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...history of this coastal environment. Watch the video clip and keep in mind that coastal environments are all about change. Imagine you are standing on the shore looking south out across the mouth of the Blackwater estuary (viewpoint in Figure 1). What do you see? Perhaps, at first, you take in the general scene, the setting. In front is the broad sweep of the river, which...

...family of chemicals called polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in their fat. The same family has also been measured in Arctic ringed seals and other Arctic wildlife (Figure 3). PBDEs are a group of synthetic chemicals developed over the 20th century as fire retardants. Fabrics and furniture are impregnated with them, with the sole aim of slowing the rate at which they...

...family of organic compounds known as hydrocarbons. So anoxic environments prevent some fixed carbon returning to the atmosphere as CO2, and these hydrocarbons together with carbon-rich residues represent a chemical half-way-house within the carbon cycle, which make carbon available to form the basis for fossil fuels. Although significant layers of decaying plant debris...