Marine water quality refers to the physicochemical, biological, and microbiological status of seawater as characterized by quantitative indicators relevant to ecosystem function, contaminant exposure, and regulatory standards. It encompasses parameters such as nutrient concentrations (e.g., nitrogen, phosphorus), dissolved oxygen, salinity, temperature, pH, turbidity, organic matter, trace metals, hydrocarbons, persistent organic pollutants, and microbial/pathogen loads. Assessment of marine water quality underpins evaluations of eutrophication, hypoxia, harmful algal blooms, contaminant bioavailability, and ecological risk. It is central to monitoring programs, environmental impact assessments, and management frameworks such as marine protected areas and coastal zone management, often integrating in situ measurements, remote sensing, and modeling.
Microplastics (MPs) pollution is a prevalent environmental problem that affects ecosystems globally. Despite the growing research on the environmental effects of MPs, a significant research gap remains in understanding the ...
Environment
Jul 7, 2025
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Groundwater input to coral reefs directly affects water chemistry and triggers a cascade of changes in the coastal ecosystem, according to a new study led by University of Hawaiʻi (UH) at Mānoa oceanographers. Freshwater ...
Ecology
Jun 27, 2025
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27
In recent years, special wash-down areas have been built in marinas to reduce the environmental problems caused by boat bottom paints. An analysis of Hinsholmskilen by the University of Gothenburg shows that the levels of ...
Ecology
Jun 27, 2025
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Among the biggest culprits of plastic pollution in the ocean and along shorelines are thin plastic shopping bags, which have low recycling rates and often become litter when they blow away in the wind. Once there, they can ...
Environment
Jun 19, 2025
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Ocean waters are getting greener at the poles and bluer toward the equator, according to an analysis of satellite data published in Science on June 19.
Earth Sciences
Jun 19, 2025
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143
Wildfires pollute waterways and could affect their ability to sequester carbon, recent University of British Columbia research shows.
Earth Sciences
Jun 17, 2025
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South Australian beaches have been awash with foamy, discolored water and dead marine life for months. The problem hasn't gone away; it has spread.
Ecology
Jun 15, 2025
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Methods to enhance the ocean's uptake of carbon dioxide (CO₂) are being explored to help tackle the climate crisis. However, some of these approaches could significantly exacerbate ocean deoxygenation. Their potential impact ...
Earth Sciences
Jun 14, 2025
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123
A team of planetary scientists, ecologists, and marine biologists affiliated with several institutions in the U.S. and one in the U.K., has found evidence suggesting that parts of the world's oceans have already passed what ...
NOAA is forecasting this summer's Gulf of America (formerly Gulf of Mexico) "dead zone" to be average-sized, covering approximately 5,574 square miles—an area roughly three times the size of Delaware. The dead zone, or hypoxic ...
Environment
Jun 12, 2025
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