Nickel, cadmium, copper and lead in the sediment and seven species of algae from six locations in the Bushehr Province on the Coast of the Persian Gulf were determined. Sampling sites represent areas of importance in seaweed harvest and areas near sources of anthropogenic pollution. The mean concentrations of metals in the sediment (across all six collection sites, and collection periods) were: Pb (42.4 ± 2.7), Cd (7.4 ± 1), Ni (38.1 ± 3.7), and Cu (8.3 ± 1.2) μg g(-1) dry weight. High significant positive correlations existed between metals in cervicornis, corticata, and pavonica algae and the sediment, suggesting these species of algae are suitable for biomonitoring of the area.

Algal chlorophyll content and chlorophyll type ratios, as biomarkers of stress, were investigated. Ulva intestinalis and Sargassum angustifolium were sampled at low tide, in the intertidal zone of Bushehr Province in January and May, 2010. The mean concentrations of metals in the algae were in the following order: Pb > Ni > Cu > Cd. High negative correlations between chlorophyll a content (r = -0.84, p < 0.01), chlorophyll c content (r = -0.82, p < 0.01), and ratio of chlorophyll c/a in S. angustifolium (r = -0.93, p < 0.001) and Ni concentration in this algae shows that both the content and ratio of chlorophyll may clearly reflect a negative effect of high metal concentrations in this algae.

We examined mercury levels in several tissues of Common Terns and Slender-billed Gulls collected from Shadegan Marshes of south-western Iran. In both species, total mercury content was highest in feathers followed by liver, kidney and muscle tissue. We found a significant correlation between mercury concentrations in kidney and breast feather (r=0.83, p<0.05), breast feather and liver (r=0.81, p<0.05) as well as liver and kidney (r=0.83, p<0.05). The contaminant levels in the feathers (11.53 and 15.32 μg/g in breast feather and tail feather, respectively) of Common Terns from Shadegan Marshes are higher than those reported for other tern species from elsewhere in the world, but feather mercury of Slender-billed Gull (6.61 and 5.35 μg/g in breast feather and tail feather, respectively) was similar to those reported for gull species worldwide. Mean values for mercury in the feather of two seabird species were higher than the levels known to cause adverse effects.