Environmental Quality Assessment in the Kuwait Bay (Kuwait): An Integrated Approach

Abstract

AbstractThe increased urbanization and developmental activities in Kuwait and the consequent effluent discharges into marine environments have resulted in changes in the water and sediment quality of coastal and marine ecosystems. These areas, like the Kuwait Bay, have been negatively affected by the discharges of hydrocarbon, heavy metals and other organic compounds impacting marine ecosystems and the biota living therein. The Kuwait Bay is among the most critical marine and productive ecosystems along the Kuwaiti coast. In light of it, this baseline investigation aims to document by the integration of physicochemical data on water, sediment geochemistry both organic and inorganic and preliminary data of benthic foraminiferal assemblages, the environmental conditions within the Kuwait Bay that will be used for the implementation of future biomonitoring programs.KeywordsEnvironmental qualityPollutionIntegrated approachSedimentKuwait Bay