Emerging ocean pollution issues in the NE Pacific Ocean vary by matrix: Lessons from
sediments, shellfish and marine mammals
Peter S. Ross, Carmen Morales-Caselles and Marie Noel
Coastal Ocean Research Institute, Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre, Vancouver, BC,
Canada. E-mail: Peter.Ross@Vanaqua.org
The NE Pacific Ocean is often perceived as relatively unspoiled by human activities, but a legacy
of environmental crises has been revealed by studies of marine wildlife. Lessons learned in the
past include the saga of DDT-associated eggshell thinning in aquatic birds, dioxins from pulp
mills, and PCBs in killer whales. It is increasingly clear that risk assessments of new chemicals
often fail to fully anticipate consequences in the environment, making it important to ensure that
monitoring programs are in place to protect aquatic life and human health. The use of a blend of
different matrices and/or species is important for a comprehensive monitoring program in coastal
environments, as the information gleaned will be contingent upon the way in which different
pollutants behave in the environment. Factors shaping the fate of contaminants include chemical
hydrophobicity and persistence, as well as environmental factors including ocean currents,
organic carbon cycles, sedimentation, and trophic level. Sediments in coastal British Columbia
have demonstrated spatial variation in metals, PCBs, PBDEs and hydrocarbons, with high levels
being associated with urban environments. Shellfish provide a complementary means to assess
the quality of aquatic environments, with mussels filtering > 100L per day. Harbour seals have
provided an integrated assessment of food web contamination by contaminants that possess
persistent, biocaccumulative and toxic properties. We suggest that routine monitoring of
sediments, shellfish, and marine mammals provides a reasonable means to assess the quality of
coastal environments. However, site-specific concerns, human health, endangered species, and
important habitats must be considered in the design of monitoring programs that are both routine
and flexible.