Dear Marmam Readers, I am very pleased to announce the following publication: Monteiro SS, Bozzetti M, Torres J, Tavares AS, Ferreira M, Pereira A, Sá S, Araújo H, Bastos-Santos J, Oliveira I, Vingada JV, Eira C (2020). Striped dolphins as trace element biomonitoring tools in oceanic waters: Accounting for health-related variables. Science of the Total Environment 699: 134410. *Abstract* In Europe, monitoring contaminant concentrations and their effects in the marine environment is required under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD, 2008/56/EC). The striped dolphin (*Stenella coeruleoalba*) is the most abundant small cetacean species in Portuguese oceanic waters, representing a potential biomonitoring tool of contaminant levels in offshore waters. Concentrations of nine trace elements were evaluated by ICP-MS in kidney, liver and muscle samples of 31 striped dolphins stranded in the Portuguese continental coast. The mean renal Cd concentration was high (19.3 μg.g−1 wet weight, range 0.1–69.3 μg.g−1 wet weight) comparing to striped dolphins from other locations. Therefore, the present study reports a possibly concerning level of Cd in the oceanic food chain in Portuguese offshore areas. This study also aimed at evaluating potential relationships between trace element concentrations and striped dolphins' biological and health-related variables. Individual length was related with some of the trace element concentrations detected in striped dolphins. Indeed, Cd, Hg and Se bioaccumulated in larger animals, whereas the reverse was observed for Mn and Zn. Striped dolphins with high parasite burdens showed higher levels of Hg, while animals showing gross pathologies presented higher concentrations of Cd and Se. This study reported relationships between trace element concentrations and health-related variables for the first time in striped dolphins and it also provided information on the relative contamination status of Portuguese oceanic waters in comparison to other regions in the world. The publication will be freely available during 50 days at: https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1a0-FB8cckUkI <http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969715311943> If you are unable to download the article, please contact me by email and I will be happy to send you a copy: s.monteiro@ua.pt Best wishes, Silvia Monteiro _____________ Postdoctoral researcher DAO & CESAM University of Aveiro Portugal