Cationic surfactants are surface-active compounds that can be found in many products, including household and cleaning agents. As a consequence, they tend to be discarded into water streams, ultimately ending up in the aquatic environment. In spite of this environmental issue, studies describing their effects towards marine species are lacking. The aim of this study was therefore to evaluate the short-term exposure effects of two commercial cationic surfactants and three novel gemini surfactants on four marine species, the green microalgae Nannochloropsis gaditana and Tetraselmis chuii, the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum, and the crustacean Artemia salina. Furthermore, biodegradation and size distribution of the cationic surfactants in artificial seawater were also studied by UV-vis spectrophotometry and dynamic light scattering, respectively. Ecotoxicity tests revealed that the commercial cationic surfactant N-cetyl-N,N,N-trimethylammonium bromide is toxic to all tested marine species while N-dodecyl-N,N,N-trimethylammonium chloride and 1,4-bis-[N-(1-dodecyl)-N,N-dimethylammoniummethyl]benzene dibromide showed the lowest toxicity among the tested cationic surfactants. Besides the novel insights regarding the effects caused by these five cationic surfactants, this work opens prospects for the replacement of commercially available surfactants by more environmentally friendly alternatives.

The present study reports four new species of the Family Lumbrineridae Schmarda, 1861, three in the genus Lumbrinerisde Blainville, 1828 and one in the genus Gallardoneris Carrera-Parra, 2006. The new species were found on the Portu-guese continental shelf at water depths ranging from 11 to 190 m. Gallardoneris iberica sp. nov. is the first record of thisgenus in the Atlantic Ocean and can be distinguished from the other two known Gallardoneris species by the distributionof the composite and the simple multidentate hooded hooks and the shape of the parapodial lobes. Lumbrineris luciliaesp. nov. has an arcuate, unidentate MIII and MIV unidentate with well-developed plate, digitiform wide basallypostchaetal lobes in anterior parapodia, composite multidentate hooded hooks with short blade. Furthermore, L. luciliaesp. nov. has simple multidentate hooded hooks of two sizes, preacicular hook twice as big as postacicular hook, and dis-tally curved aciculae in median and posterior parapodia. Both Lumbrineris lusitanica sp. nov. and Lumbrineris pinastersp. nov. are characterized by having MIII unidentate followed by a knob. However, L. lusitanica sp. nov. has digitiformwide basally postchaetal lobes in the anterior parapodia, composite multidentate hooded hooks with short blade and simplemultidentate hooded hooks with short hood; while L. pinaster sp. nov. has auricular postchaetal lobes in the anteriorparapodia, composite multidentate hooded hooks with long blade, and simple multidentate hooded hooks with short andlong hood. A multivariate analysis was performed upon morphological characteristics and validates the separation of the four new species. A taxonomic key to lumbrinerid species from Iberian waters is included.

This review presents a comprehensive compilation of toxicological and environmental data, further used to assess the ecological risk (ERA) of the 11 EU approved antifouling biocides (PT21). Diuron, chlorothalonil, DCOIT, and pyrithiones are amongst the most toxic biocides toward producer species, while, CuSCN, medetomidine, and zineb showed higher toxicity toward consumers. In addition, medetomidine, CuSNC, zineb, Cu₂O, and chlorothalonil are up to 400-fold more toxic to non-target organisms than target organisms highlighting their potential threat for marine ecosystems. Biocides hazard, which was assessed based on the marine PNEC_{probabilistic} for biocides having enough and reliable ecotoxicological data, can be summarized in the following order: ZnPT (more hazardous) > CuPT > DCOIT > diuron > chlorothalonil > dichlofluanid > tolylfluanid. For the remaining biocides, the marine hazard was calculated based on the PNEC_{deterministic} as follows: CuSCN (more hazardous) > Cu₂O > medetomidine > zineb. The risk assessment indicates that the following biocides poses risk (quotient >1) for the coastal ecosystems: DCOIT, diuron, dichlofluanid, chlorothalonil, CuSCN, Cu₂O, medetomidine and zineb. In order to protect the services and functions of coastal environments, a systematic and continuous monitoring of these biocides in coastal areas are highly recommended. Current regulatory framework and the replacement of state-of-the-art biocides by safer alternative is also critically discussed. Graphical abstract

The present study is a part of a larger project aiming to characterise the benthic macrofaunal assemblages from the Gulf of Milazzo (Southern Tyrrhenian Sea, Central Mediterranean). Forty-eight samples from 16 sites were collected during the summer of 2010 by means of van Veen grab (0.1 m²) at 20 and 50 m depths to characterise taxonomically, ecologically and biogeographically the present species of Lumbrineridae. Sandy-silt mixed sediments characterised the study area. Abyssoninoe hibernica and Lumbrineris luciliae are newly recorded for the Mediterranean Sea, and Gallardoneris iberica, Lumbrineris geldiayi and Lumbrineris lusitanica are new records for the Central Mediterranean Sea. Therefore, a total of 29 species of Lumbrineridae are currently present and recognised on Mediterranean coasts. Additionally, we provide an updated key to the Mediterranean species of the family.