Mesopotamian Journal of Marine Science

Recently, Biofertilizers, including algae, emerge as harmless and ecofriendly fertilizers. This study investigated a comparison between two algal methanolic extracts; Enteromorpha intestinalis and Chara vulgaris. Methods involved the foliar spraying of the two extracts separately on Date palm leaves, measuring several parameters in the leaves. Results showed a low 325.5mg/100g, moderate 14.31mg/g and significant 15.40mg/g increment of proteins, carbohydrates, and phenols, respectively, comparing to control in the leaves sprayed with E. intestinalis extract, whereas, spraying leaves with C. vulgaris extract raised the amount of carbohydrates significantly 16.98mg/g, and the phenols moderately 15.89mg/g , while reduced the proteins content 325.5mg/100g comparing to control. Additionally, both algal extracts reduced the total chlorophyll and carotenes pigments 5.529 mg/100 g, 6.82mg/100g and 0. 020mg/100 g, 0.022mg/100 g comparing to control applied in the experiments. It could be concluded the possibility of utilizing algal extract as alternatives to chemical fertilizer or environmentally friendly and harmless natural stimulants to enhance the Date palm growth. Nevertheless, extraction and spraying methods should be selected appropriately.

The Chemical composition of protein%, fats%, Total Moisture%, Total Ash weight (gm), Total organic matter (gm) and minerals of the Acanthosepion pharaonic. was analyzed. The individuals were divided into three categories which are (650-750, 1000-1900 and 2000-3000) (gm). The Sepia was separated into two parts, which are the head and mantle. The aim of the present study is to explore the possibilities for future applications in the health and food sectors. The total average Wet weight (gm) was 700±50, 1566. 7±410.9 and 2441.7±401.9 respectively. Total Dry weight (gm) was151.155±43.38, 236.807±39.9, 423.875±112.9 respectively. Total organic matter where 140.8±42.6,225.3±44.1, 396.5±131.5, and Total Protein %39.45±0.33, 39.75±0.77, 41.4±0.50, and Total Fat % 10.96±0.23,11.24±0.7, 12.36±0.23. The percentage of mercury (Hg) in 700±50(gm). the category was very high in the head, higher than in the mantle, reaching (38.9±0.046%), while it was low in the mantle 5.63± 0.011 %. The percentage of potassium (K) was lower than that of the other minerals, reaching (0.8± 0.003) %, while the remaining minerals: Fe, Zn, Pb, Mg, Na, Mn, Ca, and Cu were low percentages. Metals (Hg, Fe, Zn, Pb, Mg, Na, Mn, Ca, Cu, and K) in head, mantle and total was low in small dry weights and began to increase in medium and large weights. The results of the statistical analysis found a strong positive relationship between the protein percentages and the total dry weight of the three groups (r=0.91), while a very weak positive relationship was found between the fat percentages and the total dry weight of the three groups in different parts of the body (r=0.31).

Aquaponics is an eco-friendly and sustainable method that combines plant cultivation and fish rearing into a single, integrated system. Fish waste is naturally recycled by the system and transformed into nutrients that plants may readily absorb by helpful bacteria. Three aquaponic systems, which are closed systems, fish culture common carp (Cyprinus carpio((. with hydroponic plant production pepper (Capsicum spp.) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) were used in the 105-day trial, which ran from December 2024 to April 2025. The objective of this study was to evaluate selected physical and chemical water quality parameters and to examine their relationship with the weight gain of common carp (C. carpio(. The results indicated that dissolved oxygen concentrations remained within the recommended limits throughout the experimental period. Nitrate concentrations were also maintained within the acceptable ranges for fish during the entire study. Electrical conductivity values were higher than the recommended limits, while pH values remained within the acceptable range for both fish and nitrifying bacteria. Furthermore, the results revealed a highly significant correlation between fish body weight and electrical conductivity as well as water temperature, in addition to a highly significant correlation between electrical conductivity and water temperature. An evaluation of the water quality provides a comprehensive understanding of the interactions and balance between fish, plants, and microorganisms in aquaponic systems. The study results showed that fish growth and bacterial efficiency are significantly affected by five water quality commonly measured in aquaponic systems: dissolved oxygen, pH, water temperature, nitrate concentration, and electrical conductivity.

Water samples were collected quarterly, and elements in marine water were analyzed between January 2022 and December 2022 using The Anwar boat. Eight elements were measured in addition to the salinity concentration. The highest concentration was for the elements zinc, cadmium, calcium, sodium, lead, copper, Nickel, potassium and salinity concentrations and values (0.235, 0.0124, 720, 610.3, 0.417, 0.2358, 0.1812, 58.179,49) mg/l respectively, and Lowest concentration (0.021, 0.001, 128.8, 472.6, 0.21, 0.021, 0.0083, 44.1,42) mg/l respectively, as the elements zinc, lead, and copper are present In the spring, and the elements cadmium, calcium, and potassium in the autumn, and the elements sodium, nickel, and salinity in the summer. Conducting a canonical analysis (PCA) showed that the elements copper, calcium, sodium, and nickel were positively correlated with salinity, while salinity was correlated with nickel in the summer, and the elements potassium, sodium, and calcium during the autumn, while the rest of the elements were negatively correlated with salinity. The ready-made statistical program (SPSS) was used, to notable variations. When performing the cluster analysis, it was revealed that there were three cluster groups.

The southern coast of Iraq features a diverse environment composed of Khors, deltas, and gulfs. Studying the characteristics of sediments in these regions is essential. A study was conducted on the characteristics and sources of sediments and the environmental factors affecting them in seven selected locations in the marine environment of southern Iraq. The sedimentary analysis indicates that there are four textures: sand, silt, mud, and sandy silt. Silt was the dominant component in all samples, reaching 88% except for Khor Shytianah, where sand reaching 90%. Additionally, the sediments were transported over long distances, resulting in a decrease in grain size as they moved away from their source. The cumulative frequency curves further indicate similar depositional processes across the region, with the appearance of the size range (Ø) 1) suggesting that grains are transported by suspension. It was found that the percentages of total organic carbon (TOC %) were highest in the Shatt Al- Basrah region at 2.5%, and lowest in sand at Khor Shytianah at 0.0.4 %. The results of the acidity function pH reveal that the studied region has an alkaline environment pH reached to 8.85. Moreover, there is an inverse relationship with particle size and salinity and conductivity. The results indicate that the area is a regressive deltaic estuary system. This study enhances understanding of the region’s geology and the current environmental conditions of this ecologically sensitive area in southern Iraq, especially considering recent climate and urban changes. It provides essential baseline information for future environmental management and monitoring efforts.

One of the most significant fields for remote sensing applications is physical oceanography research. Early methods for thermal mapping of the seas and oceans included using sensors mounted on buoys. Through the use of thermal sensors mounted on Earth observation satellites, remote sensing now offers more progressive techniques to extract the sea surface temperature (SST) values as a continuous raster model for all water bodies. Landsat 8's TIRS sensor must have a thermal band so that the SST can be extracted with a 100 m2 spatial resolution. The precision of two thermal bands from Landsat 8 (bands 10 and 11) for SST appreciation in waters northwest of the Arabian Gulf was confirmed by the current study. Using thermal images and comparing them with the actual measured temperatures of selected stations taken in December 2014 and January 2022. This was accomplished using the "Brightness Temperature" function provided by ENVI 5.3 for determining the surface temperature. By accounting for root mean square error (RMSE) and mean absolute error rate (MAPE), Landsat 8's precision for SST monitoring in waters northwest of the Arabian Gulf was confirmed. The thermal band 10's accuracy was ±1.72 (1.79%), while the precision of thermal band 11 was ±2.37 (2.49%) in 2014, with a difference of ± 0.65 (0.7%). In 2022, it was found that the precision of thermal band 10 was ± 1.7 (2.37%), and the precision of thermal band 11 was ± 2.25 (3.13%), with a difference of ± 0.55 (0.76%).Wherefore, the outputs of the current study show that Landsat 8's thermal band 10 is more precise than thermal band 11 at measuring the sea surface temperature of water northwest of the Arabian Gulf.

The octocoral species Euplexaura sp. was recorded for the first time during a survey of benthic invertebrates conducted in 2022 from the northwest Arabian Gulf at the eastern breakwater of Al-Faw Grand Port in the Iraqi marine waters. Two branching colonies and one young colony, all attached to the remains of an iron support, at the intertidal zone. The branches were cylindrical. The specimen was recognizing from colony’s branching structures and other intricate identification characteristic of sclerites such as the polyp and coenenchyma, both in surface and interior layers.

The present work investigated the levels of uranium (238U) and radium (226Ra) in sediment samples collected from the coastal region of the Arabian Gulf at Raas Al-Besha, Basrah, Iraq. The main aim was to evaluate whether the detected concentrations comply with internationally accepted safety standards. Thirty-six sediment samples were collected from various sampling points, and measurements were performed using CR-39 solid state nuclear track detectors. The findings revealed noticeable spatial variability in radionuclide concentrations. Uranium concentrations ranged between 8.587 ppm and 18.340 ppm, while radium concentrations varied from 6.177 Bq•kg⁻¹ to 13.192 Bq•kg⁻¹. Results were discussed and compared with the internationally recommended approved values. According to ICRP guidelines, the majority of the measured values were elevated. A significant correlation was observed between uranium and radium concentrations in the studied samples. This work provides the first baseline dataset for uranium and radium distribution in sediments at the investigated sites using CR-39 detection techniques, and the results of the study can serve as a reference for future radiological assessments.

- AL-Razazah Lake is one of the Iraqi Lakes. it is known as big flood water store and fish’s wealth source. At the last three decades it suffers from highly extent of dehydration. This research proposes approach to identify the changes of this Lake in between 1990 to 2025 using remotely sensed satellite images. This research is conducted by many phases; Pre-processing, Processing, and Analyzing to remove the image’ s noise and applied the corrected image into next phase of the study. Then, this study was performed using different indices applied on the satellite images from Landsat Satellite System; Normalized-Difference-Water-Index (NDWI), and Normalized-Difference-Vegetation-Index (NDVI) to extract the AL-Razazah surface water Area. In addition, an unsupervised Approach was selected to perform image classification using the K-Means algorithm in order to classify the study area to many classes. The results reveal that the Lake was changed rapidly. The NDVI and NDWI show the highly decreasing in the area of AL-Razazah Lake about 81.17 % and 80.32% with area about of 1187.40 km2 and 1189.24km2. The results a highly dehydration extending, and all these drying areas were becoming a soil area, that will threat the wildlife and reduce the wealth of fish in AL-Razazah Lake. The outputs will be utilized for the researchers and analysts who would like to study the water bodies and the effect of the claim changes on water bodies in Iraq.

Several lagoons (khors) are found in the northwestern Arabian Gulf, including Khor Al-Zubair, Shaitanah, Abdullah, and Subiya. Determining whether these lagoons formed through tectonic or sedimentary processes is essential for understanding their development and the region\\'s geological stability. While most prior research has focused on hydrological and sedimentological aspects, comprehensive field studies of lagoon genesis remain limited. Ongoing debate centers on the relative roles of tectonic and sedimentary influences. This study aims to clarify the causes responsible for the creation of the Shaitanah lagoon, which links Khor Al-Zubair and Khor Abdullah to the Arabian Gulf.To address this gap, marine geophysical surveys were conducted using a Sub Bottom Profiler (SBP) and an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP), in addition to a geomorphic index of Transverse River Profiles (TRPs), which quantitatively assesses the topographic features of the seabed. The cross-sections indicate asymmetry in the seabed topography of the selected sections and discontinuity in the extent of the seabed layers. The cross sections also identify a steep slope and a sudden increase in depth to 15 m, representing the navigation channel of the khor, which shifts position across all cross sections. The results obtained from the geophysical surveys and TRPs analysis, in addition to the khor\\'s channel meandering at an angle of more than 90 degrees and flowing from west to east, unlike all other khor in the region, indicate a direct link between tectonic influence and related fault systems, specifically the Jal Az-Zor fault, on the creation of the khor. This is consistent with previous studies on neotectonic effects across the entire northwestern Arabian Gulf region and on regional faults.

The fish assemblage at the East Hammar Marsh (EHM) was dominated by alien species instead of native species. Alien species were successfully established in the EHM over a relatively short time period. Continuous increase in salinity altered the aquatic environment from freshwater/oligohaline to mesohaline/estuarine in EHM. The degree of disturbance of the fish assemblage invaded by alien species was quantified on the basis of native species number and their individuals to the total number of species and total individuals present. Formulas were applied to quantify the ratios of occurrence and abundance of both native and alien species. The highest number of species recorded at EHM was 44 in 2012 and the lowest 21 in 2024. Data on the occurrence and abundance of native fish components in the assemblages were 18.2% (very disturbed) and 3.2% (totally upset). A noticeable decrease in the ratio of native species to alien species and vice versa was accompanied by an increase in salinity during one decade from 2009 to 2024. The highest native species occurrence rate was 56% in 2013 and the lowest was 20%. In 2019 The highest abundance score of the native species was 44% and the lowest was 20%. The highest turnover rate index was 43.39 and the lowest was 8.19. As the turnover index value increased, as more alien species occurred at EHM.