CENTRE FOR ENVIRONMENT, FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE SCI ENCE AQUATIC ENVIRONMENT MONITORING REPORT Number 57 Monitoring of the quality of the marine environment, 2002-2003 LOWESTOFT 2005 1 This report was compiled and edited by Robin Law, Gill Hustwayte and Donna Sims of the CEFAS Burnham Laboratory, Remembrance Avenue, Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex CM0 8HA. Additional copies can be obtained from the Burnham Laboratory by e-mailing a request to [email protected] or downloading from the CEFAS website www.cefas.co.uk. Sci. Ser., Aquat. Environ. Monit. Rep., CEFAS, Lowestoft, (57): 64pp. © Crown copyright, 2005 This publication (excluding the logos) may be re-used free of charge in any format or medium for research for non-commercial purposes, private study or for internal circulation within an organisation. This is subject to it being re-used accurately and not used in a misleading context. The material must be acknowledged as Crown copyright and the title of the publication specified. This publication is also available at www.cefas.co.uk For any other use of this material please apply for a Click-Use Licence for core material at www.hmso.gov.uk/ copyright/licences/core/core_licence.htm, or by writing to: HMSO’s Licensing Division St Clements House 2-16 Colegate Norwich NR3 1BQ Fax: 01603 723000 E-mail: [email protected] 2 CONTENTS Page FOREWORD BACKGROUND TO THE WORK GLOSSARY OF TERMS SEA WATER 1. Radioactivity in UK coastal waters ...........................................................................................9 1.1 Introduction .........................................................................................................................9 1.2 Methods ..............................................................................................................................9 1.2.1 Sampling ................................................................................................................9 1.2.2 Sample analysis .....................................................................................................9 1.3 Results and discussion .......................................................................................................9 1.3.1 137Cs distribution ....................................................................................................9 1.3.2 3H distribution ......................................................................................................11 1.3.3 Other radionuclides ..............................................................................................11 2. Pharmaceutical compounds in UK estuaries ........................................................................11 2.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................11 2.2 Methods ............................................................................................................................11 2.3 Analysis .............................................................................................................................12 2.4 Results ..............................................................................................................................12 2.5 Discussion .........................................................................................................................12 3. Produced water studies ...........................................................................................................14 3.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................14 3.2 Methods and results ..........................................................................................................14 BIOTA 4. Contaminants in marine mammals .........................................................................................14 4.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................14 4.2 Methods ............................................................................................................................15 4.3 Results ..............................................................................................................................15 5. The concentrations of mercury in fi sh taken from Liverpool Bay, UK, in 2002 .................15 5.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................15 BENTHOS 6. The benthic ecology of the western North Sea .....................................................................17 6.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................17 6.2 Summary ...........................................................................................................................18 BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS 7. Fish pathology and disease biomarkers 2002-2003 .............................................................19 7.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................19 7.2 Materials and methods ......................................................................................................19 7.3 Results ..............................................................................................................................20 7.3.1 Dab diseases .......................................................................................................20 7.3.2 Histological analysis of dab livers ........................................................................27 7.3.3 Disease status of other species ...........................................................................27 7.4 Discussion .........................................................................................................................27 8. The use of the DR-CALUX bioassay to determine dioxin-like activity in UK estuaries .....31 8.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................31 9. The use of biomarkers in biological effects monitoring ......................................................33 9.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................33 9.2 EROD ................................................................................................................................33 9.2.1 Methods ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................33 9.2.2 Results ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................33 9.2.3 Conclusions ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................36 continued:/ 3 9.3 Bile ....................................................................................................................................36 9.3.1 Introduction and methods .....................................................................................36 9.3.2 Results ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................37 9.3.3 Discussion ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................38 9.3.4 General conclusion ..............................................................................................................................................................................................38 SEDIMENTS 10. PAH in sediments collected within the UK National Marine Monitoring Programme: data for 2000-2003 .....................................................................................................................40 10.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................40 AGGREGATE EXTRACTION 11. Assessment of the rehabilitation of the seabed following cessation of aggregate extraction ................................................................................................................43 11.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................43 11.2 Methods ............................................................................................................................43 11.3 Results ..............................................................................................................................43 11.3.1 Biology ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................43