Mesopotamian Journal of Marine Science

Water samples were collected from four sites with three stations at each site from some of the Iraqi marshes (Hor Al-Hammar, Abu-Zarek, Al-Eaz and Hor Auoda). Samples were analyzed for pH, dissolved oxygen, BOD, COD, TSS, nitrate, chlorides, iron, manganese, calcium, magnesium and sodium. Water quality was classified according to Prat′s classification, and distribution coefficient (Kd) for transportation of pollutants between the liquid phase and the solid phase was used. The results indicated that pH and BOD values of water were ranging from excellent to acceptable; dissolved oxygen was excellent; Salinity and T.S.S was excellent and a good indicator for polluted waters; Nitrate was excellent to acceptable; Fe and Mn were acceptable to excellent. Results of Kd values showed that sediment had high concentration of iron and manganese than water which could provide water with iron and manganese.

The first record of the bivalve Anodonta vescoiana Bourguignat, 1857 has been done in this paper. This bivalve was collected from Al-Ezz River in Al-Umara marshes, it is considered as benthic, freshwater clam. The measurement values attempt to define the shape of each bivalve and established the finer characters for this species in the marshes.

Iraqi marine water is the major estuarine part at the north Arabian Gulf. The harmonic constituents of tide M2, S2, K1, and O1 in Outer Bar station was found of order of 0.66, 0.18, 0.46 and 0.26 m, respectively. The type of tide is mixed, dominant semi-diurnal with range between 1 –3 m. Salinity values (4 ‰ – 39 ‰) are effected heavily by the rate of the Shatt Al-Arab discharge and the state of tide. Water temperature fluctuates during winter and summer, reaching 12.5˚C to 33.5˚C respectively. Thermocline and halocline developed according to the season and state of tide. Different types of currents were observed including tidal current, coriolis force, wind current, density current and Arabian Gulf current. Generally, tidal current in the area are strong and reaching 0.8 -2 m/sec.

One meter water column of the Shatt Al-Arab estuary and Northwest Arabian Gulf was sampled at seven stations during a 14 months period (June 1993 - July 1994). Dissolved fatty acids samples were analyzed to examine water quality. After filtration, the fatty acids composition of the chloroform-soluble was analyzed in the dissolved fraction by gas chromatography. Stearic acid had the highest proportion of saturated acids in several samples of dissolved fatty acids followed by heptadecanoic acid and palmitic acid. Palmitoleic acid, oleic acid and linoleic acid were the most abundant unsaturated acids. The other saturated and unsaturated acids had medium to low concentrations. There were significant differences in total fatty acids concentrations of the seven sites. Regional average total fatty acids ranged from 1.95 µg/l in Summer 1993 to 6.46 µg/l in Winter 1993, while seasonal average total fatty acids ranged from 1.78 µg/l at station 7 to 6.69 µg/l at station 2.

Coral reefs are threatened by several environmental factors including bleaching, where they lose their symbiotic zooxanthellae and this occurs in certain processes. It is very difficult to relate bleaching events to a single factor and such phenomena can cover wide geographical spots in the world’s oceans and it will affect fisheries and tourism.

Protein requirements for young Bunni fish B. sharpeyi had been studied by using isoenergetic diets which include three different protein levels of 18 %, 28 % and 37 %. Twenty liters plastic containers were used for 60 days feeding trial with three replicates for each treatment. The results showed significant differences (p< 0.05) between the three treatments, best specific growth rate (% dayˉ¹), food conversion and protein efficiency were 0.414, 2.77 and 1.29 respectively in fish fed 28% protein. The study concluded that 28 % protein can provide high growth for young Bunni fish .

The Shatt Al- Arab River between the Sindibad and Umm Al-Ressass islands has been selected as a study area. Four stations were selected to study the bank stability. The geometric dimensions of the banks were measured, laboratory tests comprises; cohesion, internal friction and weight density at the four depths 0-50, 50-100, 100-150 and 150-200cm. Shear stress of each depth has been calculated. The results showed that there are variations in the soil properties of the stations. Soil texture is silty clay. It has been also found that there are variations in the values of natural moisture content, weight density. All of the bank slopes which are selected for this study are in the stable state, but they vary in the degree of stability. Cohesion and for a lesser extent the height of the bank slope play a major role in the determination of bank stability of Shatt Al- Arab. Some equations have been found in this study in order to know the stability state under different conditions which affect the bank slope stability.

This study shows the possibility to determin the Shatt Al-Arab suspended load through applying mathematical formulas and field measurements of suspended load. According to a hydrological characteristic of the river course, field measurements were accomplished by two main segments, the Northern and the Southern part of Shatt Al-Arab River. The results show that the flow regime of Shatt Al-Arab is a tranquil and turbulent flow due to increasing of inertial forces in relation to viscous and gravitational forces, as a result of increasing flow depth and velocity in addition to decreasing of median grain size of bed sediments. The observed total suspended load in the Northern part was ranging between 20.01-26.91 Kg/Sec at Abu Al-Kasseb and Al-Khorah sections, respectively. While its range in the Southern part between 120-144 Kg/Sec at Al-Fao and Karun confluence, respectively. The present study recommends the use of Yang’s (1980) equation to calculate the stream power according to Bagnold (1980) formula because it gives much closer results to the measured data, in contrary to that calculated by Bagnold (1960) formula.

Ichthyoplankton and zooplankton samples were collected seasonally from spring 2001 to winter 2002. The annual average of primary productivity was 0.05 gm/C/m3/day. The highest recorded abundance of zooplankton was 18122.45 individual/m2 at the Krane station during spring and 4130.06 individual/m2 at the Al-Amaya station during summer. The averages of total abundance of Icthyoplankton in Krane and Al-Amaya stations were 84.68 larvae/10 m2 and 55.91 larvae/10 m2 , respectively. The correlation coefficient between zooplankton abundance in Al-Amaya stations was insignificant (r=0.35 P>0.05) while in Krane station was significant (r = 0.77 P<0.05).