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.