Marine Environment Laboratory Activities in the Marine Coastal Zone

1. Marine Environment Laboratory Activities in the Marine Coastal Zone Stephen de Mora Marine Environmental Studies Laboratory (MESL) International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Marine Environment Laboratory 4, Quai Antoine 1er MONACO

2. Monitoring and Study of Marine Pollution • Introduction • Marine Science in the IAEA • Facilities and Capabilities • 3 Laboratory Suites at MEL • Nuclear and Isotopic Techniques: Tools for Coastal Zone Management

3. 1961 1998 1988 The only Marine Laboratory in the UN System 1961 - Laboratory established in the Oceanographic Museum 1988 - Temporary facilities in the Louis II Football Stadium 1998 - Permanent facilities on the Port of Monaco

4. Marine Environment LaboratoryOrganizational Chart Marine Environment Laboratory Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications International Atomic Energy Agency

5. Marine Environment Laboratory • MEL has expertise in: • Marine Radioactivity Measurements • Marine Radioecology • Radiotracer Studies • Marine analytical chemistry • Marine pollution monitoring and assessment • Chemical oceanography & marine biogeochemistry • Within the IAEA: • Programmatic responsibilities for the study of marine environment and pollution, including non-nuclear pollution

6. UNEP IAEA IOC Inter-agency Programme on Marine Pollution Ongoing Support to UN Inter-agencyMarine-Related Activities

7. RADIOMETRICS LABORATORY Worldwide Marine Radioactivity Studies in Oceans and Seas Contamination Studies in Selected Coastal Zones Climate Change Studies using Isotopic Records in the Marine Environment Analytical Quality Control Services for Marine Radioactivity Studies Development of Methods for Analysis of Low Level Radionuclide Concentrations in the Environment in Response to Emergencies and Nuclear Terrorism Marine Environment Laboratory Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications International Atomic Energy Agency

8. RADIOMETRICS LABORATORY WORLDWIDE MARINE RADIOACTIVITY MONITORING • To provide new data on radioactivity of oceans and seas • Spatial and temporal distributions of radionuclides • Sources of anthropogenic radionuclides • To encourage and support marine radioactivity studies in Member States Marine Environment Laboratory Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications International Atomic Energy Agency

9. RADIOMETRICS LABORATORY SEABED GAMMA-RAY SPECTROMETRY • Investigation of contamination of the marine environment with anthropogenic radionuclides: • - dumpsites in the Kara Sea (Arctic) • - weapons test sites at the Atolls of Mururoa and Fangataufa (South Pacific) • - offshore Sellafield reprocessing plant (Irish Sea) 137Cs in sediment off the Cumbrian coast (Irish Sea) in 1995. Transects covered by the Irish Sea seabed g-ray survey. Marine Environment Laboratory Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications International Atomic Energy Agency

10. RADIOMETRICS LABORATORY Stationary Monitoring of Gamma - Activity of Seawater in the Irish Sea with Satellite Data Transmission to IAEA - MEL Monaco Buoy IAEA-MEL Monaco Marine Environment Laboratory Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications International Atomic Energy Agency

11. RADIOECOLOGY LABORATORY Contaminant behaviour and transfer processes Nuclear and isotopic applications to delineate carbon flux processes Ecotoxicological processes and impacts in coastal zones Bioaccumulation and transfer of natural radionuclides arising from hydrothermal and anthropogenic sources in coastal environments. Marine Environment Laboratory Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications International Atomic Energy Agency

12. RADIOECOLOGY LABORATORY RADIOTRACER APPLICATIONS New state-of-the-art experimental aquaria facilities for research and training in marine radioecology and ecotoxicology Individual mesocosms ranging in size from 70 to 3000 litres Automatic temperature and salinity control for simulating diverse marine ecosystems Isolated from associated radiometric facilities Marine Environment Laboratory Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications International Atomic Energy Agency

13. RADIOECOLOGY LABORATORY RADIOTRACER APPLICATIONS Temperature and light controlled incubators for radioecological and ecotoxicological studies with phytoplankton,zooplankton, larval forms and marine bacteria Currently used to incubate uni-cellular cultures of a dozen phytoplankton species from various marine ecosystems throughout the world Ideal for examining food chain transfer of contaminants through lower trophic levels Marine Environment Laboratory Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications International Atomic Energy Agency

15. Marine Environmental Studies Laboratory • Environmental AnalyticalChemistry in Support of Marine Pollution Monitoring Programmes • Marine Pollution Assessment in Coastal Regions and Bioresources, including support to UN Inter-Agency Activities • Nuclear Techniques in Studies of Marine Antifoulants in Coastal Environments • Isotopic Applications in Non-radioactive Marine Contaminant Studies

16. MESL - Analysis of Organic Contaminants PAHs in marine sediments • Organic contaminants analysed: • petroleum hydrocarbons, including PAHs • pesticides (e.g. DDT, lindane, endrin) • other chlorinated contaminants, such as PCBs

17. MESL - Analysis of Inorganic Contaminants Heavy metals and organometallic species such as methylmercury and tributyltin

18. MESL - Supporting Regional Seas Programmes

19. Caspian Environment Programme(GEF - UNDP - UNOPS) Contaminant Screening Campaign Transboundary Diagnostics Analysis

20. Nuclear and Isotopic Techniques:Tools for Coastal Zone Management • Expert Meeting in Monaco Nov 5-9, 2001 • Public health issues • Saxitoxin analyses by receptor binding assay • Ecosystem health • HABs • Living resources • Effects of mariculture • Non-living resources • Submarine groundwater discharge

21. Thank You