Marsh Bulletin

collected from different sites of Iraqi marshland; El-Hewizeh, Central, and Al-Hammar Marshlands. Analysis was done for the determination of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH) in the water and sediment samples by adopting the spectroflourometric method according to standard procedures and comparison with standard solutions of Iraqi crude oil. Concentrations of TPH recorded in water from Iraqi marshlands were in the range of 0.6 – 46.82 , 20.48 – 39.87 , 14.28 – 26.16 and 11.64 – 17.427 µg/ml during winter 04, spring 04, summer 04 and autumn 04 respectively. For sediments range recorded were 29.12 – 103.80 , 23.84 – 93.51 , 15.17 – 61.89 and 14.37 – 48.14 µg/g dry weight during the same period of time respectively. Reported values indicate that Al-Hammar marshland is rich in petroleum hydrocarbons compared with other sites of study area except some alteration due to human activities such as in site no. 1 (El-Tarabah) in Al-Hawizeh marsh as fishing is the main source for living. Range of %TOC recorded in the sediments of marshlands were 0.284 – 1.032 being the highest in Al-Hammar marshes during winter 2003/2004 and showed alternative values during the whole period of study.

The food habits of eleven sympatric fish species in Al-Hammar marsh were reviewed, data of previous
studies on food habit were re-analyzed to calculate the diet overlap among the marsh fishes. Most previous
studies were restricted on either one or two species food habit. Although the studies depend on different food
analytical methods, similar findings were obtained for major food constituents. Only 11 significant overlap cases
out of 55 were obtained. The eleven species were categorized into six groups depending on the priority of food
items. The specialization and less diet overlap intensity indicate adequate rich (huge) food resources availability
and partitioning among the fish species

The study includes the distribution of phytoplankton in water column of Habbaniya lake
during 1996 and 1997 . A total of 116 taxa of phytoplankton were identified. The diatoms
were the dominated by 70 taxa represented 60.3% of the total identified species . Followed by
green algae (chlorophyta) of 30 taxa 25.8% , and then blue-green algae (cyanophyta) of 12
taxa 10.3% . Little increasing of cells count was recorded at 10 meter depth and without
regular seasonal variation .Few species were dominated during the most studied period such
as Aulacosiera granulate , Cyclotella ocellata , Navicula cryptocephala and Nitzschia palea .

The sediments of Ahwar area are mainly clayey silt with small amount of sand. The sand
fraction is of fine to very fine grains. The color of these sediments is influenced by the
hydrodynamic nature of the environment, and the organic content. The surface sediments are
divided into three main layers; a surface organic – rich sand silty layer to a depth 7cm, shelly
clayey silt layer from 7 to 30cm in depth, and silty clay or/and clay layer more than 30cm in
depth. The dominant sedimentary structures are bioturbation and lamination. The heavy and
light mineral assemblages reflect the origin of these sediments which is the ancient outcrops
transported by Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Low – Mg calcite, High – Mg calcite, dolomite
and gypsum minerals are also present and considered as authigenic minerals. The detected
clay mineral assemblage is smectite, chlorite, illite, mixed layer illite-smectite and kaolinite,
in addition to palygorskite as authigenic and allogenic mineral

The southern part of Iraq is considered to be an important area for migrating birds . This importance is due be
to the geographical position on the migratory rout from Siberia to Africa . The extensive wetlands and
marshes ( Ahwar) of lower Mesopotamia encourage these migratory birds to rest and feed during the nonbreeding season. Most previous ornithological investigation and collections in Iraq were made by amateurs
and researchers such as Sharpe ( 1886) Meinetzhagen (1914) Thornhill (1918) and Ticehurst et al. (1922), the
most comprehensive study about the bird of Iraq was made by Allouse (1953,1956,1957 and 1958). Recent
studies on water birds of southern Iraq where made by Scott and carp (1982) ; they survey the birds of
southern Iraq during 1976 – 1979. Al Robaae (1986,1994; 1996 ,1998 , 1999 , 2001 ) published several about
the waterbirds in southern Iraq concerned mainly with shorebirds and ducks especially diving dukes , birds
count and Bird migration. During the last few years ornithological studies became very hard, if not
impossible to pursue. The aim of the present work is to give a review on breeding waterbirds in southern
Mesopotamia , hoping future studies and research to conserve this group of birds in the marshland

Six fresh water fish species were collected from southern Iraqi Marshes . The
biochemical composition of the muscles, showed that the protein content was varied from
lower value of 17.79%, in Alburnus mossulensis up to the highest value 23.37% in Silurus
triostegus. The fat content was ranged from 1.57% in Liza abu to 8.30%, in Barbus
sharpeyi. The moisture content varied from 69.64 to 79.41%, whereas the ash content ranged
from 0.89 to 2.35%, Calorific value were estimated . It ranged from lower value of 91.55
Kcal /100g in B.sharpeyi up to the highest value 162.42 Kcal/100g in L.abu. A posative
relationship between the muscle fat and calorific value was observed

Samples of rotifera species were collected from 12 stations represent the marshes of Basrah (7stations),
Emara (3stations), and Nasria (2stations), during the period of December 2003 and August 2004. The density of
rotifera were its at highest value (9694 ind./m3
) in the st.2 of Nasria marshes while the lowest value was
(1ind./m3
) in the st.6 of Basrah marshes. From this study it was obvious that the species Brachiouns urcelaris
was the most occurances and abundance in all stations

Qualitative and quantitative study of phytoplankton and some related physico-chemical parameters were
investigated .Samples were collected monthly for the period from May to October/2000 from 9 stations in
southern Iraqi fresh waters and marine waters north-west Arabian Gulf.
Three different aquatic areas were recognized based on salinity values .These are Oligohaline area (1.5 - 2.6
0
/00) , Mesohaline area (7.2 – 14.50
/00) and Mesohaline – Marine area (10 – 400
/00). Highest mean phytoplankton
biomass as chlorophyll-a (13.9 mg m-3) was found in the first area compared with second area (5.53mg m-3 ) and
third area (2.8mg m-3 ). This result is in agreement with N:P ratio values, where highest ratio (93.2:1)was
recorded in the first area compared with second area (80.5:1) and third area (21.0:1). Present study included also
a list of phytoplankton taxa recoded in the study area along with their occurrence in the above three areas.

Shrimp Metapenaeus affinis , were collected from Basrah marshes. Chitin were isolated from shrimps shell
and transformed to Chitosan by deacetylation and then cross linking with pectic acid by glutaraldehyde to
formed a semi IPNs then loaded with Nalidixic acid to decrease the absorption of the drug on urinary tract and
increasing the retention time of drug in the body and this modification lead to the use of the drug for infections
other than urinary tract infections and decreasing the side effects of drug

The levels of nutrients; Nitrites, Nitrates, Phosphates and Silicates were determined seasonally for the
period Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn 2004 in water from eight sites ,1-Al-Tarabah,2-Umm Al-Ward in
Al-Hawizeh marshes, 3- El-Harasheen,4-Al-Fartoos,5- El-Saddah along Al-Izz river in the Central marshes, 6-
Al-Duboon, 7- Al-Nagarah and 8- Al Barghah in Al-Hammar marshes. Collected water samples from all
stations were transferred to Marine Science Center labs for Chemical analysis. Compared to nirates, the
recorded nitrites were low in the range 0.001-1.300 µg at N-NO2
-
/l, while nitrates characterized by high values
specially in stations 1 and 2 and during winter which were in the range 1.939-42.200 µg at N-NO3
-
/l. Phosphate
levels were high in Al-Haweizh marshes while Al-Hammar marsh was characterized by high levels of silicates
which were in the range 58.1-146.811 µg at Si-SiO2/l. These differences were explained on the basis of the
nature of the area and quality of the soil.