Book excerpt: Pharmaceuticals in Marine and Coastal Environments: Occurrence, Effects, and Challenges in a Changing World is divided into three sections that address a) coastal areas as the main entrance of pharmaceuticals into the ocean, b) the occurrence and distribution of pharmaceuticals in the environmental compartments of the ocean media, and c) the effects that such pollutants may cause to the exposed marine organisms. With its comprehensive discussions, the book provides a wide depiction of the current state-of-the-art on these topics in an effort to open new sources of investigation and find suitable solutions. Includes maps edited by the Water Information Network System of the International Hydrological Program (IHP-WINS) Provides a compilation of information regarding the occurrence and distribution of pharmaceuticals in the marine environment which will help establish new and more efficient monitoring programs and new research lines Depicts the most important results of environmental risk assessments that can be used as a first step for further toxicological studies