthos, and
macrobenthos, using various sampling methods. A total of
239 taxa were identified, revealing spatial gradients in
biodiversity and notable differences between assemblages
within and outside the bay. The study highlights the
ecological vulnerability of Inútil Bay.
25 - The first record of ring sea anemones from the Saudi Arabian
Red Sea mesophotic zone
Authors: Laura Macrina, Tullia I. Terraneo, Catherine S.
McFadden, Giovanni Chimienti, Vincent
Pieribone, Mohammed Qurban, Carlos M.
Duarte, and Francesca Benzoni
This study documents ring sea anemones, specifically the
genus Peronanthus, discovered in mesophotic waters of
the Saudi Arabian Red Sea at a depth of 97 meters. These
anemones form symbiotic relationships with octocorals,
leading to a marked reduction in the host’s
coenenchyme. Identification of these organisms was
confirmed through morphological and phylogenetic
analyses, including sequencing of the 12S small-subunit
rRNA region. This research underscores the importance of
investigating coral-associated fauna at mesophotic depths
to improve our understanding of biodiversity.
Authors: Erick Barrera-Falcón, Rodolfo Rioja-Nieto, Roberto
C. Hernández-Landa
This article explores the structural complexity of coral reefs,
emphasizing the need to assess their condition,
biodiversity, and resilience through advanced methods. It
critiques traditional rugosity indices for neglecting the
underlying features of reefs and presents a wavelet-based
method utilizing digital underwater photogrammetry for
comprehensive multiscale analysis. This method considers
both surface and underlying coral characteristics,
revealing significant insights into reef complexity and the
predominance of certain coral types in driving structural
diversity.
26 - Correction of Refraction Effects on Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
Structure-from-Motion Bathymetric Survey for Coral Reef
Roughness Characterisation
Authors: Marion Jaud, Mila Geindre, Stéphane Bertin,
Yoan Benoit, Emmanuel Cordier, France Floc’h,
Emmanuel Augereau, and Kévin Martins
This document compares two methods for obtaining
high-resolution bathymetric data: underwater structure-
from-motion (SfM) photogrammetry and unmanned aerial
vehicle (UAV)-based SfM photogrammetry. While
underwater techniques minimize refraction distortions but
limit area coverage, UAV methods can cover larger areas
but require refraction correction. The study finds that
applying analytical and empirical correction methods
improves the accuracy of depth measurements
significantly, with specific emphasis on utilizing linear
regression for optimal seabed roughness estimation.
10 - The use of emerging autonomous technologies for ocean
monitoring: insights and legal challenges
Author: Aspasia Pastra, Tafsir Matin Johansson, Joana
Soares, and Frank E. Muller-Karger
Biology Essential Ocean Variables (EOVs) are vital for
advancing marine ecosystem understanding,
necessitating sophisticated tools like AUVs, UAVs, and
MAVs. However, their integration into Marine Scientific
Research (MSR) faces significant legal and policy
challenges, including operation, data collection, security,
environmental impact, animal tagging, and intellectual
property rights. Addressing these requires a coordinated
multi-stakeholder approach involving scientists,
policymakers, and international bodies.
14 - Compressive strength of geopolymer with recycled carbon fibres
manufactured in air and in water by casting and additive
manufacturing
Authors: Meike Denker, Bahar Gharehpapagh, Richard
Gruhn, Sebastian Pose, Kinga Korniejenko,
Thomas Grab, and Henning Zeidler
Geopolymers (GPs) are inorganic binders created from
reactive aluminosilicate materials like metakaolin, fly ash,
and blast furnace slag, using alkaline solutions at room
temperature. They are eco-friendly compared to Portland
cement and have high hardness, weathering resistance,
thermal stability, and precise mouldability, making them
ideal for additive manufacturing (AM) and underwater
applications. This study examines the compressive
strength of metakaolin-based GPs reinforced with recycled
carbon fibres in different water environments over time.
15 - Elastic and inelastic LiDAR pulse return phenomenology in
coastal underwater biological substrates
Author: Matthieu Huot, Fraser Dalgleish, Michel Piché,
and Philippe Archambault
Developing innovative underwater substrate detection,
classification, and imaging methods at large spatial scales
is crucial for monitoring and understanding climate-
related environmental changes in coastal ocean areas.
These methods help map the distribution and abundance
of marine primary producers such as macroalgae,
eelgrass, and ecosystem components like corals, informing
future ecosystem responses and management practices.
This work analyzes data from a full waveform underwater
fluorescence LiDAR designed to detect, image, and
generate 3D point clouds of fluorescent inert and
biological substrates.
16 - Integration model of autonomous underwater vehicles and
unmanned aerial vehicles for combating illegal, unreported and
unregulated fishing
Authors: Tomislav Sunko, Mihael Dedo, Lovro Strnad, Vilim
Dura
Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing
threatens biodiversity, maritime ecosystems, and
sustainable fish stocks. Advanced technologies, particularly
unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and autonomous
underwater vehicles (AUVs), offer promising solutions to
combat these illegal activities. This paper systematically
analyzes and evaluates the use of UAVs and AUVs for fish
abundance assessments and direct and indirect
prevention of IUU fishing. It proposes an integrated model
combining UAV and AUV systems to deter maritime
misconduct and identify high-risk areas based on fish stock
depletion, thereby optimizing law enforcement resource
allocation.
23 - Advancements and Challenges in Floating Photovoltaic
Installations Focusing on Technologies, Opportunities, and
Future Directions
Authors: Ryan Bugeja, Luciano Mule Stagno, Cyprien
Godin, Wenping Luo, and Xiantao Zhang
Floating and offshore photovoltaic (FPV) installations offer
a promising solution for renewable energy generation
with a global offshore potential estimated at 4000 GW.
These systems benefit from increased efficiency due to
water cooling effects and synergy with other offshore
technologies. However, challenges remain, including high
installation costs, durability concerns, environmental
impacts such as biofouling and effects on aquatic
ecosystems, and regulatory gaps. This review critically
analyzes FPV advancements across inland, nearshore, and
offshore applications, evaluating technological
innovations like material improvements, mooring
strategies, and integration with hybrid energy systems.
27- An Approach to Calculating the Minimum Safety Distance
Against the Potential Risks of Shipwrecks
Author: Irsad Bayırhan
Shipwrecks pose significant threats to navigation and
marine environments, necessitating detailed risk
assessments for safe management, though international
regulations lack standardized safety distances. This study
proposes a mathematical method to calculate minimum
safety distances, accounting for seabed position and
higher anchor-contact risks. Through case studies, risk
measures were defined, and ALARP-based comparisons
showed that incorporating safety margins reduces risk
scores with minimal effort.
28 - The Archeology of Oil Tanker Shipwrecks and Their Potential to
Pollute
Author: Michael L. Brennan
Oil tanker shipwrecks are significant as both cultural
heritage and environmental hazards, acting as war graves
while risking long-term marine pollution due to potential
oil leaks from their cargo. Many WWII-era tankers,
targeted by German U-boats (e.g., Operation Drumbeat
in 1942), remain intact as 'potentially polluting wrecks'
(PPWs), threatening ecosystems if hulls collapse. Their
evolution from modified sailing ships to steel designs
underscores petroleum's strategic role in modern warfare.
These wrecks highlight the need for interdisciplinary
research to balance environmental protection and
maritime heritage preservation.
29 - Formation and characterization of water-in-oil emulsions:
insights from simulated mesoscale oil spill tests
Authors: Qin Xin, Christine Ridenour, and Hena Farooqi
Transporting oils across Canada via pipelines, rail, or
tankers risks spills into waterways, which can form
hazardous water-in-oil (w/o) emulsions. A study analyzing
five oils—Hibernia Crude, Alaska North Slope, Diluted
Bitumen, Very Low Sulfur Fuel Oil, and Point Arguello
Crude—in saltwater under wave conditions found that all
oils rapidly absorbed water within 24 hours and lost light
fractions to evaporation. Over 96 hours, the resulting
emulsions grew denser and more viscous, with stability
influenced by water content and remaining subfraction
composition. These results highlight the need to account
for oil-specific properties and weathering to predict
emulsion behavior and improve spill response strategies.
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