Navigating the depths: exploring seafarers' psychological well-being on board, anchored by the mediating role of resilience and loneliness.

BACKGROUND: This study investigates seafarers' loneliness as a mediating variable between psychological well-being and resilience, and tests resilience as a mediating variable between psychological well-being and loneliness. It also examines the challenges faced by seafarers on different types of ships and evaluates the mediating roles of resilience and loneliness. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The research uses descriptive data analysis, reliability analysis, correlation analysis, and mediation analysis with bootstrap-based regression models. An online survey was conducted with 471 active Turkish seafarers using a sociodemographic questionnaire and three standardized scales measuring psychological well-being (PW), loneliness at work (LAW), and psychological resilience (PR). Data were collected between 01/07/2023 and 01/09/2023. RESULTS: The findings indicate that ship type is a significant factor in the mediating roles of loneliness at work and psychological resilience. There is a partial mediating role of loneliness at work and resilience in psychological well-being across different ship types. Specifically, loneliness at work partially mediates the relationship between psychological resilience and psychological well-being among seafarers on tanker or bulk carrier vessels, but not on container vessels. CONCLUSIONS: The study concludes with suggestions to address the mental health challenges faced by seafarers, emphasizing the importance of ship type in the mediating roles of loneliness and resilience. Regarding the mediating role of loneliness at work, it has been determined that there is partial mediation between psychological resilience and psychological well-being among seafarers working on tanker or bulk carrier vessels. However, on container vessels, loneliness at work does not mediate the relationship between psychological well-being and psychological resilience. Based on these findings, the authors conclude by offering a range of helpful solutions to address this problem.

What is known about cardiovascular diseases among seafarers: A systematic scoping review and quality assessment.

BACKGROUND: Seafarers are at an increased risk of developing cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), potentially due to a stressful working environment and behavioral risk factors. To develop better prevention strategies, it is important to elucidate the extent of this risk. Therefore, we conducted a systematic literature review on CVD in seafarers. METHOD: We conducted systematic searches in five databases. All studies investigating CVDs among occupational seafarers, published in articles or conference papers, were eligible for inclusion. The identified records were screened and reviewed by two independent researchers, who also evaluated the methodological quality of the included studies. RESULTS: Three thousand nine hundred and seventeen records qualified for screening, and 55 were eligible for inclusion. Most of the studies were observational, including cohort, frequency, incidence or prevalence studies, and review of case records. Around half were assessed at risk of biased findings. Participants in the studies were primarily from North America or the European continent and work onboard transportation vessels. Many studies investigated CVDs as a cause of death, focusing on conditions such as CVD, ischemic heart disease, and myocardial infarction. Frequency of CVD conditions varied but indicate that seafarers face a greater risk compared to the reference populations or control groups. Environmental factors were mainly investigated as risk factors. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate a higher risk of CVDs among seafarers compared to reference or control groups. However, due to the variable quality of the evidence, well-designed studies are needed to establish the causes of cardiovascular mortality and morbidity in seafarers and to investigate behavioral aspects of cardiovascular risk.

Regulating seafarers' welfare: an examination of the protection of Filipino seafarers' well-being through a legal analysis of the POEA-Standard Employment Contract.

BACKGROUND: The Philippines is the global maritime industry's single biggest source of seafarers. This article examines how the Philippines protects the welfare of its seafarers working on board ocean-going vessels. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We employed a multi-method approach to better understand the POEA-SEC as a regulatory instrument. First, we analysed Philippine legislation and regulations that are shaping the employment, welfare, and working conditions of Filipino seafarers. Second, we examined the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration Standard Employment Contract (POEA-SEC) which requires that minimum standards of employment for seafarers are met. We use legal analysis to examine three specific provisions that pertain to their well-being: duration of employment, monetary considerations, and working conditions in terms of hours of work and rest periods. Third, we analysed interview and focus group data on the experiences of Filipino seafarers on board ships in respect of the POEA-SEC's efficacy in protecting their well-being. RESULTS: Analysis of the policy environment for Filipino seafarers shows how the interests of powerful actors have taken precedence over those of Filipino seafarers. Seafarers' experiences suggest that they cannot be reached by the contract, whether symbolic or otherwise. The contract fails to address seafarer issues, such as security of tenure, excessive working hours resulting in fatigue, stress and anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: The POEA-SEC falls short as a legal document to address occupational, health and safety issues, which contribute to the detriment of seafarers' health and well-being. This indicates that the Philippine government cannot fully protect its seafarers.

Trends in the medical repatriation of Filipino seafarers: a ten year study of a Philippine maritime shipping company (OSM Maritime).

BACKGROUND: Seafarers, confronted with unique health challenges, occasionally necessitate medical repatriation. This study examines the trends in medical repatriation cases among Filipino seafarers employed by OSM Maritime shipping company over a 10-year period from 2013 to 2022. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Medical records of OSM Maritime seafarers were reviewed, obtaining causes for and dates of medical repatriation. International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) was utilised to classify repatriation cases. Proportion of repatriation cases were calculated and their annual trends were analysed. RESULTS: Our findings reveal that the majority of repatriation cases are attributed to injury/trauma (19.91%), musculoskeletal (18.40%), gastrointestinal (16.56%), cardiovascular (8.77%), infectious (6.82%), and genitourinary conditions (5.30%). Significantly, the study identifies a declining trend in the proportion of cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and genitourinary conditions in annual repatriation cases, particularly in ischaemic heart conditions, cholelithiasis, cholecystitis, and urinary calculus. CONCLUSIONS: These results emphasize the critical need for multisectoral collaboration to enhance seafarers' health and well-being. Prioritizing comprehensive care programmes, ensuring safe working conditions, and exploring holistic healthcare initiatives are essential steps to enhance seafarers' occupational health.

Application of a fuzzy multi-criteria decision framework for safety-critical maritime infrastructure evaluation.

This present paper is an investigation of a framework for Safety-Critical Maritime Infrastructure (SCMI) evaluation. The framework contains three Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) tools, namely: fuzzy Step-wise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis (SWARA), Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) and Weighted Aggregates Sum Product Assessment (WASPAS). It also contains five safety practice criteria: people's safety, property safety and monitoring capabilities, response to regular and irregular threats in a robust yet flexible manner, and breaches in physical security. The framework has four safety culture criteria: learning from experience and inter-element collaboration, lack of facility maintenance, and anticipating risk events and opportunities. Through the framework, an evaluation of the safety practices and safety culture of six Nigerian seaports is done. Then, data obtained from the ports in regard to their safety practices and culture were analysed in line with the framework identified and adopted. The results revealed that the safety of people's life is the most important safety practice and contributed about 47.90% to evaluate the SCMI. Results equally showed that the most significant safety culture is learning from experience, and accounted for approximately 53.20% in assessing the SCMI. Similarly, the TOPSIS method ranked Warri (A5) and Tin Can Island A1 as the best and worst safety practices performance, respectively. Results of analyses on the TOPSIS showed that Apapa port (A2) and Onne port (A6) had the best and worst performances correspondingly. WASPAS was also analysed. The results indicated that A6 performed the best safety practice performance, while A2 had the worst safety practice performance. Analysis of the WASPAS method was equally done. It showed that A1 had the worst safety culture performance, while A5 had the best safety culture performance. Therefore, the proposed framework could serve as a veritable tool for analysing SCMI by using safety practice and safety culture criteria.

Evaluation of container port sustainability using WASPAS technique using on type-2 neutrosophic fuzzy numbers.

According to the common opinion in the literature, the sustainability of container ports is a tremendously complex topic owing to the maritime sector's excessively dynamic form and many highly complex, predictable and unpredictable uncertainties in this industry. The current paper proposes two powerful, practical, inspiring approaches to fill these gaps. It proposes a novel type-2 neutrosophic fuzzy numbers (T2NFNs) based Delphi method to determine the criteria logically and optimal and extends the WASPAS technique based on the T2NFNs for evaluating the alternatives. The current paper presents practical managerial implications that many stakeholders can consider, such as port authorities, ship owners, logistics service providers, governments, and local authorities, when making strategic and managerial decisions. In addition, the results of a comprehensive sensitivity analysis performed to test the robustness and applicability of the model approve the validity of the proposed T2NFN-based integrated approach.

A bibliometric analysis of the literature on circular economy and sustainability in maritime studies.

Over the last decade, many academics, practitioners, and policy-makers have focused on the notion of circular economy (CE) as a way to operationalize sustainable development. There is, however, a shortage of review studies that reflect the evolution and status of CE with respect to sustainability in the maritime industry. The purpose of this study is to conduct a bibliometric analysis of the development of CE in research on sustainable maritime processes/operations in the maritime industry. To accomplish this, the study uses citation analysis (publication distribution, productive journals, cross-country collaborations), co-occurrence analysis of the subject categories, co-citation analysis, and keyword frequency analysis. To collect data, the study utilizes the Web of Science database. Such software packages as CiteSpace, Histcite, and VOSviewer are used to analyze the data collected. The results clarify that, in the maritime industry, CE is a micro-level sub-set of sustainability. Furthermore, the literature has mainly focused on waste management and life-cycle assessment as measures of CE 1.0 and CE 2.0, respectively. Assessing circularity in terms of R-imperatives highlights that "recycle," "remanufacture," "recover," and "reduce" are widespread practices of circularity in the maritime industry. Shipping companies should evaluate the possibility of implementing CE by realizing shorter loop R-imperatives such as "refuse," "reduce," "reuse," and "repair." Scholars must further explore underdeveloped R-imperatives such as "refuse," "refurbish," "repurpose," and "remine" in the maritime industry.

A novel depreciation approach in an uncertain environment: interval type-2 fuzzy sets in the maritime industry.

This study aims to propose a novel model for the determination of depreciation in an environment of uncertainty. In the study, amortization methods were modified through interval type-2 fuzzy, and a new approach was proposed to help investors make decisions in an environment of cash flow uncertainty. We provide options among different depreciation alternatives for the future investment decisions of maritime companies through the revision of the straight-line depreciation method and the double-declining balance depreciation method. The fuzzy depreciation alternatives we suggest in our study are not only suitable for maritime companies, but also companies in different industries.

Spatiotemporal dynamic network for regional maritime vessel flow prediction amid COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic has stifled international trade and the global maritime industry. Its impact on the routing of the regional vessel traffic flow provides supportive data to port authorities, ship owners, shippers, and consignees. This study proposes a spatiotemporal dynamic graph neural network (STDGNN) model that includes the usual primary part of the vessel flow and an auxiliary part of newly confirmed COVID-19 cases near the port. The primary part consists of a time-embedding (TE) block, two dynamic graph neural network (DGNN) blocks, and a gated recurrent unit block, to capture the spatiotemporal dependence in the regional vessel traffic flow. The auxiliary part is made of multiple blocks to exploit the dynamic temporal relationships in hours, days, and weeks. Moreover, the performance of the STDGNN model is verified by utilising real vessel traffic flow data (i.e. inflow, outflow, and volume) and the new cases of COVID-19 near the port of New York, USA, provided by the automatic identification system and the Johns Hopkins University Centre for Systems Science and Engineering. The 2-h prediction result shows a 37.7%, 17.23%, and 11.4% improvement in the mean absolute error (MAE) over the gated recurrent unit (GRU), STGCN, and TGCN models, respectively. The delicate and adaptable prediction of vessel traffic flow could help the port relieve congestion, enhance efficiency, and further assist the recovery of regional maritime industries in the post-COVID era.

Implementation of an onboard COVID-19 vaccination programme: a university partnership to vaccinate seafarers.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused many seafarers to be stranded on their ships due to lack of access to a vaccine and fear of contracting the COVID-19 virus limiting their ability to work on the ship. Once COVID-19 vaccinations were available, a lack of access to the vaccine continued to exist in the underserved seafarer population. This lack of access to the COVID-19 vaccine meant that seafarers were sometimes unable to leave their ships for months beyond their original contracts. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The University of South Florida (USF) College of Nursing collaborated with the USF Morsani Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy in the development and implementation of an onboard COVID-19 vaccination programme at the request of the Port of Tampa Ministries. RESULTS: In 6 months, 1237 seafarers from 30 countries and 5 continents received the COVID-19 vaccination as a result of this programme. CONCLUSIONS: Partnership between a commercial port and a College of Nursing at a local university enabled hundreds of seafarers to be vaccinated against COVID-19. This programme serves as a model for industry and academic partnerships that can have a global impact on health and wellness.

Building social support: The impact of workgroup characteristics, the COVID-19 pandemic and informal interactions.

BACKGROUND: Social support from colleagues is a key resource for employees and organizations, with beneficial effects on performance, employee well-being and resilience. Although the importance of social support is well-known, the factors that help to build and maintain social support are not equally well understood. OBJECTIVE: This study analyzes the impact of workgroup characteristics (i.e., workgroup composition regarding national diversity and tenure; workload) and the COVID-19 pandemic on employees' perceptions of instrumental and emotional support, and examines the mediating role of informal interactions. METHODS: The study is based on responses from 382 seafarers to a cross-sectional online survey. Hypotheses were tested using OLS regression and mediation analysis using PROCESS. RESULTS: Workgroup composition regarding national diversity had indirect effects on social support through informal interactions around social foci (here: joint leisure activities). High workload and pressure from the COVID-19 pandemic reduced interactions around social foci, thus contributing to the erosion of perceived social support. CONCLUSION: The findings provide insights on the development of social support, suggesting that informal interactions provide an important mechanism for the development of social support at work. From a theoretical perspective, this highlights the value of a relational perspective on the development of social support, a perspective that is based on the insight that social support is embedded in social relationships. From a practical point of view, this indicates that organizations can proactively foster the development of social support through practices that shape workgroup characteristics and social foci.

Bullying behavior and employee well-being: how do different forms of social support buffer against depression, anxiety and exhaustion?

PURPOSE: Workplace bullying has severe negative consequences for the well-being of targeted employees. Previous research suggests that social support may buffer against such adverse effects. However, it remains unclear if different forms of support have equally strong effects and if support buffers equally effectively against different outcomes. Further, little is known about social support as a mitigating factor in remote occupational groups such as seafarers. This study examines the buffering effects of four forms of support (instrumental and emotional peer support, company support, non-work support) on three aspects of employee well-being (depression, anxiety, and exhaustion) among seafarers. METHODS: Responses to a cross-sectional online survey from a convenience sample of 414 seafarers on international commercial vessels were analyzed using moderated regression analyses with PROCESS. RESULTS: Exposure to workplace bullying behavior increased seafarers' depression, anxiety and exhaustion. Instrumental peer support and non-work support buffered the negative impact of bullying on depression. The impact of bullying on exhaustion was buffered by company support. The impact of bullying on anxiety was not buffered by any of the four forms of support. CONCLUSION: Extending previous research, the findings suggest that the interaction between workplace bullying and support depends not only on the source of support, but also on the type of support and the outcome considered. While support from colleagues on board was important for seafarers, company and non-work support must not be overlooked. Interventions should, therefore, encourage the development of peer support and ensure access to shore-based support for workers in remote locations.

Potential microplastic release from the maritime industry: Abrasion of rope.

While land-based sources of plastic pollution have gained increasing attention in recent years, ocean-based sources have been less well studied. The aim of this study was to compare a variety of ropes (differing in age, wear surface and material) to quantify and characterise the production of microplastic during use. This was achieved by simulating, in laboratory and field experiments, rope hauling activity which is typically performed on board maritime vessels, such as fishing boats. Microplastic generation was quantified by collecting fragments that were released as a consequence of abrasion. Notably, we show that microplastic fragments generated from rope wear during use were characteristically irregular in shape, rather than fibrous such as those assigned to synthetic rope by previous studies. Therefore, we suggest that some of the plastic fragments found in the marine environment may have been falsely attributed to land-based sources but have in fact arisen form the abrasion of rope. Our research found that new and one-year old polypropylene rope released significantly fewer microplastic fragments (14 ± 3 and 22 ± 5) and less microplastic mass (11 ± 2 and 12 ± 3 µg) per metre hauled compared to ropes of two (720 ± 51, 247 ± 18 µg) or ten (767 ± 55, 1052 ± 75 µg) years of age. We show that a substantial amount of microplastic contamination is likely to directly enter the marine environment due to in situ rope abrasion and that rope age is an important factor influencing microplastic release. Our research suggests the need for standards on rope maintenance, replacement, and recycling along with innovation in synthetic rope design with the aim to reduce microplastic emission.

Potential microplastic release from beached fishing gear in Great Britain's region of highest fishing litter density.

While land-based sources of marine plastic pollution have gained widespread attention, marine-based sources are less extensively investigated. Here, we provide the first in-depth description of abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) on northern and southern beaches of the English Southwest Peninsula, Great Britain's region of highest ALDFG density. Three distinct categories were recorded: twisted rope (0.28 ± 0.14 m-1, 17%), braided rope (0.56 ± 0.28 m-1, 33%) and filament (0.84 ± 0.41 m-1, 50%), which likely correspond to fishing rope, net and line. Estimating the disintegration of ALDFG from length and filament number suggests that it has the potential to generate 1277 ± 431 microplastic pieces m-1, with fishing rope (44%) and net (49%) as the largest emitters. Importantly, ALDFG was over five times more abundant on the south coast, which is likely attributable to the three times higher fishing intensity in that area.

Analysis of the implementation of the International Safety Management Code using motivation theory: the seafarer's views.

BACKGROUND: "Safety First!" as it is always said, safety is a primary concern in any human activity. Shipping, one of the most dangerous industries in the world demands the establishment and implementation of safety rules, regulations and standards. Before the International Safety Management (ISM) Code was adopted and came into effect, the maritime industry experienced catastrophic disasters which resulted in loss of life and property. The occurrence of huge marine casualties triggered maritime safety rules, regulations and standards at an international level. International maritime safety standards are meant to create uniformity in safety rules and regulations. Human errors are considered the most important reason for maritime accidents. The ISM Code has been established to clarify the responsibilities of safety on vessels and to mitigate the occurrence of human errors by creating a safety-oriented organizational culture. There is still a question of whether this culture is actively practised by shipping companies. Through the lens of Kanter's theory of structural empowerment and Alderfer's theory of employee motivation, this study sought to explore seafarers' views and perceptions of the implementation of the ISM Code. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In-depth interviews were conducted with 6 participants (4 seafarers and 2 resource maritime industry persons). The interviews with seafarers took place on the 22nd of October, 2019. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to describe the views of the participants in relation to the implementation of the ISM Code on their ship in the following areas: communication, organizational commitment, management involvement, reporting system, and empowerment of employees RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The participants pointed out that with the implementation of ISM Code the maritime personnel's safety attitudes have improved. The employees enthusiastically participate in safety meetings and trainings. The organization on board is more open, so is the communication between officers and the crew. Working on board is nowadays teamwork instead of being autocratic.

The impact of shipping CO2 emissions from marine traffic in Western Singapore Straits during COVID-19.

The maritime industry plays a key role in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, as an effort to combat the global issue of climate change. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is targeting a 50% reduction in GHG emissions by 2050 compared to 2008. To measure Singapore's progress towards this target, we have conducted a comprehensive analysis of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the Western Singapore Straits based on the voyage data from Automatic Identification System (AIS) and static information from Singapore Maritime Data Hub (SG-MDH). Two methodologies, the MEET and TRENDS frameworks were applied to estimate the emission volume per vessel per hour. The data analysis results were next aggregated and visualised to answer key questions such as: How did the carbon emission level change from 2019 to 2020, in general, and for specific vessel types? What are the top vessel types and flags that had the highest carbon emissions? Did the traffic volume and emission level decrease during the Circuit Breaker period in 2020? The results of this study can be used to review Singapore's emission control measures and will be of value to the Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) of Singapore responsible for managing CO2 emissions at the Singapore Port.

Visualisation and bibliometric analysis of worldwide research trend of stress among seafarer: an extensive publication analysis.

Stress is the most predominant and worldwide psychological human condition that undoubtedly impedes the state of mind of the individuals. During the last few years, a tremendous change and growth in the global publishing trend for human stress have been observed. Like other professionals (doctors, bankers, teachers, and businessmen), the mariners or seafarers are also being the most common victims of this human psychological disorder (stress) these days. The keywords "seafarer" and "stress" have been exposed to mine the research trend of the articles exploring the stress among the seafarers. From 2001 to 2020, more than six thousand (6211) human stress-based articles have been reported in Scopus indexing database. However, the number of articles related to the stress among seafarer is 136 only i.e. 2.18% of the human-stress based articles. The research related to the psychological disorder (stress) among seafarer has been increased during the last two decades. Germany, United Kingdom and Italy found to be the topmost countries for exploring the stress among the seafarer. The study concluded that the human psychological conditions like bulimia, anorexia nervosa, obsessive-compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, generalised anxiety disorder, cyclothymia, mood, conduct, and personality disorders along with stress still need to be extensively mined to diagnose the state of mind of seafarers.

The key challenges and critical success factors of blockchain implementation: Policy implications for Singapore's maritime industry.

Blockchain has the potential to improve the efficiency and transparency of maritime businesses and operations. Nevertheless, few studies have been conducted to identify the key challenges and critical success factors (CSFs) of blockchain implementation in the maritime industry. A case study approach based on Singapore's maritime industry is adopted. Four interviews are conducted to establish the face validity of the survey questionnaire before data are collected from 30 maritime professionals from Singapore's maritime industry. In addition to analytic hierarchical process (AHP), a fishbone diagram and PESTEL analysis are also adopted to organize and discuss the results. The results show that there are six key challenges and six CSFs for blockchain implementation. Using a fishbone diagram, the six identified challenges along with 13 personal concerns are categorized into five dimensions related to people, methods, organization, external environment, and technology. The CSFs are sufficient capital, staff training, ease of local legislation, support from the shipping community, support from the senior management, and professional consultation and assistance. This study implicates marine policy formulation in relation to subsidies and investments, blockchain talent and knowledge acquisition, and workforce training and education to accelerate blockchain implementation in the maritime industry.

Science of perception, decision making and fatigue in the maritime industry.

In this paper, we investigate how perception, decision making and fatigue affect safety in the maritime industry. With maritime safety incidents often having disastrous effects on the lives of the seafarers, the natural environment, and the industry as a whole, a better understanding of the science behind the human errors is necessary to increase safety at sea. We conducted interviews and real time observations of seafarers, and we combine our findings with a review of relevant academic literature with the aim of using scientific knowledge to address a real-world problem. We conclude that the seafarers consistently work at the limits of their cognitive abilities and that better care for their wellbeing is crucial for safety at sea. It is hoped that this study will be beneficial to the practitioners in the field of the maritime industry as well as psychologists studying the effects of long term, high cognitive loads in the work environment.

Genotoxic, Histopathological and Oxidative Stress Responses in Catfish, Clarias gariepinus, Exposed to Two Antifouling Paints.

BACKGROUND: Antifouling paints are enriched with biocides and employed in the maritime industry to protect moving and fixed surfaces from fouling activities of sea dwelling invertebrates. There is limited information on their effect on the non-target African catfish, Clarias gariepinus, a commonly consumed fish in Lagos. OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the effects of two commonly used antifouling paints (Berger TBT-free (A/F783 (H)), reddish brown color and Silka Marine lead based paint, pale orange color) on a non-target catfish species, Clarias gariepinus. METHODS: The study involved an initial 96-hour acute toxicity assay followed by chronic toxicity evaluation (using 1/10th and 1/100th 96-hour median lethal concentration (LC50) values) for 28 days to determine the ability of the paints to induce micronucleus and red blood cell abnormalities, and histopathological as well as oxidative stress effects in the catfish.Examined anti-oxidative stress enzyme activities include superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), reduced glutathione (GSH) and glutathione-s-transferase (GST). RESULTS: Acute toxicity evaluation results indicated that the Berger paint was 16.1-times more toxic than Silka paint with 96-hour LC50 values of 0.71 mg/L and 11.49 mg/L, respectively. Results from the biochemical assay indicated significantly higher (P<0.05) levels of a lipid peroxidation product, malondialdehyde, in Silka-exposed catfish compared to the control. All enzymes showed significantly higher activities in Berger paint-exposed catfish compared to the control. There was evidence of micronucleated and binucleated cells in the red blood cells of fish exposed to both paints. Histopathological assessment indicated that the exposed fish gills showed evidence of abnormalities such as curved lamellae epithelial necrosis, epithelial lifting and hyperplasia. The liver samples of the catfish showed evidence of portal inflammation as well as mild to severe steatosis, while the gonads showed varying percentages of follicle degeneration. CONCLUSIONS: The present study combined an array of biomarkers to determine the negative health impacts of two commonly used antifouling paints on non-target catfish inhabiting Lagos Lagoon. Further in situ studies are recommended to determine the current status of the lagoon fish. ETHICS APPROVAL: Ethical approval was obtained from the Department of Zoology, University of Lagos, Post-Graduate Committee. Note that this work commenced before the establishment of the University of Lagos Ethical Committee for the use of animals and humans in scientific studies. The committee does not give retroactive approval but stands by existing approvals before its establishment. However, this study followed the World Medical Association principles on the treatment of animals used in research (https://www.wma.net/policies-post/wma-statement-on-animal-use-in-biomedical-research/), and also American Fisheries Society Guidelines for the Use of Fishes in Research (https://fisheries.org/policy-media/science-guidelines/guidelines-for-the-use-of-fishes-in-research/).