Monitoring trace organic microcontaminants in the marine environment has been on-going for several decades. However, the compounds considered in most programmes are still mainly the 'old' organochlorines, the polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, several metals and metal-containing compounds. However, the marine environment is threatened by a much larger suite of organic microcontaminants. In recent years, European and other international organisations have been moving towards extending their lists of priority hazardous substances. Simultaneously, there have become available novel analytical techniques that offer new possibilities for monitoring in the marine environment. © 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.