Iraqi Journal of Aquaculture

The present study aims at diagnosing the species of Annelida in the sediment of Shatt Al-Arab and studying their density. The study period and the sample collection starts from January 2021 up to May 2021. Nine stations lying on Shatt Al-Arab at Basrah district were chosen starting from Qurna station northward to Al-Fao station southward. The study included measuring some environmental factors of water and sediments. Water temperature ranged between 9-19, 7.2-8.6 for pH, 5.8-9.1 Mg/ltr for dissolved oxygen, 2.1-29.5 ppt for salinity concentrations. In sediments, the percentage of TOC was 0.25-1.03 %. Three species of Annelida were diagnosed in the study stations, two of them belong to Namalycastis indica, Dendronereides heteropoda. The third species belongs to Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri. The density of the diagnosed Annelida during the study period were recorded. It ranged between 1550-3709 individual/m2 for Polychaeta species while for L. hoffmeisteri, the density ranged between 2159-8885 individual/m2. The distribution of diagnosed Annelida into longitudinal classes was studied and it recorded the least appearance rates of the D. heteropda species in the 40-50 mm class in most of the study stations while the highest appearance was recorded for the 1-10mm class in a number of stations. N. indica has recorded the least appearance rates for 40-50 class mm in most of the study stations, however, it has recorded the highest rates of appearance for 30-40 mm class in four stations. For the L. hoffmeisteri species, the least rate of appearance was recorded for 18-21 mm class in some stations, while the highest rate of appearance was recorded for 3-6mm in many stations. The statistical analysis showed that temperature, pH, and salinity are directly related to the density of both species of Annelida while the dissolved oxygen is directly related to the density of L. hoffmeisteri (r=0.470) and inversely with Polychaeta species (r=-0.094).

Water is one of the most important natural sources for sustaining life, as human life and various activities depend on it. The current study dealt with knowing the effect of organic pollution on physical and chemical properties in Garmat Ali river, which was represented in two stations, the first station called Al-Mashab, and the second Al-Sindbad. Water and sediment samples were collected monthly during the period from August, 2016 to July, 2017. Numbers of physical and chemical variables were measured during this period (water temperature, light penetration, pH, Salinity, dissolved oxygen, biological demand oxygen, chemical demand oxygen, total nitrogen, total phosphorus and total organic carbon in sediment). The results of the study was showed that water temperature were ranged between 13.2-31.3°C for the first station and 13.4-33.1°C for the second station. The light penetration values were ranged between 20.6-58.5 cm for the first station and 35-65 cm for the second station. The pH values were ranged between 7.5-8.6 for the first station and 7.5-8.5 for the second station. Salinity values were ranged between 1.58-3.16 g/l for the first station and 0.92-2.13 g/l for the second station. Dissolved oxygen values were ranged between 4.66-10.8 mg/l for the first station and 11.85-6.26 mg/l for the second station. The values of BOD5 were ranged between 1.1-4.26 mg/l for the first station and 0.75-4.06 mg/l for the station. The values of the COD were ranged between 8-120 mg/l for the first station and 8-61 mg/l for the second station. Total nitrogen values were ranged between 2.8-29.4 mg/l for the first station and 2.4-33.6 mg/l for the second station. The total phosphorus values were ranged between 1.11-19.6 mg/l for the first station and between 1.24-19.98 mg/l for the second station. Total organic carbon values were ranged between 0.36-2.19% for the first station and 0.32-2.94% for the second station. The two stations were recorded a little increased in organic pollution levels during summer months and first station (Al-Mashab) was most affected

The present study includes the analysis of the morphological change in the Iraqi coastline in Khor Abdullah and the entrance to the Shatt Al-Arab (Al-Ruka Channel), as the northwestern region of the Arabian Gulf is exposed to different erosion and depositions due to the suspended sedimentary load, The comparison between the periods studied showed severe erosion in some coastal areas and depositions in other parts, which led to changes in the shape and extension of the barriers or the sedimentary tongues and made them prominent, especially in the shallow sites (shoals) areas at the entrance to Khor Abdullah and Khor Shaitanah, and those changed parts appear in the maps of the British Admiralty, which draw detailed curves surrounding the varying depths. The extension of the suspended sedimentary load at the head of the Arabian Gulf amounted to 11,014 km2 in the year 2003, which expanded in 2011 to 12,680 km2, by adding suspended sediments of about 1,676 km2 to 6,452,600 tons over 8 years, at a rate of 806.575 tons annually, or 8.5% of the volume of suspended sediments in 1996 due to the decrease of the river flows from the Tigris, Euphrates, and Karun. The line of the lowest tide (zero line) showed a change in the cross-section of the Iraqi waterway lines that it shares with Iran and Kuwait, affecting the location of the approved border line between Iraq and Kuwait, and the largest change was in the width of the entrance to the Shatt Al-Arab (Al-Ruka Channel), and this was influenced by the erosion, sedimentation patterns, and deflection of tidal currents, as well as the temporary effect of port activities in Khor Abdullah. The extension of Abdullah’s Marqat at Ras Al-Bishah reached 15.5 km in 2003, its extension became 17.2 km in 2019 with a varying range of 1.7 km in 16 years, which has increased at lower rates in recent years due to the decrease in the sedimentary load of rivers to legalize water releases. The maximum change in Khor Abdullah in the middle part was 453 meters, which is a contraction in favor of Kuwait at a rate of 453 meters, and in the middle of the Al-Ruka Channel with an average width of 403 meters in favor of Iran, expansion in favor of Iraq was at a rate of 152 and 42 meters at the entrance and middle of Khor Shaitana.

This study aimed to investigate the infection of internal parasites of Dentex macrophthalmus in Syrian marine coastal waters. A total of 409 individuals were collected from Ras Al-Basit in the north to Tartus in the south, from the following research stations: Ras Al-Basit, different areas along the Lattakia beach, Jableh, and Tartous, during the period from January 2019 to December 2020.The internal organs (stomach, intestine, and body cavity) of all fish specimens were examined to detect infection with internal parasites. The third-stage larvae of the parasite Anisakis simplex, which belongs to the nematode worms, was isolated from the stomach and gonad walls of D. macrophthalmus. The number of fish infected with this worm reached 53 out of 409 fish individuals studied, with an infection rate of 12.96% and an infection intensity of 2.70 parasites per fish. This study represents the first record of Anisakis simplex isolated from the abdominal cavity of D. macrophthalmus in Syrian marine waters.

Some physical and chemical properties of the water quality at the Al-Hawizeh Marsh Southern of Iraq were studied seasonally during the period from October 2020 to July 2021 at four stations. The studied factors included air and water temperature, pH, transparency, water salinity, electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen, biological oxygen demand, nitrate, phosphate, silicate, and chloride ion. The results of the current study showed that the water of the southern Al-Hawizeh Marsh has high average concentrations of salinity (9.2 ppt), electrical conductivity (14.8 mS/cm), and chloride (1749.4 mg/l), as its rise to record high values by a large difference from the previous local studies, and thus it is more saline than the northern part of Al-Hawizeh Marsh due to the impact of the drought extending for nine consecutive years, which threatens to change a large area in the marsh environment may lead, in the event of the continuation of the current situation of lack of water revenues and the deterioration of environmental factors of the southern Al-Hawizeh marsh, to affect the important biodiversity of this vital area.

The study included a comparability of the chemical composition and
nutritional value of four economical fishes species from Iraqi coastal
waters in northwestern the Arabian gulf: The species including
Tenualosa ilisha, Acanthobagrus arabicus, Otoliths ruber, and Planiliza
subviridis. Samples were brought from the local markets in Basra
governance-southern of Iraq. Results show that the moisture of fish`s
muscles was recorded from 69.15 ± 0.91% to 76.83 ± 0.15%, the protein
was 16.93 ± 0.15 to 19.56 ± 0.83%, fat content was recorded from 1.64 ±
0.22 to 9.92 ± 0.51%, and ash from 1.81 ± 0.12 to 4.08 ± 0.08%. The
statistical analysis shows that there were significant differences (p <
0.05) between the four species in some of the chemical composition
ratios above. The nutritional value of energy was recorded from 112.435
to 194.835 Kcal/ 100 g. The findings of this study demonstrate that fish
found in Iraqi marine waters serve as a primary source of protein and
fat. This information can be useful to consumers, highlighting the
nutritional benefits of consuming fish species rich in high-quality food
content. Specifically, the Al-Nuweibi Otoliths ruber species should be
periodically considered due to its high proportion of animal protein,
which can aid in growth and muscle development.