Shatt Al-Arab Estuary Research Articles

A study of the Composition of Chondrichthyes Fishes in the Shatt Al-Arab Estuary and Iraqi Marine Waters

Thirteen Chondrichthyes fish were caught in the current study, belonging to 12 genera and (6) orders and representing (8) families from January 2018 to December 2018. The Dasyatidae family represented the highest number of species, represented by five species: Dasyatidae, Carcharhinidae, and Hemiscylliidae, forming 74.74% of the total number of individuals. The results of the relative abundance showed that three species, Brevitrygon walga, Brevitrygon imbricata, and Pastinachus sephen, constituted 34.34% of the total number of individuals, and one resident species Carcharhinus leucas (9-12 month) appeared in the second station. No other resident species appeared in the first and third stations.

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Commercial fish catch in the Iraqi marine waters from December 2018 to December 2019 was investigated. The study is based on three stations: the first station is located at the Shatt Al-Arab estuary, the second represents the area between the Shatt Al-Arab Estuary and open marine waters, and the third is associated with the Iraqi territorial marine waters. The total weight of the catch was 1881 kg, represented by 500, 654, and 727 kg in the first, second and third stations respectively. The third station was the highest with a majority of the family Sciaenidae by 464 kg, while the lowest was the family Scombridae by 0.5 kg. The total number of species included 37 species, belonging to 27 genera, 19 families, and 6 orders, the largest order represented by a high number of species was the Perciformes and the lowest versatile orders were Oreclotiformes, Nemipterideaformes and Scombridaeformes; while the order Scorpaeniformes was found by only one species.

ASSESSING OF TROPHIC STATUS FOR SHATT AL-ARAB ESTUARY AND IRAQI MARINE WATERS

During the months of January to December 2019, the nutritional status of the waters of the Shattal-Arab estuary and Iraqi marine waters was investigated using the trophic state index (TSI) andan average assessment mesotrophic of the two above-mentioned environments using three factors:total phosphorous, water transparency and chlorophyll-a, were chosen three stations, The thirdstation had the highest value of the directory, 49.9 in February, and the third station had the lowestvalue, 17.8 in December. with transparency, was the Maximal value in April in the third stationreached 212 cm, as well as the minimum value, reached 13 cm in November my first station.

Proposed treatment to reduce salinity intrusion into the Shatt Al-Arab estuary by using temporary storage in a convergent of channel in the context of tide

ABSTRACT The Shatt Al-Arab estuary is the lifeline of the Basrah city, as it is the source of water for various uses of irrigation, industry, agriculture and human use, in addition to being the navigational passage towards the Arabian Gulf throughout history. Nowadays, the estuary suffers from the deterioration of its water quality due to the increase in salinity values as a result of the intrusion of salinity from the Arabian Gulf due to the lack of freshwater flows from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. To reduce the risks of water quality deterioration and the lack of natural solutions represented in the provision of freshwater, the idea of building an artificial structure to narrow the channel came to give the ability to resist the impact of the tide and the intrusion of marine salinity. Two hypothetical sites were chosen to build the structure: i.e. in Dweeb and Faw sites, to test the feasibility of this artificial estuary structure. A one-dimensional mathematical model was adopted, which is the Mike 11 software package. The model was run according to a set of scenarios using the critical water discharge values of 10 and 20 m3/s. The results showed through simulation of the model for a period of six months that the structure is useful on improving the water quality by reducing salinity in the river, in addition, there is a delay in the time of arrival of the intrusion of salts.

Spatiotemporal Analysis on Shipwrecks in Shatt Al-Arab River and Iraqi Marine Waters Northwest Arabian Gulf

The shipwrecks generate different impacts mostly represented by geomorphological changes of the waterways, source of potential pollutants, impeding navigation and fishing activities. A total of 141 locations of shipwrecks were identified in the inland and marine Iraqi territorial waters. The study area is categorized into four sites including Shatt Al-Arab River, Shatt Al-Arab Estuary, Khor Abdulla and Khor Al-Zubair. The shipwrecks data analysis was investigated on spatial and temporal approach based on salvage state, type and size of sinking vessels in these sites. The shipwrecks are of different types classified according to the size into three categories. Only 43 of these shipwrecks were salvaged mostly in Khor Al-Zubair, however, no attempt has been carried out to salvage any of the shipwrecks in the most important fishing ground located within Shatt Al-Arab Estuary. On temporal basis, most of the shipwrecks are resulted due to the wars. The majority of the sunken shipwrecks are of small size indicated by 94 (67%), however many are still not identified by type and size particularly those located in the Shatt Al-Arab Estuary. The impacts of the shipwrecks were investigated following to findings of previous related studies and feedback of questionnaire circulated to specialists in relevant authorities. Moreover, the findings of relevant published data in relation to hydrological features, water quality, fishing and biodiversity aspects have considered particularly in the shared zone among Iraq, Kuwait and Iran. The paper recommended the great importance to initiate a regional survey to assess the levels and types of pollutants in this area and to take a cooperation action on removing the sunken vessels.

Morphological and taxonomic study of eggs of some fish families with a reference to their abundance in the North West of Arabian Gulf

Sampling of eggs of fish was conducted at two stations in the northwestern part of Arabian Gulf (Shatt Al-Arab estuary (A1) and Khor Amaya (A2)), during April 2012 to March 2013. A total of 2902 fish eggs were collected using conical plankton net (mesh size 330µm). Six families (Sciaenidae, Clupeidae, Soleidae, Polynemidae, Engraulidae and Ariidae) of fish eggs were identified. Sciaenid fish egg comprised 45.6 % of all eggs collected and peak of abundance (1680.3 egg/10m²) at station A2 was occurred in May. Water temperature was ranged from 13-34ºC and salinity was 32-42 ‰. Water temperature seems to be the most  vital factor in determining the onset of the spawning of fish in the Arabian Gulf. This study showed the importance of the northwestern part of the Arabian Gulf as a spawning and nursery site for the Sciaenidae, Clupeidae, Soleidae, Polynemidae, Engraulidae and the Ariidae.
  
  

Status of oil pollution in water and sediment from Shatt Al-Arab Estuary and North-West Arabian Gulf

In the present study, an attempt was made to study the levels of petroleum hydrocarbon residues in Water and Sediment samples collected from ten stations at the region of Shatt Al-Arab Estuary and North-West of the Arabian Gulf. The water and sediment samples were analyzed by utilizing the spectrofluorometry technique. The results of the present research obviously indicated a degree of oil pollution, however, still lower in magnitude when compared with status in some other regional sites. The obtained levels of petroleum hydrocarbons in water was ranged from (3.09 µg/l) at station 7 to (30.87 µg/l) at station 9 while in sediment ranged from (19.43 µg/g) dry weight  at station 4 to (49.09 µg/g) dry weight at station 9. In order to give a better evaluation of the petroleum hydrocarbon levels in the sediments, the Total Organic Carbon (TOC) percentage and grain size analyses were done by granulometry technique on selected slips of the bulk sediments obtained for this purpose. The mean percent TOC estimations ranged from 0.1 at Station 4 to 1.34 at Station 9. The mean values obtained in this study indicated that the petroleum hydrocarbon levels in the sediment samples are lower than the levels in sediment samples obtained with similar methodology and analyses in some of the Gulf States and countries in close vicinity of the region. The major pollution sources may involve tanker and boat discharges and activities, municipal sewage and rural runoff from land. Also, discharges and effluents from oil refineries, electricity generating station and industrial activities into the Basrah city are obvious.

Population biology of the Hilsa Shad Tenualosa ilisha (Hamilton, 1822) during migration to Shatt Al-arab River and southern Al-Hammar marsh, Basra-Iraq

Hilsa Shad Tenualosa ilisha (Hamilton, 1822) is one of the most important commercial fish species in Iraq and the region. Fish samples were collected during March 2013-April 2014 from Shatt Al-arab Estuary in Al-FAW city, Abu al-Khasib city, Sinbad Island and south Al-Hammar marsh. The first individuals were caught during February with length ranging 30.5-35.4cm in the estuary and the Shatt al-Arab. Monthly changes were found in mean fish length. The estuary region showed a marked increase in the average length of fish during June and November. The age composition was 0-V+ year. Length-Weight relationships were y=0.0086x3.067 for females, y=0.0119x2.947 for males, y=0.0141x2.833 for juveniles, y=0.0098x3.01 for male and female and y=0.0093x3.0304 for the overall population. The average relative condition factor (Kn) for female was 1.07 (± 0.12) ranging from 0.61-1.04. For males it reached 1.09 (± 0.125) ranging between 0.72-1.47. For young the mean was 1.21 (± 0.149) ranging from 0.66 to 1.73. The proportional size distribution showed that stock length was 13 cm, whereas the calculated specified lengths of Hilsa shad were 23, 29, 35 and 44 cm for quality, preferred memorable and trophy lengths respectively. The value of PSD Hilsa shad population was 60.7, which represents a balanced population consists a large proportion of breeding individuals. However, the decline in other specified lengths showed that Hilsa shad population was mostly medium-sized fishes, with RSD-T value of 3.8. 

Geomatic freshwater discharge estimations and their effect on saltwater intrusion in alluvial systems: a case study in Shatt Al-Arab estuary

Geomatic freshwater discharge estimations and their effect on saltwater intrusion in alluvial systems: a case study in Shatt Al-Arab estuary

Impact of Salinity Changes in Shatt Al-Arab Estuary on Biodiversity of Marine Mammals of the Arabian Gulf: A Review

Salinity changes in the Shatt Al-Arab Estuary and North-West Arabian Gulf were monitored and reviewed in terms of the shortage of freshwater inflows to the Shatt Al-Arab Estuary. Data from previous and current surveys on marine mammals in the area have also been checked and compared to study the biodiversity under newly-developed circumstances. The Eco-physiological investigation was performed to assess the salinity tolerance limits of whales, dolphins and dugong. One-third of the world’s 81 species of whales and dolphins, collectively called cetaceans, are thought to occur off the shores in the area. The new checklist is prepared according to recent surveys in the neighbouring Arab Gulf countries and the known checklist of mammals in Iraqi waters. Spatial variation of the marine mammals of the southern part was governed by the occurrence of feeding habitats rather than a direct response to salinity variations. Alteration of seaweed’s habitats in response to water pollution is reported to have a direct effect on the biodiversity of mammals in the gulf. The results of this review were discussed in terms of salinity tolerance, hazardous ecological factors and spatial variation. No obvious effect of salinity changes imposed by the shortage of freshwater inflow on the distribution or loss of marine mammals neither on their habitat in the Arabian Gulf.

First record of the invasive snail Myosotella myosotis (Draparnaud, 1801) in coast Shatt al-Arab estuary/ Al-Faw District, Basrah-Iraq

The present study investigated the first record of invasive mouse-ear snail Myosotella myosotis (Draparnaud, 1801) (Pulmonata: Basommatophora: Ellobiidae) in Shatt al-Arab estuary coast north the District of Al- Faw, Basrah, Iraq.  During a period from January to December 2019, one sample was collected monthly from two selected sites in Shatt al-Arab estuary shoreline. Some biological, and ecological notes on this ellobiid gastropod from Iraqi coast in addition to photographs, were provided to confirm the identification of the snail, provided with brief comments on its measured morphological features. Results showed that the mean population density of both the two study sites of M. myosotis ranged from 66 ind./m² during April at site 1 and  0 ind./m² in some other months at site 2.

Estimation of tidal excursion length along the Shatt Al-Arab estuary, Southern Iraq

The tidal excursion length along the Shatt Al-Arab estuary was estimated based on the mathematical relation proposed by Parsa and Shahidi (2010). The field measurements of water level, bathymetry, and discharges were conducted to fulfill the objective of the study. The results revealed that the tidal excursion length is site-specific and depends on the characteristics of location which include tidal phases, bathymetry, and geometry. However, the results indicated that there are pronounced differences in tidal excursions lengths between the spring and neap tide phases in all studies stations. The spring tide coincided with the maximum tidal excursion lengths in Shatt Al-Arab estuary with 16.537, 16.187, 11.122, and 9.139 km in the estuary mouth, Faw, Siba, and Abo Flous stations respectively. While the neap tidal excursion lengths were 12.298, 9.254, and 7.269 km in Faw, Siba, and Abo Flous stations respectively.

Using GIS and Remote Sensing Satellite Data to mapping and monitoring Shatt Al-Arab Estuary and nearby coastline Southern Iraq

The main objective of this study is to evaluate the most important geomorphological changes of the Shatt al-Arab estuary as it is a border area and affect the Iraqi coast, through the analysis of morphological changes using the application of remote sensing techniques and GIS. As well as the use both a series of maps Admiral old and recent to monitor the temporal - spatial changes that took place in the mouth of the Shatt al-Arab (Delta Shatt al-Arab), also identify the factors affecting the Iraqi coast and regional maritime borders, whether natural or human, according to   the changes resulting from the lack of river discharges, which seems Clearly in the Shatt al-Arab Canal . when the discharge in the eighties of the last century more than 700 m3/S . These expenditures have been declining and decreasing significantly in recent years to reach less than 15 m3/S in the last two decades, due to the construction of several large irrigation projects and dams by riparian countries (Turkey, Iran and Syria),which led to a clear change in the movement and distribution sediments and the deviation of the entrance of the Shatt al-Arab with an area of ​​more than 4.667 square kilometers towards Iraqi territory until 2013 at a rate of 116 m2 and thus the loss of  large parts of Iraq coasts.

A lag of 44 years: presence of Epinephelus lanceolatus (Actinopterygii: Perciformes: Epinephelidae) from the Persian Gulf

An old stuffed specimen of the giant grouper, Epinephelus lanceolatus (Bloch, 1790) (2000 mm TL), was recovered during the relocation of the artefacts of the Basrah Natural History Museum, University of Basrah, Iraq recently. The specimen was collected 44 years ago in 1974 by a gillnet in the Shatt al-Arab Estuary, Basrah, Iraq. So far, this species is known to have no records from the Persian Gulf area. The present report is important in recording E. lanceolatus from the estuary of the Shatt al-Arab River and is considered new for both the Iraqi and the Persian Gulf waters. Our finding brings to light an amazing example of invasion lag.

Geomorphological changes along the coastline of As Sabriya, northern Kuwait

As Sabriya area is located in the NW sector of the Arabian Gulf, bounded from the north by Umm-Niqa natural reserve, from the east by Khor Al-Subiyah tidal channel, and from the south by Ras Al-Subiyah area. As Sabriya area is mainly characterized by sabkha deposits, wide tidal flats, and well-developed drainage system and receives sediments through Khor Al-Subiyah from Iraqi marshes by Al-Basra canal and Shatt Al-Arab estuary. The geomorphological features in the study area have been subjected to severe changes due to natural and anthropogenic activities. The geomorphological and sedimentological characteristics were investigated and presented a new geomorphic classification of the surface features in As Sabriya area. The study aims to investigate the geomorphological and sedimentological characteristics and discuss the influence of Al-Basra canal in the study area. The main objective of the study is to perform a new geomorphic classification of the surface features of As Sabriya area and detect the geomorphic changes in the coastal line. The study is based on integrating in situ and remotely sensed data from 2002 until 2017, which were used as a source of land-use and land-cover information. Lab analyses for surface sediment samples were made; geographic information system (GIS) and remotely sensed techniques were applied. Change detection results showed geomorphic changes in the area particularly along the coastline during the periods of (2002–2014), (2014–2017), and (2002–2017) due to the influences of Al-Basra canal as increasing in the tidal flat from 2002 to 2015 into Khor Al-Subiyah. During the periods from (2002 to 2014) and (2002 to 2017), the largest “class changes” in coastal line were shown by the coastal sabkhas at 61.917%, and 37.116% respectively, while during the period from (2014–2017), the largest effect was noticed by the sand sheet at 39.484%, which may be attributed to the eolian sedimentation driven from the lower Mesopotamian flood plain by the northwesterly winds. The particle size statistical parameter analyses indicated the variety in the sediments characteristics and depositional environments and the change detection maps revealed the major effect of sand sheet movement and alluvial deposits on geomorphic features along the coastline in As Sabriya area, as well as eolian sedimentation processes in the area.

Comparison of MCNP and ERICA codes in two different marine areas

The internal and external dose rates received by a marine organism, were calculated using the MCNP-CP code and the ERICA Assessment Tool. MCNP/MCNPX is a general purpose Monte Carlo code for the transport of all kinds of particles, while ERICA is a more specified software tool for assessing the radiological risk to terrestrial, freshwater and marine biota. A pelagic organism living only in the water medium, was chosen as a start for this comparison. Additionally, two different coastal areas: Stratoni port at Ierissos Gulf, Greece [1] and Shatt al-Arab estuary at Arabic or Persian Gulf [2] were selected. Both areas are receiving the impact of anthropogenic activities as those related with metal mining (Stratoni port) and oil and gas exploration (Arabic/Persian Gulf). The measured concentrations of natural 40K, 210Pb and 208Tl and artificial (137Cs) radionuclides in the surface sediment, were included in the calculations for the estimation of the activity concentrations in the water using the sediment-water distribution coefficient (Kd) of the ERICA database. The preliminary results of MCNP-CP simulations were in good agreement with those of ERICA for all radionuclides.

Observations of stranded and swimming whale sharks Rhincodon typus in Khor Al-Zubair, NW Arabian Gulf and Shatt Al-Arab Estuary, Iraq.

This study is the first record of a whale shark Rhincodon typus in Iraqi waters and the second record from the Arabian (Persian) Gulf portion of the north-west Indian Ocean. The stranding and sighting events were documented by photos of three individuals: the stranded specimen was 6.5 m total length (LT ) and the free-swimming individuals were c. 1-2 and 2-3 m LT respectively. An appeal is made for Iraqi policy makers to participate in regional and international organizations for the conservation of this endangered species.

Assessing the Organic Pollution and Aquaculture Activity of Surface water at Shatt-Al-Arab Estuary Southern of Iraq

Surface water samples were collected monthly from December, 2012 to November, 2013 at the middle part of Shatt Al-Arab Estuary at Basrah city during the low tide period to assess the organic pollution status using the Organic Pollution Index (OPI), and the aquaculture activities using Minimum Operator Concept (MOC). Results of biological oxygen demand (BOD5), ammonium, nitrite and orthophosphate were used to calculate OPI, while dissolved oxygen (DO), total phosphate and turbidity were used to calculate MOC. Results showed that OPI values range from 4.5 - 4.75 referred to weak organic–non organic pollution status. On the other hand, the water of Shatt Al-Arab Estuary can be considered as medium–excellent water for aquaculture activity according to the MOC range (66.67 - 93.33). Keywords: Estuary, Surface water, Organic Pollution Index, Aquaculture activity, Minimum Operator Concept

Salinity-driven decadal changes in phytoplankton community in the NW Arabian Gulf of Kuwait.

Evaluation of hydrological data obtained between 2000 and 2013 from a time series station in Kuwait Bay (station K6) and an offshore southern location (station 18) off Kuwait showed drastic increase in salinity by 6units. We tested the hypothesis that increased salinity impacted phytoplankton community characteristics in these semiarid waters. The Arabian Gulf receives seasonal freshwater discharge in the north via Shatt Al-Arab estuary with a peak during March-July. A north to south gradient in the proportion of the freshwater exists between station A in the vicinity of Shatt Al-Arab estuary and station 18 in the southern offshore area. At station A, the proportion of freshwater was the highest (25.6-42.5%) in 1997 but decreased to 0.8-4.6% by 2012-2013. The prevailing hyperhaline conditions off Kuwait are attributed to decrease in the river flow. Phytoplankton data showed a decrease in the number of constituent taxa in the last one decade from 353 to 159 in the Kuwait Bay and from 164 to 156 in the offshore area. A shift in their biomass was caused by a decrease in diatom species from 243 to 92 in the coastal waters and from 108 to 83 in the offshore areas with a concomitant increase of smaller algae. Mutivariate agglomerative hierarchical cluster analysis, non-metric multi-dimensional scaling, and one-way analysis of similarity analyses on phytoplankton data at different taxonomic levels confirmed significant changes in their community organization on a decadal scale. These evidences support our hypothesis that the salinity-related environmental changes have resulted in a coincidental decrease in species diversity and significant changes in phytoplankton community between the years 2000-2002 and 2012-2013, off Kuwait. This in turn would affect the pelagic trophodynamics as evident from a drastic decrease in the catch landings of Tenulosa ilisha (Suboor), Carangoides sp. (Hamam), Otolithes ruber (Nowaiby), Parastromateus niger (Halwaya), and Epinephelus coioides (Hamoor) in Kuwait.

Predicting the salt water intrusion in the Shatt al-Arab estuary using an analytical approach

Abstract. Longitudinal and vertical salinity measurements are used in this study to predict the extent of inland seawater intrusion in a deltaic river estuary. A predictive model is constructed to apply to the specific tidal, seasonal, and discharge variability and geometric characteristics of the Shatt al-Arab River (SAR) situated along the border of Iraq and Iran. Reliable hydrologic simulation of salinity dynamics and seawater intrusion was lacking prior to this study. Tidal excursion is simulated analytically using a 1-D analytical salt intrusion model with recently updated equations for tidal mixing. The model was applied under different river conditions to analyse the seasonal variability of salinity distribution during wet and dry periods near spring and neap tides between March 2014 and January 2015. A good fit is possible with this model between computed and observed salinity distribution. Estimating water abstractions along the estuary improves the performance of the equations, especially at low flows and with a well-calibrated dispersion–excursion relationship of the updated equations. Salt intrusion lengths given the current data varied from 38 to 65 km during the year of observation. With extremely low river discharge, which is highly likely there, we predict a much further distance of 92 km. These new predictions demonstrate that the SAR, already plagued with extreme salinity, may face deteriorating water quality levels in the near future, requiring prompt interventions.