F.3 SUBPROGRAMME Marine Environmental Studies Laboratory

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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
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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

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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

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

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Ongoing Support to UN Inter-agencyMarine-Related
Activities
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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 Analyti
cal 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
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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
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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.
Marine Environment Laboratory Department of
Nuclear Sciences and Applications International
Atomic Energy Agency
Transects covered by the Irish Sea seabed g-ray
survey.
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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
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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
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RADIOTRACER APPLICATIONS
RADIOECOLOGY LABORATORY
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
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RADIOTRACER APPLICATIONS
RADIOECOLOGY LABORATORY
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
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Marine Environmental Studies Laboratory

• Environmental Analytical Chemistry 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

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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

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MESL - Analysis of Inorganic Contaminants

• Heavy metals and organometallic species such as
  methylmercury and tributyltin

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MESL - Supporting Regional Seas Programmes
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Caspian Environment Programme(GEF - UNDP - UNOPS)
Contaminant Screening Campaign Transboundary
Diagnostics Analysis
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Nuclear and Isotopic TechniquesTools 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

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Thank You