Ocean Pollution and Ecotoxicology

Objectives

1. Main types of pollutants in the oceans at a global, national, and regional scales;
2. Various methods of analysis of these pollutants;
3. Basic mechanisms of interaction of pollutants with biological systems at different levels of organization;
4. Search for new relevant information on related subjects;
5. Choose accredited services that make pollutant analysis;
6. Critically interpret data from different marine pollutants;
7. Suggest procedures to mitigate effects and accidents involving pollutants;
8. Integrate and communicate information related to this topic.

Program

- Introduction
- Topical and diffuse pollution, contamination and toxicity
- Ecotoxicology: characteristics, selection processes, and indicator species
- Biodisponibility, bioacumulation and bioamplification
- Persistence (POPs)
- Types of marine pollution, distribution and accumulation, limit values and their effects; forms of mitigation, decontamination, bioremediation and prevention
- Urban solid waste and similar
- Effluents and eutrophication
- Heavy metals and TBTs
- Hydrocarbons
- Radioactive pollution
- Energy pollution
- Bio-pollution
- Emergent pollutants
- Methods of analysis and detection of pollutants
- Chemical, biological and ecological methods
- National and regional legal implications on pollution control, of the European Directives of Marine Strategy (MFD) and Water (WFD)
- Factors affecting toxicity of a pollutant
- Biomarkers of exposure, effect and susceptibility, at different levels of functional organization 
- Concepts of monitoring and biomonitoring
- Environmental risk evaluation

Teaching Methodologies

Classes are expository using dynamic visual presentations, including videos, study visits and exploratory activities. For groups up to 20 students, expository and interrogative methods will be used, to keep the attention and participation of the students. At the end of the lessons the most relevant literature will be made available through the e-learning platform Moodle, which will also be used off-line in order to answer questions and/or give additional information.

Bibliography

- Clarke, R.B. (2001). Marine Pollution. 5th Ed. Oxford University Press. 248 pp.
- Hoffer, T.N. (2011). Marine Pollution - New Research. Nova Science Publishers, 448 pp.
- Hodgson, E. (Ed.) (2010). A Textbook of Modern Toxicology. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 648 pp.
- Kennish, M.J. (2011). Pollution Impacts on Marine Biotic Communities. CRC Press, 310 pp.
- Potters, G. (2013). Marine Pollution. Bookboon.com Publisher, 231 pp.
- Sindermann, C.J. (2011). Ocean Pollution. Effects on Living Resources and Humans. CRC Press, 272 pp.
- Walker, C.H., Sibly, R.M., Hopkin, S.P. & Peakall, D.B. (2012). Principles of Ecotoxicology. 4th Ed. CRC Press, 386 pp.
- Weis, J.S. (2014). Marine Pollution: What Everyone Needs to Know. Oxford University Press, 296 pp.
Em cada uma das aulas serão também recomendados 1 a 2 artigos de especialidade para cada uma das temáticas indicadas nos conteúdos programáticos.