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Aqaba International Conference on Marine and Coastal Environment "Status and Challenges in the Arab World", Jordan, Aqaba, October 27-29, 2014

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Index

No. Content Page

1 Conference Program 3

2 Conference Agenda 5

3 Plenary Session 15

4 Oceanography (biological, chemical, physical and geological) 27

5 Environment: Monitoring, Management and Climate Change 41

6 Marine Bio-resources and Biotechnology 57

7 Biodiversity and Coral Reef Ecosystem 63

8 Sustainable Development and Coastal Management 71

9 Poster Session 83


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Conference Agenda

Monday, October 27, 2014

Time Title Index Speaker, affiliation

OPENING CEREMONEY

HALL: DANA 1

Master of Ceremony: Dr. Mamoon Al-Rshaidat

10:00 am 10:40 am

The Royal Anthem

Recitation of Quran

Welcome speech by the Chair of the organizing committee

Speech by Head of the University of Jordan-Aqaba Branch

Speech by the Chief Commissioner of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA)

OP

ENIN

G

COFFEE BREAK: 10:40-11:20 am

PLENARY SESSION 1 (11:20-01:20) HALL: DANA 1

Session Chair: Prof. Tareq Al-Najjar

11:20 am 12:00 am

Success Stories from the Coastal Project Ayla Oasis AYLA

Eng. Sahl Dudin, Managing Director of Ayla Oasis Development Company, Jordan

Prof. Maroof Khalaf, Faculty of Marine Sciences, The University of Jordan, Aqaba, Jordan

Dr. Riyad Manasrah, Faculty of Marine Sciences, The University of Jordan, Aqaba, Jordan

Session Chair: Prof. Fuad Horani

12:00 am 12:40 pm

Coral Reef Ecosystems – Biodiversity Hotspots in the Arabian Seas Region

1PL1

Dr. Fareed Krupp, Qatar Museums, Doha, Qatar

12:40 pm 01:20 pm

Coastal Management of the Jordan Gulf of Aqaba: the Contributions of Science, what has been done? what are we doing?

1PL2

Prof. Ahmad H. Abu Hilal, Dept. of Earth And Environmental Sciences, Yarmouk University, Jordan

LUNCH BREAK 12:40-02:30 pm


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PARALLEL SESSIONS 1 (02:30 pm – 03:30 pm)

Theme: Marine Bio-resources and Biotechnology (MB) HALL: DANA 1

Session Chair: Prof. Maroof Khalaf

02:30 pm 02:50 pm

Cooperation Opportunities in Aquaculture Engineering Education And Research With Arab World

1MB01D1

Prof. Muhammed Atamanalp, Fisheries Faculty, Ataturk University, Turkey

02:50 pm 03:10 pm

The Effect of Some Dietary Ingredient on the Growth Performance, Survival, and Economic Viability During the Early Stage of Culture African Catfish (Clarias Gariepnus)

1MB02D1

Abba Salisu, Faculty of Marine Sciences, The University of Jordan, Aqaba, Jordan

03:10 pm 03:30 pm

Effect of salinity on Growth Profile and Organoleptic Properties in cultured red tilapia (Oreochromis sp.)

1MB03D1

Amirah Al Riyati, Faculty of Marine Sciences, The University of Jordan, Aqaba, Jordan

Theme: Sustainable Development and Coastal Management (SD) HALL: DANA 3

Session Chair: Prof. Abu Hilal

02:30 pm 02:50 pm

Socioeconomic and Cultural Ethics of Fishermen Community in Aqaba, Red Sea

1SD01D3

Prof. Mohammad Al-Zibdeh, Faculty of Marine Sciences, The University of Jordan, Aqaba, Jordan

02:50 pm 03:10 pm

Regional Development of Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) in the Mediterranean and Contributions of MEDCOAST

1SD02D3

Prof. Erdal Ozhan, Mediterranean Coastal Foundation, (MEDCOAST), Turkey

03:10 pm 03:30 pm

Development of Sea Use Master Plan in the Gulf of Aqaba, Jordan 1SD03D3 Dr. Ivica Trumbic, UNDP Consultant, UNDP Office, Amman, Jordan

COFFEE BREAK: 03:30-04:00 pm

SOCIAL ACTIVITY: tour to Wadi Rum + traditional dinner


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Tuesday, October 28, 2014


PLENARY SESSION 2 (09:00 am – 11:00 am) HALL: DANA 1

Session Chair: Prof. Krupp

09:00 am 09:40 am

Marine Biodiscovery: Enzymes and Molecules for the Pharmaceutical and Chemicals Industry

2PL3

Prof. Sohail Ali, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, U.K.

09:40 am 10:20 am

Assessment of Effectiveness of ICZM Process in Jordan: Challenges and Prospects

2PL4

Dr. Nedal M. Al Ouran, Dept. of Water and Environment Resources Management, Balqa Applied University, Jordan

10:20 am 11:00 am

Impacts of Climate Change on Coastal Areas 2PL5 Prof. Sa’eb A. Khresat, Dept. of Natural Resources and the

Environment, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Jordan

COFFEE BREAK: 11:00-11:20 am

PARALLEL SESSIONS 2 (11:20 am – 01:20 pm)

Theme: Environment: Monitoring, Management and Climate Change (EN) HALL: DANA 1

Session Chair: Dr. Mohammad Wahsha

11:20 am 11:40 am

GOUV’AIRNANCE Project of Air Quality in The Mediterranean Cities: Nitrogen Oxides and Ozone Levels in the City and Gulf of Aqaba

2EN01D1

Dr. Ayman Solaiman and Dr. Jihad Alsawair, Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, Aqaba, Jordan

11:40 am 12:00 am

The Changes of Salinity Concentration Effects on Rotifera Biodiversity at Shatt Al-Arab and Shatt Al-Basrah, Iraq

2EN02D1

Dr. Huda Ahmed, Department of Marine Biology, Marine science center, University of Basrah, Iraq

12:00 am 12:20 pm

Jordan Emission inventory of Persistent Penta-Brominated Diphenyl Ether Pollutant (POP-BDE) in Jordan

2EN03D1

Dr. Motasem Saidan, Chemical Engineering Dept., The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan

12:20 pm 12:40 pm

Assessment of Heavy Metals and Butyltin Burdens in The Mollusk Bivalve Lithophaga Lithophaga Sampled From the Bizerte Bay (Northern Tunisia)

2EN04D1

Prof. Ferdaous jaafar Kefi, Université de Carthage, Faculté des Sciences, Biologie, Biosurveillance de l'Environnement, Bizerte,


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Tunisie

12:40 pm 01:00 pm

Spatial Distribution of the Malacological Fauna and Effect of Human Impact in a Mediterranean Lagoon (Bizerte - North Of Tunisia)

2EN05D1

Prof. Mohamed Sghaïer Achouri, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis Département de Biologie, Université Tunis El Manar, Tunisia

01:00 am 01:20 am

Removal of Ferrous and Manganous from water by Activated Carbon Obtained from Sugarcane Bagasse

2EN06D1

Prof. Khalid El Wakeel, Environmental Science Dept., Faculty Of Engineering Port Said University, Egypt.

Theme: Oceanography: biological, chemical, physical and geological (OC) HALL: DANA 2

Session Chair: Dr. Riyadh Manasrah

11:20 am 11:40 am

The Red Sea Modeling and Forecasting System 2OC01D2 Dr. Ibrahim Hoteit, King Abdullah University of Science and

Technology, Saudi Arabia

11:40 am 12:00 am

Assessment of the Interaction Between Fisheries and Biodiversity in the Gulf Of Gabès-Tunisia: Southern Mediterranean

2OC02D2

Prof. Mohamed Salah Romdhane, INAT/University of Carthage, Tunisia

12:00 am 12:20 pm

The Fossil Beach and Reef Terraces of the Gulf of Aqaba Coast, Jordan.

2OC03D2

Prof. Elias Salameh, The University of Jordan, Jordan

12:20 pm 12:40 pm

Study of Five Trace Metals in Posidonia Oceanica Around El Kantaoui Port

2OC04D2

Prof. Faouzia Charfi-Cheikhrouha, Faculty of Sciences, University of Tunis, Manar, Tunisia

12:40 pm 01:00 pm

Tectonic and Climatic Setting of Jordan Controls the Oceanographic Circulation During Late Cretaceous-Eocene

2OC05D2

Prof. Mohammad Alqudah, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Yarmouk University, Irbid, Jordan

01:00 pm 01:20 pm

Studying Calcification in Marine Organisms Using Synchrotron X-ray Diffraction

2OC06D2

Dr. Ali Al-Sawalmih, Marine Science Station, The University of Jordan/Yarmouk University, Aqaba, Jordan


Session Chair: Dr. Nedal Al-Ouran

11:20 am 12:00 am

Keynote: Integrated Studies on the Hydro-Geo-Ecosystems of The Coastal City of Aqaba, Efforts for Environmental Protection

2SD04D3

Dr. Mohammad Al Farajat, Petra College for Tourism and Archaeology, Al Hussein bin Talal University, Jordan


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12:00 am 12:20 pm

Algeria Coastal Zone Vulnerability to Erosion and Flooding, Three Cases Studies

2SD05D3

Mokhtar Guerfi, National Marine Science School, Algeria

12:20 pm 12:40 pm

Seasonal-Scale Nearshore Morphological Evolution of Sidi-Frej Shoreline (Algeria)

2SD06D3

Mezouar Khoudir, National High school of Marine Sciences and Coastal Management (ENSSMAL), Algeria

12:40 pm 01:00 pm

Impact of Metal Pollution, Food Availability and Excessive Fishing on Rhabdosargus Haffara Stock (family: Sparidae) in Timsah Lake.

2SD07D3

Prof. Sahar Mehanna, National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Egypt

01:00 am 01:20 am

EnvGuidelines for EIA of Fish and Shrimp Hatcheries in a Semi-enclosed Water body

2SD08D3

Prof. Mohammad Rasheed, Faculty of Marine Sciences, The University of Jordan, Aqaba, Jordan


POSTER SESSION HALL: The University of Jordan-Aqaba Branch

02:30 pm 04:30 pm (List of Posters is on page 9)

Coffee Break is during the session

VISIT TO AYLA OASIS AND MARINE SCIENCE STATION


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Wednesday, October 29, 2014


PLENARY SESSION 3 (09:00 am – 11:00 am) HALL: DANA 1

Session Chair: Prof. Sohail Ali

09:00 am 09:40 am

Middle East Regional Marine Science Partnership as Vehicle for Addressing Grand Challenges in the Marine Environment

3PL6

Prof. Michael P. Crosby, President & CEO, Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium, Sarasota, FL 34236, USA

09:40 am 10:20 am

Status of Marine Turtles in Yemen and the Role of Local Communities in Conservation Efforts

3PL7

Prof. Abdul Karim Nasher, Faculty of Science, Sana’a University, Yemen

10:20 am 11:00 am

Improving Water Quality: Artful Rainwater Design 3PL8 Dr. Robert Brzuszek, Department of Landscape Architecture,

Mississippi State University, USA


PARALLEL SESSIONS 3 (11:20 am – 01:20 pm)


Session Chair: Dr. Ali Al-Sawalmih

11:20 am 11:40 am

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment of Coastal Eutrophication on Some Selected Areas of the Red Sea, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia

3EN07D1

Dr. Abid Ali Ansari, Department of Biology. Faculty of Science. University of Tabuk, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia

11:40 am 12:00 am

Diversity of Aquatic Insects in Wadi Ar-Rumman, King Talal Dam And Zerqa River In Jordan

3EN08D1

Prof. Ahmad Katbeh-Bader, Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, The University of Jordan, Jordan

12:00 am 12:20 pm

Marine Radioactivity Monitoring in Arabian Gulf 3EN09D1 Dr. Saif Al Din, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research KISR, Kuwait

12:20 pm 12:40 pm

Water Quality Mapping from Landsat Digital Data. 3EN10D1 Prof. Sameh El Kafrawy, Marine Sciences Dept., NARSS, Egypt

12:40 pm 01:00 pm

Evaluation of Metallic Contamination on Minor Tuna; Euthynnus Alletteratus (Rafinesque, 1810) From Oran Coastline

3EN11D1

Prof. Nardjess Benamar, Environmental Surveillance Laboratory, Department of Biology, University Oran ,Algeria


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01:00 am 01:20 am

Impact of Environmental Factors on the Appearance of the Morphological Abnormalities Observed in Some Species of the Mollusk Collected on the Southern Shores of the Mediterranean

3EN12D1

Prof. Najoua Trigui El Menif, University of Carthage, Faculty of Science of Bizerta (Tunisie), Tunisia

Theme: Oceanography: biological, chemical, physical and geological (OC) HALL: DANA 2

Session Chair: Prof. Mohammad Rasheed

11:20 am 11:40 am

Some Aspects on Distribution and Biology of the Brushtooth Lizardfish Saurida undosquamis (Richardson, 1848) from the Arabian Sea of Oman

3OC07D2

Dr. Fatma Al-Kiyumy, Marine Science and Fisheries Centre, Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries, Oman

11:40 am 12:00 am

Impacts of Water Quality, Fishing Mortality and Food Availability on the Striped Piggy Pomadasys Stridens Production in Bitter Lakes, Egypt

3OC08D2

Dr. Hoda Abd ElAzim, National Institute of Oceanography & Fisheries Egypt, Suez, Egypt

12:00 am 12:20 pm

Contribution of Multispectral Satellite Imagery to the Bathymetric Analysis of Coastal sea bottom

3OC09D2

Prof. Fouzia Houma, National High School of Marine Sciences and Coastal Management. Campus Universitaire de Delly Ibrahim Bois des Cars, Algeria

12:20 pm 12:40 pm

Current status of the Coastal Zones and Activities Along Mauritanian Coast of the Atlantic Ocean

3OC10D2

Ahmed bezeid Mohamed vall, Mauritania

12:40 pm 01:00 pm

Contribution of Satellite Images Modis / Landsat Tm to Observe the Functioning of Marine Environment Along the Coast of Algeria

3OC11D2

Prof. Bachari Nour El Islam, Département Ecologie et

Environnement, Faculté des Sciences Biologique, Université des

Sciences et Technologie Houari Boumediene Algérie, Algeria 01:00 am 01:20 am

Geochemistry and mineralogy of sediments across the fringing reef of Aqaba, Red Sea: Implications for coastal management

3OC12D2

Ma’en Alrashdan, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Yarmouk University, Irbid, Jordan

Theme: Biodiversity and Coral Reef Ecosystem (BD) HALL: DANA 3

Session Chair: Prof. Erdal Ozhan

11:20 am 11:40 am

Detection of the Metabolism of the Giant Bacteria That Live tn the Surgeon Fish Intestine Using Proteomic and Microsensor Analyses

3BD01D3

Dr. Mohammad Al- Najjar, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia


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11:40 am 12:00 am

Protective Role of Some Natural Antioxidants Against Oxidative Stress Pathogenicity in Tilapia zillii

3BD02D3

Dr. Mohammad Wahsha, Marine Science Station, The University of Jordan/Yarmouk University, Aqaba, Jordan

12:00 am 12:20 pm

Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures and coral reef surveys: different monitoring approaches, the same biodiversity patterns?

3BD03D3

Prof. Susana Carvalho, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia

12:20 pm 12:40 pm

Barcoding and Metabarcoding the Cryptofauna of the Northern Red Sea (Gulf of Aqaba)

3BD04D3

Dr. Mamoon Al-Rshaidat, Faculty of Marine Sciences, The University of Jordan, Aqaba, Jordan

12:40 pm 01:00 pm

A La Recherche De Site Potentiels De Reproduction Du Flamant Rose Phoenicopterus Roseus En Algerie

3BD05D3

Amel Mesbah, Université 08 mai 1945, Guelma, Algeria

01:00 pm 01:20 pm

Macrofauna Associated to Vegetation at Menzel Jemil (Bizezrte Lagoon, Tunisia)

3BD06D3

Wahiba Zaabar, Université de Tunis El Manar, Faculté des Sciences, Tunisia


PARALLEL SESSIONS 4 (02:30 pm – 03:10 pm)


Session Chair: Dr. Jihad Alsawair

02:30 pm 02:50 pm

Seawater Monitoring 4EN13D1 Hotaf Yassien, Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA),

Jordan

02:50 pm 03:10 pm

Swimming Pool Water Quality 4EN14D1 Nour Yassien, Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA),

Jordan


Session Chair: Prof. Crosby

02:30 pm 02:50 pm

Wastes and Biomass Materials as Sustainable-Renewable Energy Resources for Jordan

4SD09D3

Dr. Zayed Al-Hamamre, Chemical Engineering Dept., Faculty of Engineering and Technology, The University of Jordan, Jordan.

02:50 pm 03:10 pm

Assessment of Pollution Risk Vulnerability Against Pollution For Unconfined Aquifer in Southern of Aqaba

4SD10D3

Nooraldeen Farajat, Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA), Jordan


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CLOSING SESSION (03:40 pm – 04:00 pm) HALL: DANA 1

Session Chairs: Prof. Saber Al-Rousan and Dr. Ayman Solaiman

CLOSING SESSION (03:40 pm – 04:00 pm)


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PLENARY SESSION

Success Stories from the Coastal Project Ayla Oasis AYLA

Eng. Sahel Dodin, CEO of Ayla Oasis Development Company,

Jordan

Prof. Maroof Khalaf, Faculty of Marine Sciences, The University of

Jordan, Aqaba, Jordan

Dr. Riyad Manasrah, Faculty of Marine Sciences, The University of


Coral Reef Ecosystems – Biodiversity Hotspots in the Arabian

Seas Region

1PL1

Dr. Fareed Krupp, Qatar Museums, Doha, Qatar

Coastal Management of the Jordan Gulf of Aqaba: the

Contributions of Science, what has been done? what are we doing?

1PL2

Prof. Ahmad H. Abu Hilal, Dept. of Earth And Environmental

Sciences, Yarmouk University, Jordan

Marine Biodiscovery: Enzymes and Molecules for the

Pharmaceutical and Chemicals Industry

2PL3

Prof. Sohail Ali, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, U.K.

Assessment of Effectiveness of ICZM Process in Jordan:

Challenges and Prospects

2PL4

Dr. Nedal M. Al Ouran, Dept. of Water and Environment Resources

Management, Balqa Applied University, Jordan

Impacts of Climate Change on Coastal Areas

2PL5 Prof. Sa’eb A. Khresat, Dept. of Natural Resources and the

Environment, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Jordan

Middle East Regional Marine Science Partnership as Vehicle for

Addressing Grand Challenges in the Marine Environment

3PL6

Prof. Michael P. Crosby, President & CEO, Mote Marine Laboratory

and Aquarium, Sarasota, FL 34236, USA

Status of Marine Turtles in Yemen and the Role of Local

Communities in Conservation Efforts

3PL7

Prof. Abdul Karim Nasher, Faculty of Science, Sana’a University,

Yemen

Improving Water Quality: Artful Rainwater Design

3PL8 Dr. Robert Brzuszek, Department of Landscape Architecture,

Mississippi State University, USA


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AYLA-1

Fish Assemblages in Artificial Lagoons at Ayla Project Located at the

Northern tip of the Jordanian Coast, Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea

Maroof A. Khalaf¹, Faud M. Al-Horani¹, Riyad Manasrah², Omar A. Al-Momani¹,

and Sahl Dudin3

¹Department of Marine Biology, Faculty of Marine Sciences, University of Jordan/Aqaba

² Department of Coastal Environment, Faculty of Marine Sciences, University of Jordan/Aqaba

³ Managing Director, Ayla Oasis Development Company / Jordan * Email: [email protected]

A total of 227569 fish individuals were counted in the present survey representing 80 shallow-

water species belonging to 38 families. Another 20 species were documented by photographs.

This raises the total number of species in the lagoon from 80 to 100 species. The most abundant

species during this surveys was Robust silverside with (RA=82.4%), followed by Red Sea sea

bream (RA=2.5%), Variegated emperor (RA= 2.0%), Linedpiggy (RA=1.8%), and Blueline

herring (RA= 1.6%). Whereas, the most common species at Ayla Lagoon area were Robust

silverside and Tailspot goby with (FA=74.1%, each), followed by Bluelined wrasse (FA=46.0%),

Red Sea goatfish (FA=43.5%), Purple-brown parrotfish (FA=42.4%), and Arabian threadfin

bream (FA=41.2%) respectively. The Lagoon becomes an important part of the coast in terms of

fishery. It acts a new fish stock that will definitely increase the stock of the commercial species in

general and for Scarus ghobban, Siganus rivulatus, Atherinomorus lacunosus, Herklotsichthys

quadrimaculatus, Lethrinus variegates, Pomadasys stridens, Scolopsis ghanam, Lutjanus kasmira

and lutjanus ehrenbergi in particular. The Lagoon will increase the fish diversity in the area and

along the Jordanian coast because the Upper Lagoon, Middle Lagoon and Tidal lagoon are

considered protected area at least from fishing. Coral reef fish species especially butterflyfishes,

angelfishes, damselfishes are still missing in the lagoons but they will colonize when coral

develop in the lagoon.

mailto:[email protected]


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AYLA-2

Physical Properties and Exchange System of Seawater in Ayla Lagoons in the Northern

Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea

Riyad Manasrah*

Department of Coastal Environment, Faculty of Marine Sciences, University of Jordan-Aqaba

Branch, Jordan

* Email: [email protected]

Spatial and temporal variation of temperature, salinity, sigma-t, dissolved oxygen (DO) and

residence time in the artificial Ayla lagoons in the northern Gulf of Aqaba were studied during

the period June 2012-May 2013 to achieve, for the first time, a detailed description of water

properties. That’s for obtaining scientific bases for management and sustainable use. Monthly

base measurements were carried for the temperature, salinity, sigma-t, DO at 25 sites in the three

lagoons and for water flow at 7 sites in the tidal lagoon. The statistical tests of all parameters

revealed significant differences among months. There were no significant differences among sites

and lagoons except for salinity among sites and lagoons and for sigma-t among lagoons. The

seasonal trend of temperature, sigma-t and DO were observed but no distinct pattern was

observed for salinity. The results showed that temperature played a major role in thermohaline

structure and DO, where salinity had minor role. The annual range of seawater temperature,

salinity, sigma-t and DO, for all sites in the Ayla lagoons, were 16.24-27.76 °C, 39.95-41.2,

27.03-30.42 kgm-3 and 6.21-8.23 mg/l, respectively. Besides, temporal variation of all

parameters was in general comparable with open sea. The results of current measurements

revealed an excellent condition with expected secure environment. The average residence time of

seawater in the lagoons during period June 2012-May 2013 was 2.58 ± 0.66 days. This period is

assumed to be better than the proper needed time for ensuring a complete flushing in the lagoons.

In general, it is needed to increase water pumping in wintertime because tidal current is weaker

compared to summer, particularly for the Tidal lagoon (TL) because it is connected directly with

the open sea.



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1PL1

Coral Reef Ecosystemss – Biodiversity Hotspots in the Arabian Seas Region

Friedhelm Krupp*

Senckenberg Research Institute and Museum of Nature

Senckenberganlage, Frankfurt, Germany.


The biogeophysical setting of the Arabian Seas Region is globally unique and coral reefs

represent the most productive and biologically diverse ecosystems. Lying within the most arid

part of the Indian Ocean, the region is characterized by high seasonal fluctuations of temperatures

and elevated salinity levels in its two semi-enclosed sea basins, while monsoon-driven seasonal

upwelling occurs in southern Arabia. These conditions result in a naturally stressful environment.

Since several decades, reefs are facing increasing degradation from development and

unsustainable resource use, aggravated more recently by climate change. The consequence is a

severe loss of ecosystem services. Given the complexity of coral reef ecosystems, regionally

coordinated, hierarchically structured research programs are required. Despite numerous highly

specialized research projects, the levels of assessment and monitoring are among the lowest at a

global scale. Extent of research and methodologies vary considerably among countries, and the

information retrieved is often uncorrelated and unsuitable to mitigate reef deterioration. Research

results must feed into decision-making, and there is a particular need for regional capacity-

building in reef-related research, management and conservation. Another regional challenge is

research on deep slopes and deep-water reefs. The biodiversity of the Arabian Seas Region is

currently documented in collections outside the region and there is an urgent need to establish

Natural History Museums with public exhibits, scientific collections and taxonomic research in

the riparian countries of the Arabian Seas.



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1PL2

Coastal Management of the Jordan Gulf of Aqaba: The Contributions of Science, What Has

Been Done? What Are We Doing?

Ahmad H. Abu Hilal*

Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Yarmouk University, Irbid-Jordan


"The effectiveness of management actions to protect the marine and coastal environment cannot

be assessed without scientific analysis and knowledge. Accordingly, comprehensive protection

strategies usually incorporate scientific principles and close interaction among scientists and

decision-makers is essential".

The paper provides a brief description of the five stages of ICZM process which usually include:

Stage 1: Issues Identification and Assessment: The Major topics to address at this stage are: (a)

Assessment of the Condition of Coastal Systems which includes: Habitats, species, communities,

living and non-living resources and their interrelationships; Trends in condition and use of

resources; Short and long-term implications of these changes on the environment society; and

Conditions that warrant priority within the ICZM programme (b) Assessment of the policy and

institutional context which includes: Roles and responsibilities of various agencies; Institutional

capacity and capability for addressing these issues; and existing policies relevant to these issues

(c) Assessment of the development context which includes: Trends in quality of life indicators;

Identification of stakeholders for priority ICZM issues and interest; and societal perceptions of

the issues and their implications.

Stage 2: Programme Preparation: During this stage the specific objectives of the programme must

be clearly defined, stakeholders should be incorporated, focus on a few, relatively small-scale

areas where management can be implemented and postpone attempts to manage the entire

coastline. This is considered as the most responsible approach to dealing with crises such as coral

reef bleaching.

Stage 3: Formal Adoption and Funding: Adoption of a programme and its budget usually requires

a high-level administrative decision (minister or the cabinet).

Stage 4: Implementation: At this stage the management plan becomes operational; the emphasis

shifts to new institutional arrangements and monitoring systems; and new regulations, controls,

and incentives;

Priority activities which include: Conflict resolution, Public education, Inter-agency coordination,

Training of management or enforcement personnel, Infrastructure construction, Planning and

research on new areas or problems and Development actions.

Stage 5: Evaluation: The evaluation addresses the questions: How has the context (priority

issues, environment governance) changed since the programme was initiated? This sets the stage

for repeating the assessment in stage 1.

The paper discusses the contributions of scientists and scientific research which has been

conducted in the Jordan Gulf of Aqaba, since the late seventies of the past century, to the stages

of an ICZM programme which may be implemented by Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority

(ASEZA) in the future. It shows also the present projects which will contribute to such ICZM

programme.



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2PL3

Marine Biodiscovery: Enzymes and Molecules for the Pharmaceutical and Chemicals

Industry

Sohail Ali*

Marine Biotechnologist, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, U.K.


The marine environment is a rich source for novel microbial life including viruses, bacteria, and

microalgae. The marine environment is also, by its very nature, extreme. Although normally

associated with extreme physical parameters (e.g. temperature, pressure) the ability to capture and

process nutrients is equally important for marine organisms in less extreme (e.g. oligotrophic)

conditions. In the “boom and bust” nutrient economy of the open ocean it is advantageous to

have enzymes and processes which are versatile and adaptable. Consequently, marine microbes

have the potential to produce a vast source of enzymes and chemicals which have greater

diversity than their terrestrial equivalents and novelty exists everywhere. Access to this diversity

provides an opportunity to contribute to a wide range of industrial processes from biofuels to drug

discovery. A range of projects highlighting this potential including biocatalysis screening, drug

discovery, and microalgal biofuels will be presented.



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2PL4

Assessment of Effectiveness of ICZM Process in Jordan: Challenges and Prospects

Nedal M. Al Ouran*

Dept. of Water and Environment Resources Management, Balqa Applied University


Jordanian coastline is limited to 27 km in length and it is subjected to considerable resource

pressure, particularly as the area is strategically important and supports Jordan’s only seaport

facilities. The high level and conflicting nature of pressure on the natural resources of Jordan’s

coast poses significant challenges to effective management and conservation of this unique

environment. This paper reviews and unveils the status, approaches and effectiveness of costal

management in Aqaba with a focus on key challenges and prospects in light of on-going

initiatives. The approach focused on an evaluation of the ICZM process based on an in depth

analysis and review of relevant reports as well as interviews with the concerned institutions and

experts. Diverse sets of policies, plans and measures for the promotion of sustainable

development along the Aqaba's coast have been put in practice and implemented during the past

fifteen years including those that are related to ICZM process and principles. A good progress has

been achieved during that period. Nevertheless, there is still a need for further work in order to

maintain such achievements. The concerns on environmental conservation are not adequately

addressed at policy formulation and decision-making process. No attempts were made for

integrating economic valuation of ecosystem, ecological goods and services. The identification of

carrying capacity and applying “marine spatial planning” are highly and urgently needed to create

better integration in the planning of different activities at the sea. The "repetitive" nature of the

ICZM process demands regular revision and enhancement at certain time intervals to take

account of the progress that has been made.



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2PL5

Impacts of Climate Change on Coastal Areas

Sa’eb A. Khresat*

Department of Natural Resources and Environment Jordan University of Science and

Technology, Irbid 22110, Jordan

*Email: [email protected]

Global atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide has increased from a pre-industrial value of

about 280 ppm to 393 ppm in 2012. Emissions from fossil fuel burning are the dominant cause

of the steep rise in carbon dioxide shown here from 1950-present. Global annual average

temperature has increased by more than (0.8°C) since 1880. The globally averaged surface

temperature is projected to increase by 1.8 to 4.0°C (2090-2099 relative to 1980-1999).

Based on the results of the different climatic models and the trend analysis, documented in TNC

report of 2014, climate change scenarios in 2050 and 2100 were suggested for the different

basins in Jordan. The most probable scenario would be an increased air temperature of 1.5°C and

a 15% decrease in precipitation amounts by year 2050.

The projected rate of warming is much larger than the observed changes during the 20th century

and is very likely to be without precedent during at least the last 10,000 years. Global mean sea

level is projected to rise by 0.18 to 0.59 metres (2090-2099 relative to 1980-1999). Although we

expect a rise in global sea level, its magnitude has a large uncertainty.

Projected Climate change would lead to: Increased loss of property and coastal habitats;

Relocation of affected populations locally and globally; associated political, economical,

institutional, and cultural stress of both the displaced population and the host countries .



of 112

3PL7

Status of Marine Turtles in Yemen and the Role of Local Communities in Conservation

Efforts

Abdul Karim Nasher1*

and Masaa Al Jumaily2

1 Faculty of Science, Sana’a University, Yemen

2 Lebanese International University, Sana’a, Yemen


Three different species of marine turtles visit the Yemeni coasts annually for nesting. These are

the green turtle Chelonia mydas, at Sharma-Jethmoun - Dharghm beach in Hadhramout as well as

Al Fatk beach in Al Mahra; the loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta, at Abalhen beach, Socotra

Island, and the hawksbill turtle Eretmochelys imbricata at Azizi Island, Aden. About 30,000

green turtles visit Jethmoun-Dhargham beach during the nesting season (April to September)

every year. The other two species are much less in number and don’t exceed 100 per nesting

season. During the nesting seasons, these reptiles become victims of unscrupulous individuals

who butcher them for their meat and excavate their nests for eggs, hence, these reptiles,

especially the latter two, are critically endangered in Yemen. Since no serious attempts are made

by the Environment Protection Authority to protect these turtles, we initiated a program to

collaborate with local communities to protect sea turtles. With financial support from US Fish

and Wildlife Service, Marine Turtle Conservation Fund, it was possible to incorporate several

members of the local communities in the present conservation program. Although we are not

entirely satisfied with their performance, our efforts will continue until we gain their full

confidence and achieve our goal.



of 112

3PL8

Improving Water Quality: Artful Rainwater Design

Robert Brzuszek*

Department of Landscape Architecture, Mississippi State University , Box 9725 Mississippi State,

Mississippi 39762, USA


Effective stormwater management is an important component of sustainable development in

coastal cities. Artful rainwater design is a recent trend in urban drainage systems that highlights

and teaches the general public about the importance of non-point source pollution in creative and

animated fashions. Runoff in municipal areas is often hidden in drainage pipes and culverts which

disconnects the general public from water functions and processes in the city. Or alternatively,

runoff is handled in concrete channels or other daylighted urban streams that result in less than

aesthetic engineered solutions. Artful rainwater design exposes the hydrological cycle and adds

hydrological, educational, and aesthetic values to a project site, while still providing critical flow

rate, volume, frequency, duration, and quality water engineering concerns. It also provides

additional water treatment zones in urban conditions that run from source to sink, or from

rooftops all the way to outflow pipes. Artful rainwater design is a best management practice that

not only improves municipal water quality but also educates and entertains site users, which

results in greater user satisfaction of a public or private space. While artful stormwater

approaches serve mainly to improve water quality and public enjoyment, recent projects have

displayed other important values that they can provide. These include educating the public about

water safety, enhancing transportation corridors, providing recreation, and improving perceived

public values of companies and municipalities that display water quality environmental concerns.

This paper reviews numerous case studies of artful stormwater designs from various regions of

the United States, and summarizes their design intent, attributes, and public perceptions. This

information can guide designers, municipal administrators, and civil engineers on creative

techniques and approaches that can provide artful and interesting solutions to traditional urban

storm water projects.



of 112


of 112

Theme: Oceanography: Biological, Chemical,

Physical and Geological

The Red Sea Modeling and Forecasting System

2OC01D2 Dr. Ibrahim Hoteit, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology,

Saudi Arabia

Assessment of the Interaction Between Fisheries and Biodiversity in the

Gulf Of Gabès-Tunisia: Southern Mediterranean

2OC02D2

Prof. Mohamed Salah Romdhane, INAT/University of Carthage, Tunisia

The Fossil Beach and Reef Terraces of the Gulf of Aqaba Coast, Jordan.

2OC03D2 Prof. Elias Salameh, The University of Jordan, Jordan

Study of Five Trace Metals in Posidonia Oceanica Around El Kantaoui

Port

2OC04D2

Prof. Faouzia Charfi-Cheikhrouha, Faculty of Sciences, University of Tunis,

Manar, Tunisia

Tectonic and Climatic Setting of Jordan Controls the Oceanographic

Circulation During Late Cretaceous-Eocene

2OC05D2

Prof. Mohammad Alqudah, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences,

Yarmouk University, Irbid, Jordan

Studying Calcification in Marine Organisms Using Synchrotron X-ray

Diffraction

2OC06D2

Dr. Ali Al-Sawalmih, Marine Science Station, The University of

Jordan/Yarmouk University, Aqaba, Jordan

Some Aspects on Distribution and Biology of the Brushtooth Lizardfish

Saurida undosquamis (Richardson, 1848) from the Arabian Sea of Oman

3OC07D2

Dr. Fatma Al-Kiyumy, Marine Science and Fisheries Centre, Ministry of

Agriculture & Fisheries, Oman

Impacts of Water Quality, Fishing Mortality and Food Availability on the

Striped Piggy Pomadasys Stridens Production in Bitter Lakes, Egypt

3OC08D2

Dr. Hoda Abd ElAzim, National Institute of Oceanography & Fisheries Egypt,

Suez, Egypt

Contribution of Multispectral Satellite Imagery to the Bathymetric

Analysis of Coastal sea bottom

3OC09D2

Prof. Fouzia Houma, National High School of Marine Sciences and Coastal

Management. Campus Universitaire de Delly Ibrahim Bois des Cars, Algeria

Current status of the Coastal Zones and Activities Along Mauritanian Coast of

the Atlantic Ocean

3OC10D2

Ahmed bezeid Mohamed vall, Mauritania

Contribution of Satellite Images Modis / Landsat Tm to Observe the

Functioning of Marine Environment Along the Coast of Algeria

3OC11D2

Prof. Bachari Nour El Islam, Département Ecologie et Environnement,

Faculté des Sciences Biologique, Université des Sciences et Technologie

Houari Boumediene Algérie, Algeria


of 112

Geochemistry and mineralogy of sediments across the fringing reef of

Aqaba, Red Sea: Implications for coastal management

3OC12D2

Ma’en Alrashdan, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Yarmouk

University, Irbid, Jordan


of 112

2OC01D2

The Red Sea Modeling and Forecasting System

Ibrahim Hoteit*

KAUST, Suadi Arabia


This contribution will present our efforts to build advanced modeling and forecasting

capabilities for the Red Sea, which is part of the newly established Saudi ARAMCO Marine

Environmental Research Center at KAUST (SAMERCK). Our Red Sea modeling system

compromises both regional and nested costal MIT general circulation models (MITgcm) with

resolutions varying between 8km and 250m to simulate the general circulation at various spatial

scales, a 10km resolution Weather Research Forecasting (WRF) model to simulate the

atmospheric conditions, a 4km resolution European Regional Seas Ecosystem Model (ERSEM)

to simulate the Red Sea ecosystem, and a 1km resolution WAVEWATCH-III model to simulate

the wind driven surface waves conditions. We have also implemented an oil spill model, and a

probabilistic dispersion and larval connectivity modeling system (CMS) based on a stochastic

Lagrangian framework and incorporating biological attributes.

We are using the models outputs together with available observational data to study the general

circulation in the Red Sea. In particular, we are investigating how the atmospheric forcing and

the water exchange through the Strait of Bab El Mandeb drive the seasonal overturning

circulation and the strong eddy variability, and how these in turn enforces nutrients exchange

with the Gulf of Aden and the winter chlorophyll bloom in the North. We are also studying the

surface waves distribution associated with the wind along the major axes, focusing on the

unique prolonged wind convergence zone around 19oN.

Advanced monitoring capabilities are being deployed in the Red Sea as part of SAMERCK,

comprising multiple gliders equipped with hydrographical and biological sensors, HF surface

current mapping, buoys, etc, complementing available satellite ocean and atmospheric

observations and Automatic Weather Stations (AWS). The Red Sea models have been equipped

with advanced data assimilation capabilities. Fully parallel ensemble-based Kalman filtering

(EnKF) algorithms have been implemented with the MITgcm and ERSEM for assimilating all

available multivariate satellite and in-situ data sets.We will give an overview of our Red Sea

modeling and prediction system, discuss our choices of modeling and assimilation techniques,

summarize our major findings so far and present future plans.



of 112

2OC02D2

Assessment of the interaction between fisheries and biodiversity in the gulf of Gabès-

Tunisia: southern Mediterranean

Romdhane Mohamed Salah1*

, Hmida L1, 2

. et Ben Rejeb Jenhani Amel1

1Aquatic Ecosystems and Resources- National Institute of Agricultural Sciences/University of

Carthage, Tunisia 2High Institute of Biotechnology / University of Monastir


The gulf of Gabès, situated in the southern Mediterranean sea, is an archetypal Tunisian

ecosystem where the effects of fisheries are the most pronounced. It covers more than 40% of the

Tunisian fisheries areas, with 19 fishing port and more than 7185 fishing vessels using more than

5 fishing techniques: trawling, purse seine, trammels nets, gill nets, trap net and other traditional

methods. During the last two decades, overfishing signs are accompanied by production

decreases (from 60000 tons in 1988 to 30000 tons in 2012), and by-catch increases. The aim this

work is to analyze fishing impact assessment on biodiversity, by the inventory of species, their

distribution and status. The data collected from fish production and localized benthos exploration

reveal 3 levels of spatial degradation: Tidal area, with the 12 sites of clam collecting, regularly

affected by trampling and bottom disturbance; Intertidal area, with illegal trawling, is undergoing

habitat destruction by illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU); and offshore area

affected by bottom trawl over fishing. In the Gulf of Gabes fishing concerns 222 commercial

species and 120 species as by-catch. The number of by-catch species varies depending on the

fishing gear used, with 120 species discarded by trawling, 54 species by the small seine, and 48

species in the coastal fisheries. A reduced number of species occur in the catches of other gears.

The increase in fishing power, associated with human activities has led to negative effects on

biodiversity and fisheries. For sustainable development, restoration actions undertaken in the

Gulf, include installation of artificial reefs, 9083 modules covering 865km² till 2012, and the

introduction of biological rest periods with three months per year since 2009.



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2OC03D2

The Fossil Beach and Reef Terraces of the Gulf of Aqaba Coast, Jordan

Elias Salameh*, Klaus Bandel, and Ikhlas Alhejoj

The University of Jordan, Amman-jordan


In the southern part of the eastern Jordanian coast of Aqaba Gulf at least three raised fossil

reefs were mapped. These fossil reefs were deposited on alluvial fan deposits and are laterally

connected with clastic shore sediments simultaneously deposited with the corresponding reef.

The highest mapped fossil reef lies at an elevation of 75 m above present sea level the other

two lies at lower elevations of around 60m asl and 20m asl. Geological and paleontological

evaluation places the highest reef as the most recent fossil reef. Sea level during the last 140

000 yrs has only been rising, the reefs are still young of less than 100 000 yrs.

This means that the rise of the fossil reef has not been caused by eustatic fluctuations, but as a

result of taphrogenic and epeirogenic movements, which has since Oligocene time affecting

the area east of the great Rift Valley along the Red Sea, Gulf of Aqaba and the Jordan Rift

Valley.



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2OC04D2

Study of Five Trace Metals in Posidonia Oceanica around El Kantaoui Port

Rym Zakhama-Sraieb1,2

, Yassine Ramzi Sghaier1,3

, Ahmed Ben Hmida1, Faouzia Charfi-

Cheikhrouha1*

1Bio-ecology and Evolutionary Systematic Unit, Biology Department of Faculty of Sciences,

University of Tunis El Manar 2092, Tunisia. 2Higher Institute of Biotechnology of Sidi Thabet, Manouba University, Tunisia.

3Regional Activity Centre for Specially Protected Areas (RAC/SPA), Boulevard du Leader Yasser

Arafat, BP 337, 1080 Tunis Cedex, Tunisia.


This study aims to assess, for the first time in Tunisia, the concentrations of five trace metals

(Cd, Cu, Pb, Ni, Zn) in intermediates leaves, petioles and blades of Posidonia oceanica in four

stations around El Kantaoui port (eastern coast of Tunisia) using the atomic emission

spectrometry ICP. Concentration of trace metals versus sampling stations and P. oceanica

organs was tested by ANOVA.

Results revealed that the Zn is the most significant trace metal in the plant and the blades of P.

oceanica accumulated more contaminants than the two other analysed organs.

We hypothesize that the origin of the contamination of P. oceanica in the studied area is the

port of El Kantaoui and the treated water outfall of Hammam Sousse. For further studies, we

recommend sampling only the blades for analysis in order to preserve P. oceanica. This study

reinforces the value of P. oceanica as good bioindicator of trace metals.



of 112

2OC05D2

Tectonic and Climatic Setting of Jordan Controls the Oceanographic Circulation during

Late Cretaceous-Eocene

Mohammad Alqudah*

Yarmouk University, Faculty of Science, Department of Earth and Environemntal Sciences,

21163 Irbid, Jordan.


The upwelling currents were flowed from the eastern part of Neo-Tethys, which is called

Tethyan Circumglobal Current. The upwelling includes cold nutrient-rich water mass flow

from the deep Neo-Tethys Ocean to the surface causing high productivity and organic rich

deposition during the Turonian to Campanian times. However, recent investigation of

calcareous nanno fossil biostratigraphy inferred to an advance model of the Neo-Tethys

circulation during Late Cretaceous to Paleogene. The aim of this study is to describe this

oceanic model. Paleogeographic setting has been switched and highlands have appeared during

the Maastrichtian due to the convergence of the Arabian Plate with the Eurasian Plate. For the

entire Maastrichtian to Late Eocene, topographic highs controlled the sediment facies types

and transport mechanisms. Reworked calcareous nanno fossils have been observed in the

Paleogene sediments in Jordan. The reworked taxa of Cretaceous and Paleocene age were

found in Eocene strata. These reworking transported from the highlands to the sub-basins.

Also, a fluctuation in reworking nanno fossils has been observed in the laminations. Seasonal

climate variability within the annual cycle can be the source of the observed signal fluctuations

of the reworked terrigenous contribution to the sedimentary record. In this way, the abundance

of Cretaceous species can be explained. An increase in precipitation and run off is proposed for

the wet season, coinciding with reduced evaporation rates. Estuarine circulation occurred, and

reworked species of Cretaceous age are transported by runoff into the basin for deposition with

the origin sediment. The relatively high abundance of the Eocene species in contrast may be

explained by dry or transitional seasons with reduced runoff and therefore low input from the

highlands. Evaporation exceeds run off during dry seasons and a lagoonal circulation is

dominant. The estuarine and lagoonal circulations were occurred as a result of forming of

highlands and sub-basins, while the upwelling current theory needs more critical discussions.



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2OC06D2

Studying Calcification in Marine Organisms Using Synchrotron X-ray Diffraction

Ali Al Sawalmih*

Marine Science Station,University of Jordan- Aqaba Branch, Jordan


Small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS/WAXS) using a microbeam is the key

technology for third generation high brilliance synchrotron radiations sources. The technique

makes it feasible to study structures on nanometer length scales, enabling two-dimensional

mapping of structural features, like lattice parameters, the preferred orientation of crystals and

fibers, and the size and shape of nanoparticles and nanocrystals.

This approach is remarkably advantageous to characterize the nanostructure of the complex

heterogeneous and hierarchically structured biomaterials. Marine skeletons, like corals,

mollusk shells, exoskeletons, and teeth are best examples of these calcium-based tissues,

formed by their marine organisms. When combined with simultaneous X-ray Fluorescence

(XRF), quantitative mapping of the chemical composition and lattice distortions, which depend

on the amount of the substituted trace element atoms, can be determined. We show how this

method allows characterization of structural variations on the nanometer scale level, which

may be related to its function property.



of 112

3OC07D2

Some Aspects on Distribution and Biology of the Brushtooth Lizardfish Saurida

undosquamis (Richardson, 1848) from the Arabian Sea of Oman

Fatma Al-Kiyumy*

Marine Sciences and Fisheries centre, Oman


Brushtooth lizardfish (Saurida undosquamis) distribution and biology were studied based on the

samples collected during demersal fish survey conducted by RV Al Mustaqila I in the Arabian

Sea coast of Oman between September 2007 and September 2008. This species was occurred in

depths of 20 to 180 m with fork length range of 6.5 – 41.4 cm (mean 18.58±7.62 cm, n= 4375),

and weight range of 1.0-765.0 g (mean 91.48±117.27 g). The sizes most commonly encountered

ranged between 10 and 27 cm FL. Differences in size between males (mean 23.77±5.89 cm,

S.E. 0.28, n = 652) and females (mean 25.18±6.01 cm, S.E 0.28, n = 837) were recorded.

Length-Weight relationship was W = 0.0044 L3.227, indicating positive allometric growth.

Females were outnumbered males during the whole surveys where the overall male to female

ratio was 1: 1.28. By using the mean monthly changes in Gonado-somatic Index (GSI) and

condition factor (Kn), it was found that lizardfish may spawn throughout the year, with

maximum activity in April-July.



of 112

3OC08D2

Impacts of water quality, fishing mortality and food availability on the striped piggy

Pomadasys stridens production in Bitter lakes, Egypt

Hoda Abd ElAzim*

National Institute of Oceanography & Fisheries Egypt, Suez, Egypt


Pollution, fishing effort and food availability are the main factors affecting the fish production

from natural resources. Bitter lakes are one of the important lakes in Egypt that produce a

number of commercial species with mean annual fish production of 5000 ton. Recently a

dramatic decline in this production is recorded and we try to find the main reasons for this.

Water quality of the Bitter lakes and trace elements in the water and fish tissues were

investigated during 2013. Five different sampling sites covering the whole course of the Bitter

lakes were selected and pH, water temperature and salinity were measured. The cations Ca,

Mg, Na, and K concentrations in sample water as well as the heavy metals Cu, Cr, Mn, Pb, and

Cd in water and its residues in the tissues of Pomadasys stridens were determined. The

crustacean communities as one of the main food items for P. stridens were studied in the

chosen five sites. Density and diversity of marine crustaceans depend not only on the state of

pollution but also on the type of substrates and different predators. The distribution of the

crustaceans in the Bitter lakes varied widely within the different stations and seasons. A

production model was applied to estimate some target reference points for the rational

exploitation of P. stridens in Bitter lakes. The obtained results revealed that, the production

depleting of this species is due to the overfishing and pollution that affect the food availability

and the estimated precautionary target reference points advised the reduction of fishing effort

by about 40-55% as well as the treatment of pollution resources along the lakes.

mailto:%20*Corresponding%20author%20Email:%[email protected]


of 112

3OC09D2

Contribution of Multispectral Satellite Imagery to the Bathymetric Analysis of Coastal sea

bottom

Fouzia Houma1* ,

Nour El Islam Bachari 2, Abdelkader Abdellaoui

C , Rabah Belkessa

1

1National High School of Marine Sciences and Coastal Management. Campus Universitaire de

Delly Ibrahim Bois des Cars, 16320 Alger, Algérie 2Faculté des Sciences Biologiques, Université des Sciences et Technologie Houari Boumediene

B.P 32 El Alia 16111 (USTHB). Alger. 3Université Paris12Val de Marne, 94010 Créteil, 61 Av du Général de Gaulle, France.


The knowledge of the topography of the seafloor is important for several applications. Image

satellites of observation of the earth are the result of the interaction of the electromagnetic

radiance with the system sea - atmosphere and sensor. To understand this complex

phenomenon, we have developed an analytic model of radiatif transfer simulation in water

coupled to an atmospheric model in order to simulate measure by satellite. This direct model

permits to follow the solar radiance in his trajectory Sun-Atmosphere - Sea - Depth of sea-

sensor. The goal of this simulation is to show for every satellite of observation (SPOT, Landsat

MSS, Landsat TM) possibilities that can offer in domain of bathymetry. The principle of

measure of bathymetry necessarily takes this model of reflectance joining the intensity of

radiometric signal measured by the satellite to the depth as a basis; it can call on the physical

method that requires the knowledge of all parameters governing this model (optic properties of

water, coefficient of reflection of the bottom, transmittance of the atmosphere,). In application,

a set of relations figures are gotten to determine the bathymetry of an inshore zone of Algeria.

The model provides of image mono channel where each pixel of the maritime domain is

represented either by a radiometry in - situ but rather by a calculated depth. In general the use

of hybrid multiple SPOT band regression algorithms are superior to the exclusive use of any

single band.


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3OC10D2

مشاركة موجهة للمؤتمر الدولى للبيئة البحرية

االردن –المنعقد فى مدينة العقبة

احمد بزيد محمد سالك*

المعهد الموريتانى لبحوث المحيطات و الصيد

موريتانيا –نواذيبو

Email: [email protected]

كلم 027تطل على المحيط االطلسى بشواطئ طولها تقع الجمهورية االسالمية الموريتانية فى الواجهة الغربية للعالم العربى،

) من مدينة انواذيبو حيث خليج لفريي فى اقصى الشمال الى مدينة اندياكو على نهر السنغال فى اقصى الجنوب(.

رن و يمتم اسمتغاللها منمت سمتينات القم تعتبر مياهها من اغنى شواطئ العالم بالثروات الطبيعية )االسمما و القشمريات و غيرهما

الماضى اما البترول و الغاز فقد بدأ استغالله منت حوالي عشر سمنوات( و ذلمك بفعمل تموفر عمدم عواممل منهما الماهرم االنبثما

( الناتج عن الرياح التجارية القادمة من اليابسة على مدار السنة فى منطقة المرأ االبميو و فمي بعمو (upwellingالقاعى

ميز بتالقى تيار كنارى البارد القادم من الشمال )اوروبا( مع تيار غينيا االستوائى المدافئ الفصول فى المناطق االخرى، كما تت

القادم من الجنوب.

تتكون السواحل من شواطئ رملية و طينية و صخرية و بها العديد من الخلجان.

لينغ فى الجنوب.كلم مربع و حوض دياو 02777كما توجد محميتان طبيعيتان هما حوض آرغين فى الشمال بمساحة

يشكل قطاع الصيد رافدا مهما لالقتصاد الوطنى فيساهم بنسبة معتبرم من الناتج الوطنى الخام و ميزانية الدولمة و يشمكل رقمما

من اليد العاملة. 07777هاما من قيمة الصادرات و يشغل حوالي

فى مدينتي نواكشموط )العاصممة السياسمية( و تتواجد كل منشآت االستغالل البحرى )موانئ و شركات و تجهيزات و خدمات(

انواذيبو )العاصمة االقتصادية( اال انه في الفترم االخيرم بدأت الدولة فى المركزم هته المنشآت )ميناء تانيت شممال نواكشموط

سمتويات و مشروع ميناء لكويشيشى فى الجنوب(، و هو ما يفرض تحديات بيئية تقوم الحكومة بمواجهتها بعدم طر و على م

مختلفة.

و يشمكل الصميد القممارى قطاعما واعممدا بفعمل المسممطحات المائيمة القابلممة لالسمتغالل ودوره المباشممر فمى محاربممة الفقمر و تثبيممت

و ممن اهمم الهيمآت و الماسسمات التمي تتمدخل فمي همتا المجمالل وزارم الصميد، وزارم البيئمة، و السكان فمي منماطقهم االصملية.

ث المحيطممات و الصمميد الممت يعنممي بممالبحوث العلميممة فممي المجممال البحممر و يتمموفر لممتلك علممي عديممد المعهممد الموريتممانى لبحممو

تشكل هته الورقة ملخصا لبحث يشمل التعريف بهمتا القطماع و استكشما الوسائل البشرية و المادية سنتعرض لها في البحث.

فرص التعاون مع الماسسات البحثية و الباحثين.


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3OC11D2

Contribution of Satellite Images Modis / Landsat Tm to Observe the Functioning of

Marine Environment along the Coast of Algeria

BACHARI NOUR EL ISLAM*

Département Ecologie et Environnement, Faculté des Sciences Biologique, Université des

Sciences et Technologie Houari Boumediene Algérie, Algeria


This paper is a contribution to study the functioning of the marine environment of the Algerian

coast. The basic element for this study is the images of MODIS / LANDSAT TM.

- For monitoring coastal erosion we can conclude that MODIS images allow the extraction of the

coastline at an average level. TM satellite permits the quantification coastal erosion with good

precision.

- To study the dynamics of coastal waters. The use of "Principal component analysis allows us to

develop a map of coastal dynamics for a monthly scale. This dynamic characterized by the

presence of a monthly haline forehead on the edge of the West Coast. Against For the region

center and east is characterized by the presence of gyres disappear to make a laminar form away

from the coast

- With regard to the burden of coastal waters suspended matter you have concluded that the

fourth channel of the TM sensor is highly correlated with suspended matter.

-The Fourth application is in the processing of satellite chlorophyll images. MODIS satellite

images are best suited to this application. The analysis results show that the maximum

concentration for the months of June and October. The spatio-temporal distribution analysis of

chlorophyll in us shows that the Algerian coast is oligotrophic.


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3OC12D2

Geochemistry and Mineralogy of Sediments across the Fringing Reef of Aqaba, Red

Sea: Implications for Coastal Management

Mae'n H. Alrashdan1*

, Ahmed A. Al-Taani1 , Saber A. Al-Rousan

2

1Yarmouk University, Faculty of Science, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences,

Irbid – Jordan 2The University of Jordan-Aqaba, Faculty of Marine Sciences, Departement of Coastal

Environment, P. O. Box 2595, Aqaba 77110, Jordan


The present study investigated the geochemistry and mineralogy of the sediments across the

fringing reef of the Gulf of Aqaba, Jordan. The study was conducted from January to June

2012 in three locations; the Phosphate Loading Berth (PLB), the Marine Science Station

(MSS), and the Industrial Complex area. Dust samples were also collected along with

submersible sediment samples (at 5 and 15 m water depths) to collect the settled materials to

sea bottom. In addition, bottom sediments were collected from each site at varying depths

(2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, and 20 m).

The grain size analysis showed that the fine sand fraction (20-63µm) is predominant in the

bottom sediments which also comprised about 70% in all sites. However, the mud fraction

accounted for about 2-22% (average 11%) in all sites, tends to increase with increasing

water depth, with highest values recorded in shallow depths at the PLB location.

The results also showed that the rates of sedimentation and dust deposition varied spatially

with a southward decreasing trend. The highest average dust deposition rate of 0.640

g/m2/day, and the highest sedimentation rates of about 5.458 mg/cm

2/day, both were

recorded at the PLB site. These high rates of materials are likely to impact the live corals.

Iron and aluminum which are indicator of terrigenous source, exhibited an increasing

landwards pattern, while high concentration of strontium and calcium increased seawards

indicating their marine sources.

The organic carbon contents also showed spatial variations with elevated values in bottom

sediments (0.31%) were observed at the IC site, whereas in sediment trap samples, the

highest values of 2.12 % was found in the MSS. The highest phosphate concentration of

36.68 m/kg in bottom surface sediments at the PLB site, whereas the highest value of 72.25

mg/kg was recorded at the bottom sediments traps in the MSS. These high levels of

phosphate are probably attributed to phosphate loading activities, where the IC, located

further south, showed lower values.

The mineralogical composition revealed that sediments and dust at the PLB consist mainly

of quartz and apatite minerals, in addition to iron silicate and calcite. However, at the IC

sites, these particles showed high percent of quartz, gypsum and calcite, whereas at the MSS

location, quartz and calcite were dominant with minor presence of apatite mineral. These

results suggested that sediments and dust are likely derived from both terrigenous (from the

surrounding rocks including Wadi Araba) and marine biogenic sources. The prevailing

northerly winds and frequent flash floods are likely to play a major role in delivering

terrigenous materials to the fringing reef area



of 112

Theme: Environment: Monitoring, Management and

Climate Change GOUV’AIRNANCE Project of Air Quality in The Mediterranean Cities:

Nitrogen Oxides and Ozone Levels in the City and Gulf of Aqaba

2EN01D1

Dr. Ayman Solaiman and Dr. Jihad Alsawair, Aqaba Special Economic Zone

Authority, Aqaba, Jordan

The Changes of Salinity Concentration Effects on Rotifera Biodiversity at

Shatt Al-Arab and Shatt Al-Basrah, Iraq

2EN02D1

Dr. Huda Ahmed, Department of Marine Biology, Marine science center,

University of Basrah, Iraq

Jordan Emission inventory of Persistent Penta-Brominated Diphenyl

Ether Pollutant (POP-BDE) in Jordan

2EN03D1

Dr. Motasem Saidan, Chemical Engineering Dept., The University of Jordan,

Amman, Jordan

Assessment of Heavy Metals and Butyltin Burdens in The Mollusk Bivalve

Lithophaga Lithophaga Sampled From the Bizerte Bay (Northern

Tunisia)

2EN04D1

Prof. Ferdaous jaafar Kefi, Université de Carthage, Faculté des Sciences,

Biologie, Biosurveillance de l'Environnement, Bizerte, Tunisie

Spatial Distribution of the Malacological Fauna and Effect of Human

Impact in a Mediterranean Lagoon (Bizerte - North Of Tunisia)

2EN05D1

Prof. Mohamed Sghaïer Achouri, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis Département

de Biologie, Université Tunis El Manar, Tunisia

Removal of Ferrous and Manganous from water by Activated Carbon

Obtained from Sugarcane Bagasse

2EN06D1

Prof. Khalid El Wakeel, Environmental Science Dept., Faculty Of Engineering

Port Said University, Egypt.

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment of Coastal Eutrophication on

Some Selected Areas of the Red Sea, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia

3EN07D1

Dr. Abid Ali Ansari, Department of Biology. Faculty of Science. University of

Tabuk, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia

Diversity of Aquatic Insects in Wadi Ar-Rumman, King Talal Dam And

Zerqa River In Jordan

3EN08D1

Prof. Ahmad Katbeh-Bader, Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of

Agriculture, The University of Jordan, Jordan

Marine Radioactivity Monitoring in Arabian Gulf

3EN09D1 Dr. Saif Al Din, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research KISR, Kuwait

Water Quality Mapping from Landsat Digital Data.

3EN10D1 Prof. Sameh El Kafrawy, Marine Sciences Dept., NARSS, Egypt

Evaluation of Metallic Contamination on Minor Tuna; Euthynnus

Alletteratus (Rafinesque, 1810) From Oran Coastline

3EN11D1

Prof. Nardjess Benamar, Environmental Surveillance Laboratory, Department

of Biology, University Oran ,Algeria


of 112

Impact of Environmental Factors on the Appearance of the Morphological

Abnormalities Observed in Some Species of the Mollusk Collected on the

Southern Shores of the Mediterranean

3EN12D1

Prof. Najoua Trigui El Menif, University of Carthage, Faculty of Science of

Bizerta (Tunisie), Tunisia

Seawater Monitoring

4EN13D1 Hotaf Yassien, Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA), Jordan

Swimming Pool Water Quality

4EN14D1 Nour Yassien, Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA), Jordan


of 112

2EN01D1

Governance of Air Quality in the Mediterranean Cities: Towards Better Air Quality

Management in Aqaba Special Economic Zone

Aiman Soleiman* and Jihad Alsawair

Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA), Jordan


GOUV’AIRNANCE aims to reduce urban air pollution in the Mediterranean through

implementation of means of measurement, and an integrated territorial governance of air quality

in four Mediterranean cities, namely : Tripoli (Lebanon), Aqaba (Jordan), Valencia (Spain) and

Marseille (France). The project is designed to afford better protection to people, especially those

who are most sensitive to air pollution (children, elderly persons, and people with impaired

breathing). This project proposes that four Mediterranean territories, on both its north and south

shores, share experiences in improving air quality.

This presentation addresses air quality monitoring and management in the Aqaba special

Economic zone with emphasize on Governance project activities

https://mail.ju.edu.jo/owa/redir.aspx?C=mVr0Yhl0KkC8oYMfFQxtOPUihpL-wNEITgue0TTiX0MKXWlmq15GAPgZo2LM_ICptXokwBZraRg.&URL=mailto%3aasoleiman%40aseza.jo


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2EN02D1

The Changes of Salinity Concentration Effects on Rotifera Biodiversity at Shatt Al-Arab

and Shatt Al-Basrah, Iraq

Huda Ahmad*

Department of marine biology/Marine science center /University of Basrah


This study conducted during the period from September 2009 to March 2010 reaching

concentrations of salinity in the Shatt Al-Arab to the levels of unprecedented. The diversity of

rotifera was studied in three different stations included two branches of Shatt Al-Arab: Station

1(Abu Al-Kaseeb-Jecor), Station 2 (Al-Asafia) and Station 3 (Shatt Al-Basra). The highest

measured concentrations of water salinity were reached 8.6, 16.7 and 22.5‰ in the St.2, St.1 and

St.3 respectively and then started to decline gradually in the months later. Although there is no

linear correlation (r =0) has been observed between salinity rotifera species, a clear reduction of

rotifera species it should be noted with high concentrations of salinity at the three stations. About

26 species of rotifera were diagnosed belongs to 16 genera in the three stations, record of which

25 species in the St.2 where the salinity concentration less then St.1 and St.3. Jaccard's index

showed presence of similarity of rotifera species between St.1 and St.3 compared to the St.2



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2EN03D1

Emission Inventory of Persistent Penta-Brominated Diphenyl Ether Pollutant (POP-BDE)

in Jordan

Muhannad Hararah1, Motasem Saidan

*,2, Khaled Rawajfeh

2, Zayed Hamamreh

2

1 Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority

2 The University of Jordan, Faculty of Engineering & Technology, Chemical Engineering Dept


Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are a group of hazardous compounds, of which

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are a subgroup. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers are a

group of industrial aromatic organobromine chemicals that have been used since the 1970s as

additive brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and in various domestic and industrial products.

Preliminary inventory assessment of atmospheric emissions of Penta-Brominated Diphenyl Ether

(PentaBDE) in Jordan was estimated in both of Jordanian transport sector and electronic waste

(E-waste) based on the material flow of PBDE products and their emission factors.

Based on the findings of this assessment research study, the total quantity of c-PentaBDE s in the

transport sector in Jordan (in all categories (cars, busses and trucks)) for 2014 is 12976.9 kg.

However, the c-octaBDE's generated from the E-waste potential in Jordan is projected to be

between 110.1 -437.1 kg/ton.

These inventory assessment data for POP-PDEs will enable the decision makers to gain a sound

understanding of their national situation concerning these chemicals and eventually to develop

effective strategies that can lead to the elimination of the listed BFRs



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2EN04D1

Assessment of Heavy Metals and Butyltin Burdens in the Mollusk Bivalve Lithophaga

Lithophaga Sampled from the Bizerte Bay (Northern Tunisia)

Ferdaous JAAFAR KEFI*, Youssef LAHBIB, Anouar Mleiki and Najoua Trigui El Menif

University of Carthage, Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, Laboratory of Environment Bio-

monitoring (LBE), Bizerte, Tunisia


Mussels are known to be good bioindicators of pollution because of their large filtering power

and their ability to accumulate many kinds of contaminants in their tissues. The aim of the

present study is to assess heavy metals and butyltins pollution in the Tunisian date mussel

Lithophaga lithophaga collected from Bizerte Bay. This endolithic species which belongs to the

International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List (IUCN) is considered among the

threatened species in the Mediterranean Sea. For heavy metals, samples were collected,

seasonally, during the period of September 2002 to August 2003, while for butyltins, samples

were collected during one campaign in the summer 2007. Mean metal concentrations decreased

in the following order: Zn>Cu>Pb>Cd. Higher concentrations were observed in winter for both

Zn and Cu (71.4±8.59 and 5.95±2.27 µg g-1 dw respectively) and in summer for Pb (4.395±0.9

µg g-1 dw). In contrast, Cd levels were under the detection limit during all seasons. Comparison

of metal concentrations with the European standards compiled by the FAO showed that values

exceeded standards for Zn (40 µg Zn/g ww) and Pb (0.5 µg Pb/g ww). TBT and its degradation

products (DBT and MBT) were present in the soft part of the date mussel. The predominant

detected compound is TBT (162.2 ± 12.9 µg kg-1 dw) compared to DBT (52.4±8 µg kg-1 dw)

and MBT (25.7±11.6 µg kg-1 dw). These values are higher compared to those of the OSPAR

EAC (Oslo-Paris, European Assessment Criteria, < 12 µg kg-1) for oysters and mussels.

Moreover, these concentrations exceed the European Union Food safety criteria (EC: 30 µg kg-1

dw in mussels) and therefore pose a risk to human health. The calculation of the butyltin

degradation index (BDI) showed a value under 1 which suggested a recent TBT input in the

environment. The present investigation revealed the ability of the date mussel from the Bizerte

Bay, to accumulate both heavy metals (Zn and Pb) and butyltins compounds that suggest its use

in monitoring of temporal changes in chemical contamination of the marine environment.

mailto:*Corresponding%20author%20Email:%[email protected]


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2EN05D1

Spatial Distribution of the Malacological Fauna and Effect of Human Impact in a

Mediterranean Lagoon (Bizerte - North of Tunisia)

Sarra Laabidi, Marwa Khamassi & Mohamed Sghaïer Achouri*

University of Tunis El Manar, Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, Department of Biologie, Bio-

Ecological and Systematic Evolutive, Tunisie


Bizerte lagoon is the largest lagoon extent of northern Tunisia, with an area of 15 000 ha.

Indeed, it plays an important role in the conservation of marine biodiversity in the country. It

also has considerable ecological interest because of its richness in fauna and flora and the

multitude of ecological habitats it supports.

Our study, in the Bizerte lagoon, aims to explain how the distribution of Molluscan species at

four stations; Oued Guenniche (OG), Menzel Bourguiba (MB), Canal Navigation (CA) and

Menzel Jemil (MJ). For this, a companion spring sampling was conducted. Molluscs were

sampled using a metal quadra 1m and Corer of 10 cm diameter with 50 cm high. At each station

10 replicates were performed. This has helped raise 941 specimens divided into two classes, 22

families, 27 genera and 34 species.

The main results show that Gastropods are the most important class quantitatively (624) and

qualitatively (20 species). Bivalves are less abundant (317) and less diverse (14). Our results

compared to those of Belkhodja (2003) show the regression of species richness was 93 species.

Furthermore, the study of descriptive ecological parameters reveal that the Oued Guennich

station exhibit the highest values of mean abundance and mean densities, followed by the station

of the CA, the station MJ, and finally station MB. The BIO-ENV analysis identified temperature,

salinity, pH, and total organic matter as the major environmental variables influencing the

malacological fauna pattern in the Bizerte lagoon.

mailto:*%20Corresponding%20author%20Email:%[email protected]


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2EN06D1

Removal of Ferrous and Manganous from water by Activated Carbon Obtained from

Sugarcane Bagasse

Khalid El Wakeel*

Environmental Science Department, Faculty of Science, Port-Said University, Port-Said, Egypt


Activated carbon was prepared from sugarcane bagasse impregnated with phosphoric acid at

500oC activation temperature and 2 h activation time, resulting in the carbon yield of 27.13%.

The prepared activated carbon has high BET-surface area (671.54 m2/g) and the maximum

adsorption of iodine of 602.23 mg/g. The adsorption characteristics of the obtained carbon

towards both Fe(II) and Mn(II) at different experimental conditions were conducted by means of

batch and column methods. The adsorbent showed high affinity for the removal of both Fe(II) or

Mn(II) from aqueous medium, where an uptake values of 7.01 and 5.40 mg/g was reported for

Fe(II) and Mn(II), respectively at 25 oC. Various parameters such as pH, agitation time and

speed, adsorbent dose, metal ion concentration, temperature and ionic strength had been studied.

The kinetic and thermodynamic behavior of the adsorption reaction was defined, these data

indicated pseudo-second order model and the adsorption is endothermic in nature and mainly

physical. Breakthrough curves for the removal of Fe(II) or Mn(II) were studied. Regeneration

and durability of the loaded carbon towards the successive cycles were clarified. The adsorbed

Fe(II) or Mn(II) was eluted from the column effectively using 0.5 M hydrochloric acid.



of 112

3EN07D1

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment of Coastal Eutrophication on Some Selected

Areas of the Red Sea, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia

Abid Ali Ansari* and Subrata Trivedi

Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Tabuk, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia


Eutrophication, acidification and contamination by toxic substances are posing a threat to the

coastal marine ecosystems. The consequence of anthropogenic induced eutrophication of waters

has resulted in severe deterioration of surface waters. In this research a preliminary data was

collected on eutrophication by environmental monitoring on some selected coastal areas of the

Red Sea near Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Sampling sites were selected from Haql and Duba (5 for each

station) and water samples were collected in 4 different seasons (Oct 2013, Jan 2014, April 2014

and July 2014) to study the seasonal variations in water quality parameters (especially in

reference to the trophic status of water). Plant (algae) and animal (fishes) samples were also

collected from the sampling sites to identify some potential bio-indicators of coastal

eutrophication. DNA barcoding of collected biological samples is being done for genetic

biodiversity. Only one coastal site from each station was found eutrophic showing greenish

water due to the presence of algal spores. Nutrient contents and turbidity were significantly

higher in the water samples collected from these two eutrophic sites in the month of April 2014.

Human settlements, fish markets, boating clubs and tourism near theses coastal areas of the Red

Sea are observed as the primary causes of eutrophication; run-offs during rains carrying nutrients

also aggravate the problem. The project is going on and the results on potential bio-indicators of

coastal eutrophication and DNA barcoding of collected biological samples are waiting. The

results of this study may help in estimating the intensity of the problem and as a forecast for time

frame to take an action for the conservation of affected coastal marine ecosystems and

restoration of degraded coastal areas of the Red Sea.



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3EN08D1

Diversity of Aquatic Insects in Wadi Ar-Rumman, King Talal Dam and Zerqa River in

Jordan

Managi Fawzi Al-Masrati And Ahmad Katbeh-Bader*

University of Jordan, Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of

Jordan, Amman 11942 Jordan


Biweekly field trips were conducted from April to December 2012 to collect aquatic insects from

four sites at Wadi Ar Rumman (WR), one site at King Talal Dam (KTD), and one site at Az

Zarqa’a River (ZR). Water temperature, pH, total dissolved solids (TDS) and conductivity were

measured for each site. A total of 12932 insect specimens were collected belonging to 52

morphological species in 27 families and six insect orders. The highest number of species was

found in a lotic shaded site of WR (33 species) while the lowest number of species was found in

ZR (14 species). The highest number of individuals was collected from KTD (4115) while the

lowest number was found in the lentic sunny site in WR. The most diverse insect order was

Diptera which contained 34 species in 13 families, followed by Odonata with 9 species in 6

families. Other orders had 1-2 species in 1-2 families. The most diverse insect family was

Chironomidae with 6 species. The Ceratopogonidae and Psychodidae had 5 species, Libellulidae

and Tabanidae had 3 species while the rest of the families contained 1-2 species. The

Chironomidae had the highest number of individuals collected in KTD. The Corixidae was next

which almost was restricted to KTD. The Trichoptera was found only in WR which may be used

as a good bio-indicator for the good water quality of WR compared to other study sites. Only

three larvae were collected from the damselfly Calopteryx syriaca, which is considered an

endangered species in the Levant. The average water temperatures were 25, 24, 25 C°; pH 9.7,

7.6, 7.5; the TDS 1370, 1193, 1557 ppm and the EC 1960, 1705, 2261μS/cm in KTD, WR and

ZR, respectively. The tolerance values for the collected insects ranged from 1-10. A brief

description was given to the collected families, their ecological roles and water pollution

tolerance values from relevant literature. In addition, the collected species were briefly described

and provided with colored photographs. There is a need for the construction of identification

keys for the different aquatic insect groups which necessitates rearing the immatures or the use

of molecular techniques to associate them with the adults. More intensive and comprehensive

surveys for other aquatic habitats in Jordan are needed and may reveal important data about the

diversity of aquatic insects in Jordan

mailto:%[email protected]


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3EN09D1

Marine Radioactivity Monitoring in Arabian Gulf

Saif Al Din*

*Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, P.O. Box. 24885, Safat-13109, Kuwait * Email: [email protected]

Most of the freshwater supply in the region is met from desalination, with commissioning of the

Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) across the Gulf and others being built in UAE and Saudi

Arabia along the Arabian Gulf catchment to meet the increasing energy requirements,

necessitates continuous monitoring and assessment of the radionuclides concentration in

seawater to ensure the safe utilization of desalinated water. The concerns regarding radionuclides

emanating from wastewater stream of operating NPP or accidental release are legitimate looking

at the history of BNPP and frequent breakdowns, the most recent shutdown it suffered was on 11

June, 2013. Such reports of hardware failure at BNPP and frequently leaked information in

media has raised huge concern regarding the nuclear safety in the region. The comprehensive test

ban treaty organization (CTBTO) has installed an air monitoring station all over the region one

such is RN40 at Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research to detect potential atmospheric releases.

However, this station will not be able to provide information on marine radionuclide

concentration due to normal and fugitive wastewater release and accidental releases, if any. In

order to do an assessment of the radionuclide concentration in marine environment a reliable and

comprehensive baseline concentration is required against which future changes in levels can be

assessed. Several studies have been conducted to establish baseline data (Al Ghadban et al.,

2010a,b, 2012; Uddin et al., 2012a,b, 2013a,b). The existing baseline levels for 137

Cs, 90

Sr, 210

Po

and 3H in seawater are low when compared to other oceanic waters. This low concentration

provides an opportunity to use them as indicators for detecting any systematic or accidental

release into the marine environment. Currently, their contribution to the Gulf water is essentially

linked to the global fallout. The continuous assessment of radionuclides in marine water should

be a priority. Recent seismic events have further increased the concerns on radiological safety in

the region, due to tectonic induced surface instability. An in situ system with NaI and CeBr

detectors are used currently to serve as an early warning system should there be an accidental

release of radionuclides in the Gulf waters.



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3EN10D1

Water Quality Mapping from Landsat Digital Data

Sameh B. El Kafrawy* and Mahmoud. H. Ahmed

(National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences

(NARSS), Cairo, Egypt.


This study aims to determine the relationships between water quality parameters and radiance

data from Landsat-7 Thematic Mapper (TM) within the Gulf of Aqaba. Fortunately, water

samples were collected at near time of acquired satellite image (2002). TM bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

and 6 and band ratios (B1/B2), (B2/B3), (B3/B4), (B3/B5), (B3/B6), (B4/B5), (B4/B6), and

(B5/B6), were compared with in-situ measurements and laboratory analysis of water samples.

The water quality parameters of interest included Salinity, dissolved oxygen (DO), Chlorophyll

a, Total Suspended Matter (TSM), and Total nitrogen (TN). Correlation and regression models

were developed between each of the water quality parameter measurements and the radiance of

image data.

The results of those water quality parameters were significantly correlated with TM radiance

data. Subsequently, the regression models were used to prepare digital cartographic products

depicting the water quality over the entire study area.



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3EN11D1

Evaluation of metallic contamination on minor Tuna ; Euthynnus alletteratus (Rafinesque,

1810) from Oran coastline.

NARDJESS BENAMAR*

*Laboratoire Réseau de Surveillance Environnementale, département de Biologie; Université

d’Oran, Algeria * Email: [email protected]

Our study focused on the assessment of contamination by three metals Lead, Cadmium

and Zinc on a large pelagic fish, little tunny Euthynnus alletteratus. The sampling took place

over a five-month period from October 2012-February 2013. A total of 40 fishs; measuring

between 40.1 to 53.4 cm with 9 males and 31 females, are preleved. Three organs have been

targeted, liver , the detoxifying organ, gonads, the reproductive organs and the muscle that is the

part consumed. The concentrations of metals were determined by flame atomic

spectrophotometer Absorption, 390 readings were made. The results show that minor Tuna, in

the Bay of Oran accumulates the three pollutants. The study revealed that the liver is the most

contaminated organ compared to the gonads and muscle. It is clear that the accumulation is

greater in the larger individuals (48.5 cm-53,4cm), and females. The concentrations of trace

metals on Bluefin compared to recommended levels, showed that the levels of trace elements

zinc and lead are found in the range of those recommended by the European Committee for Food

Protection and (CSHP ), whereas the concentrations of cadmium; are at the limit of maximum

permissible doses (DMA).

The concentrations observed in this study reflect a certain pollution level of the target area

(Oran Bay).



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3EN12D1

Impact of Environmental Factors on the Appearance of the Morphological Abnormalities

Observed in Some Species of the Mollusk Collected on the Southern Shores of the

Mediterranean

Najoua Trigui El Menif*

University of Carthage, Faculty of Science of Bizerta (Tunisie)


Mollusk, gastropods and bivalves, are two important scientific and economic groups. For several

years, some sedentary macrobenthic species, abundant, wide distribution and resistant to

pollutants, are used as bioindicators of environmental pollution. Following the study of the bio-

ecology of certain species of gastropods and bivalves collected from 2007 to 2011 in some

stations on the southern shore of the Mediterranean (lagoon and marine Stations), we

highlighted, several types of malformation affecting the soft part of the mollusk. Gastropods

show, in both sexes, morphological abnormalities, affecting the reproductive system, the right

and / or left tentacles as well as the eyes. The intensity and the rate of specimens affected by

each of these abnormalities have been followed in many Mediterranean stations and showed a

significant difference among species, between stations, and interspecies within the same station.

Gastropods of the channel station of Bizerta (Tunisia), are the most affected by the malformation

which may influence the reproduction of the snail after a change of behavior. The mechanism of

induction of this malformation was studied and some hypothesis are presented by some authors

who have worked with different species of gastropods, indicating the intervention of the

cytochrome P450 aromatase, Acyl coenzyme A testosterone acyltransferase = ATAT (Enzyme

transformed the testosterone free (active form) to a testosterone related to fatty acid (inactive

form)) and the Intervention of Rétinoïde X Récepteur (RXR).

When it comes to the group of bivalvia, monitoring was only made with samples of Tunisian and

Algerian coast; we also found the presence of malformations affecting mainly the foot and

siphons. The malformations, occurring at different stages of evolution, prompted us to establish a

scale showing the evolution and differentiation of different types of defects from an initial state.

The causes of these disturbances are known to some and unknown to others. However, several

hypotheses have been launched. Several analyzes and experiments have been started to confirm

or refute our hypothesis.



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4EN13D1

Seawater Monitoring

Hotaf Yassein*

Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) * Email:

[email protected]

Swimming beaches along the Jordanian coast of the Gulf of Aqaba is monitored regularly by the

Environment Commission in Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) according the

requirements of Jordanian Standards for Swimming Beaches No. JS1563 of year 2004.

However, ASEZA was the lead in preparation these standards in collaboration with World

Health Organization (WHO), and was the lead too in employing these standards and utilizing

them since year 2000.

The Department of Water Resources (DWS) in Environment Commission is performing a

monitoring plan for these beaches through collecting bimonthly seawater samples from 9

different locations along the beaches of intensive use by locals.

Since 2009, the DWS has expanded the sample collection locations of sea water for laboratory

analysis, as they started to consider three samples of three different spans from the beach (15m,

50m, 130m) from each location. In sum a 27 sea water samples from swimming beaches is being

collected, which is in accordance to the Jordanian Standards for Swimming Beaches No. JS1563

of year 2004.



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4EN14D1

Swimming Pool Water Quality

Noor Yassien*

Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, ASEZA, Aqaba- Jordan


Swimming, one of the popular activities in Aqaba, is a fun, active, and a healthy way to special

leisure time especially in summer where ambient shade temperature exceeds 38ºC (100.4ºF)

most of summer days. Therefore, swimming is a great way to relax and beat the summer heat.

Pools are good recreational places where one can practice swimming as one of the popular

sports. The importance of swimming pools in Aqaba as a recreational tool acquires special

importance. These pools are the only place for swimming for most of the Jordanians especially

those living in Amman And Arab Gulf, Foreign countries , the Jordanian coastal city, with a

population of more than 100 thousands , or about 2% of the Jordanian population. In spite of the

importance and popularity of swimming pools in summer, they have been identified as posing a

risk for infection by certain fast-growing environmental bacteria.



of 112

Theme: Marine Bio-resources and Biotechnology

Cooperation Opportunities in Aquaculture Engineering Education And

Research With Arab World

1MB01D1

Prof. Muhammed Atamanalp, Fisheries Faculty, Ataturk University, Turkey

The Effect of Some Dietary Ingredient on the Growth Performance,

Survival, and Economic Viability During the Early Stage of Culture

African Catfish (Clarias Gariepnus)

1MB02D1

Abba Salisu, Faculty of Marine Sciences, The University of Jordan, Aqaba,

Jordan

Effect of salinity on Growth Profile and Organoleptic Properties in

cultured red tilapia (Oreochromis sp.)

1MB03D1

Amirah Al Riyati, Faculty of Marine Sciences, The University of Jordan,

Aqaba, Jordan


of 112


of 112

1MB01D1

Cooperation Opportunities in Aquaculture Engineering Education and Research with

Arab World

Muhammed Atamanalp* Özden Fakioğlu

* Fisheries Faculty, Ataturk University, Erzurum / TURKEY

Email: [email protected]

Atatürk University Fisheries Faculty was founded in 2010 but before this year got active as a

department of Agricultural faculty for long years. Now, with its huge research, training and

breeding capabilities has a lot of national and international collaboration status.

The Aquarium Fish Research and Training Center, Inland Water Fish Research and Training

Center are nearby the faculty building in Atatürk University Campus, serve not only for

production but also for graduated and under graduated students’ practices. Modern training units

provide for studying in all levels. Black Sea Research and Training Center is an opening door of

faculty and enables for sea researches. Despite being far away 330 kms from campus having

accommodation and social facilities serve a large count of researchers.

This review aimed to introduce the facilities of Atatürk University Fisheries Faculty toArab

World and start the cooperation’s with Universities and Institutes.


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1MB02D1

The Effect of Some Dietary Ingredient on the Growth Performance, Survival, and

Economic Viability During the Early Stage of Culture African Catfish (Clarias Gariepnus)

Abba Salisu*

Faculty of Marine Sciences, University of Jordan –Aqaba Branch, Jordan


Preparation of live feed may in some time be associated with parasite that might kill fish despite

its role as a protein source. Feed containing larger amount of protein is too expensive especially

if the protein is of animal origin. Hence the prohibitive cost of importation of shell free Artemia

has made this organism less viable economically as a natural larval feed especially in developing

countries and as a result small scale farmer cannot afford to purchase. Therefore there is a need

to investigate alternative feed source in fish seed production that will be produced at very low

price, affordable for small scale farmers. Hence, this presence study on the effect of some diet

(grasshopper, micro encapsulated eggs yolk and sea lettuce: Ulva lectuca) on growth, survival

and economic viability of rearing African catfish (Clarias garipinus) from early stage which will

be studied for the period of two months. In this study 3000 fry will be stocked in twenty four

plastic containers (measuring 60*40*35) and the containers will be divided into seven treatments

(T1, T2, T4, T5, T6 and T7) in triplicate. Seven different feeds (namely: F1= Grasshopper, F2 =

Microencapsulated eggs yolk, F3 = Macro algae, F4 = F1&F2, F5 = F1&F3, F6 = F2&F3, and

F7 =F1F2F3) will be prepared and feed to fish in the treatments: T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, and T7

against control feed with Artemia Shell free at fry or larval stage while with Copens at

fingerlings stage. The growth and Survival rate of the fish will be monitored weekly. The cost

of the tested feed and materials to be used in producing the fish seed will be the only economic

criteria under consideration in this case and will be based on the current market cost of the

ingredient, materials used and market value of the fish seed in the world at the time of

experiment. If this experiment found with success it will help fish farmers earn more profit

because the ingredients to be tested have less money but rich in nutrient required for fish growth



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1MB03D1

Effect of Salinity on Growth Profile and Organoleptic Properties in cultured red tilapia

(Oreochromis sp.)

Amirah Al-Riyati*, Mohammad Al-Zibdah

Department of Marine Biology, Faculty of Marine Sciences, University of Jordan

Aqaba- Jordan


This study was designed to assess the growth performance and organoleptic properties in red

tilapia (Oreochromis sp.) reared under three salinity levels (0, 20 and 40ppt) for a period of 10

weeks.

Tilapia fingerlings of average body weight (5.61g ± 0.7SD) were reared in 50 L triplicate

polyethylene tanks at density of 30 individuals. Fish experimented at 20 and 40 ppt salinity were

preconditioned to gradual elevation at a rate of 2ppt per day until reached the two levels needed

for the present study.

Growth was assessed by measuring the Specific Growth Rate (SGR), Gained Weight, Survival

Percent and the feed conversion ratio (FCR) in all experimental groups. Fish quality and

organoleptic tests were performed (FAO, 1993) on fish of all treatments at the end of the

experimental period. Fish reared under 20 ppt demonstrate enhanced growth and showed

significant difference (P<0.05) in all the measured parameters compared to the other two

treatments (0 and 40 ppt). Sensory test analysis revealed differences in the organoleptic

characteristics between the three experimental fish with considerably high acceptance scores for

fish reared at 20ppt. It can be concluded that fish reared at 20ppt exhibited improved both fish

quality and growth profile of red tilapia (Oreochromis sp.) which might be ideal to interest the

market demand



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of 112

Theme: Biodiversity and Coral Reef Ecosystem

Detection of the Metabolism of the Giant Bacteria That Live tn the

Surgeon Fish Intestine Using Proteomic and Microsensor Analyses

3BD01D3

Dr. Mohammad Al- Najjar, King Abdullah University of Science and

Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia

Protective Role of Some Natural Antioxidants Against Oxidative Stress

Pathogenicity in Tilapia zillii

3BD02D3

Dr. Mohammad Wahsha, Marine Science Station, The University of

Jordan/Yarmouk University, Aqaba, Jordan

Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures and coral reef surveys: different

monitoring approaches, the same biodiversity patterns?

3BD03D3

Prof. Susana Carvalho, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology

(KAUST), Saudi Arabia

Barcoding and Metabarcoding the Cryptofauna of the Northern Red Sea

(Gulf of Aqaba)

3BD04D3

Dr. Mamoon Al-Rshaidat, Faculty of Marine Sciences, The University of


A La Recherche De Site Potentiels De Reproduction Du Flamant Rose

Phoenicopterus Roseus En Algerie

3BD05D3

Amel Mesbah, Université 08 mai 1945, Guelma, Algeria

Macrofauna Associated to Vegetation at Menzel Jemil (Bizezrte Lagoon,

Tunisia)

3BD06D3

Wahiba Zaabar, Université de Tunis El Manar, Faculté des Sciences, Tunisia


of 112

3BD01D3

Detection of the Metabolism of the Giant Bacteria that Live in the Surgeon Fish Intestine

Using Proteomic and Microsensor Analyses

Mohammad A. A. Al-Najjar1*

, Huoming Zhang2, and Uli Stingl

1

1Red Sea Research Center, KAUST, Saudi Arabia.

2Proteomics core lab, KAUST, Saudi Arabia


Epulopiscium sp. is giant bacteria that live symbiotically in the intestine of the coral reef

surgeon fish. So far, their metabolism has not been investigated because all attempts to grow

them as pure culture failed. We investigated the metabolic capabilities of concentrated

Epulopiscium cells using proteomic and microsensor analyses. We also measured the chemical

analysis of the intestinal fluid. Our results showed that Epulopiscium cells can utilize diversified

energy and nutrient resources (i.e., simple sugars and complex polymers). These compounds

enter the cell from the surrounding environment via several types of transporters that were

highly expressed. Additionally, Epulopiscium cells are equipped with exo- and endo- enzymes

that help them to degrade organic material externally and internally. To gain extra energy,

Epulopiscium sp. perform acetogenesis via Wood-Ljundahl pathway, which results in higher

ATP output than that gained from alcoholic or lactic acid fermentation. Our results are in

agreement with previous reports documented that microorganisms using Wood-Ljundahl

pathway prefers to use nitrate as electron acceptor to gain higher energy yield. Since nitrate

concentration in the fish intestine is higher in night than in day, we hypothesize that

Epulopiscium sp. can perform dissimilatory nitrate reduction during night, which would provide

more energy for daughter cell formation.



of 112

3BD02D3

Protective Role of Some Natural Antioxidants Against Oxidative Stress Pathogenicity in

Tilapia zillii

Mohammad Wahsha*

Marine Science Station, University of Jordan- Aqaba Branch, Jordan


Increased environmental pollution can be attributed to a variety of factors resulting from

different industrial and agricultural technologies. In fish, pollutants can be captured from various

sources including the persistent contaminants from agricultural origin. Such pollutants can

seriously affect aquatic organisms through the generation of potentially toxic elements known as

free radicals. However, antioxidants such as the flavonoids are agents that inhibit or neutralize

these free radicals. Flavonoids are naturally occurring polyphenolic compounds in plants of

positive effects on human health. In this study, we investigated the influence of incorporation of

grape seeds and green tea in fish feed on the oxidative stress inducing tissue injury in Tilapia

zillii. Experimental fish were sorted into 6 groups of 10 fish each. The control group (C) received

neither supplement of antioxidant nor treatment with 4-hydroxycoumarin (toxin). The second

group was treated with toxin (200 µg/kg fish wt) and represented the toxin control fish. Groups 3

and 4 were given orally 100 mg of green tea and grape seed extract, each per kg fish wt to

represent the green tea and grape seed extract controls, respectively. All fish in the previous

groups were sacrificed after one hour after each treatment. Groups 5 and 6 were supplemented

orally with the green tea and grape seed extract, respectively, on a daily dose of 100 mg/kg fish

wt for a period of 10 days. The same fish in both groups were then treated with 200 µg toxin/kg

fish wt and were killed after one hour. Visceral tissues were collected immediately after

scarification and were subject to tissue micro structural assays as well as to biochemical analysis.

The cytotoxicity assay (lactate dehydrogenase) and lipid peroxidation test (LPO) as

malondialdehyde amount in tissue homogenate demonstrated the potential benefits of grape

seeds and green tea together with its high affinity in improving the fish health. Such

improvement was possibly due to the efficacy of both products to binding free radicals generated

by the toxin in the fish.



of 112

3BD03D3

Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures And Coral Reef Surveys: Different Monitoring

Approaches, The Same Biodiversity Patterns?

Susana Carvalho1*, Holger Anlauf

1, Fran Saborido-Rey

2, Xabier Irigoien

1

1KAUST- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Red Sea Research Center,

Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia 2Institute of Marine Research, 36208 Vigo, Spain


Despite the recognised biogeographic interest of the Red Sea, knowledge on its coral reef

systems is very limited compared to other large reef systems, such as the Caribbean and Great

Barrier Reef. The information available, particularly along the Saudi Arabian coast, is mainly

restricted to corals and fishes. Very little knowledge exists for small, cryptic and poorly studied

species that account for most of the reef biodiversity. This relevant component of reef diversity is

often disregarded in monitoring surveys worldwide. During the last decade, Autonomous Reef

Monitoring Structures (ARMS) have been deployed, especially in the Indo-Pacific and

Caribbean regions as a systematic, consistent and comparable tool to assess long-term trends in

cryptic invertebrates. In an attempt to mimic reef complexity, ARMS are made up of 9 PVC

layers assembled in a column with each layer separated by approximately 1.5cm. The present

study aims to compare the biodiversity patterns in the central Red Sea gathered from two

different monitoring approaches: the AMRS, targeting cryptic fauna, and the standard reef

surveys, focusing on corals and other large invertebrates, as well as fishes. Three coral fringing

reef systems were randomly selected in the central Red Sea, specifically in the Jeddah region.

One of the reefs is located outside the harbour and the other two are located approximately 20km

and 40km south. Three replicate ARMS per site were collected after one year of deployment.

During this period, three replicate transects of 20m were performed at 5 and 10m depth (photo

transect surveys, for the corals; video surveys, for fishes). Digital reef rugosity was assessed as a

proxy to reef complexity. The water column in each area was characterized by means of vertical

conductivity, temperature and depth (CTD) casts. Water samples were also taken for nutrient and

chlorophyll a analysis. The data will be investigated for: i) consistency in biodiversity patterns

for ARMS and reef surveys; ii) correlation of water column parameters (chlorophyll and

nutrients concentrations) and biodiversity patterns; and iii) correlation between biodiversity

patterns and reef rugosity.



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3BD04D3

Barcoding and Metabarcoding the Cryptofauna of the Northern Red Sea (Gulf of Aqaba)

Mamoon Al-Rshaidat*

Department of Marine Biology, Faculty of Marine Sciences, University of Jordan-Aqaba Branch,

Aqaba- Jordan


Cryptofauna (small hidden organisms) are difficult to survey with traditional dive collection

methods, but by using autonomous reef monitoring systems (ARMS), these invertebrates can be

collected with relative ease. To better understand the biodiversity in the understudied Gulf of

Aqaba (northern Red Sea), DNA metabarcoding and DNA barcoding were used to identify

different sized organisms collected via ARMS. Metabarcoding is able to detect many operational

taxonomic units (OTUs) that are overlooked in samples of large organisms identified by

traditional barcoding. It was found that the biodiversity of organisms 500 μm - 2 mm in size is

far greater than the biodiversity of organisms larger than 2 mm. This data represents the first

report for a comprehensive marine biodiversity using state of the art molecular biology

techniques capable of detecting cryptofauna, which has not been surveyed in the Gulf of Aqaba

before.



of 112

3BD05D3

A La Recherche De Site Potentiels De Reproduction Du Flamant Rose Phoenicopterus

Roseus En Algerie

Amel Mesbah*

Université 08 mai 1945 Guelm, Algeria


La découverte de Safioune un site de reproduction du Flamant rose Phoenicopterus roseus

considérer comme le deuxième site de reproduction trouvée dans le Sahara et le troisième

enregistré en Algérie a permet d’estimé 1 500 couples reproducteurs élevés avec succès en

hiver et au printemps 2011. Malgré l'assèchement des marais salés et l'attaque du Chacal doré

Canis aureus, 600 poussins en pu voler. Les Oiseaux nicheurs sont originaires d'Algérie, de

France, d'Italie et de l'Espagne, confirmant ainsi la connectivité de ce site de reproduction

algérien avec d'autres sites de la région méditerranéenne. Une opération de baguage a été mise

en place et 62 poussins ont été bagués avec succès avec des bagues (anneaux en plastique).



of 112

3BD06D3

Macrofauna Associated to Vegetation at Menzel Jemil (Bizezrte Lagoon, Tunisia)

Wahiba Zaabar*

* Université de Tunis El Manar, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, Bio-Ecologie et Systématique

Evolutive, Tunisie


The community structure of macrofauna associated to vegetation was investigated at Menzel

Jemil (Bizerte lagoon, North Tunisia). Monthly samplings were carried out from October 2009 to

September 2010 using a metal quadrate of 0.25 m2 at 20, 40, 60 and 80 cm depth with 3

replicates at each depth. 21575 specimens of macrofauna were collected from floating algae and

seagrass and identified as belonging to 41 species. Several indices (species richness, dominance,

mean density, diversity index) were estimated to characterize the macrofauna community.

Arthropods Crustaceans were the most dominant, whatever the depth and the season. The highest

values of diversity and mean density were recorded in 80 cm depth. In addition, the minimum

and maximum values of mean species richness of macrofauna were observed in December (9.25

± 5.56 species) and May (19.75 ± 3.09 species), respectively. Mean values of Shannon index

(H’) and Evenness (J’) fluctuated between 0.34 ± 0.02 and 1.08 ± 0.06 and 0.23 ± 0.03 and 0.522

± 0.07, respectively. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA), using algal biomass as the

environmental variable, was conducted revealing significant relationships between algae

composition and the associated macrofauna. The mean density and species richness were

negatively correlated with plant biomass.



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of 112

Theme: Sustainable Development and Coastal

Management Socioeconomic and Cultural Ethics of Fishermen Community in Aqaba, Red Sea

1SD01D3

Prof. Mohammad Al-Zibdeh, Faculty of Marine Sciences, The University of Jordan, Aqaba, Jordan

Regional Development of Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) in the Mediterranean and Contributions of MEDCOAST

1SD02D3

Prof. Erdal Ozhan, Mediterranean Coastal Foundation, (MEDCOAST), Turkey

Development of Sea Use Master Plan in the Gulf of Aqaba, Jordan 1SD03D3 Dr. Ivica Trumbic, UNDP Consultant, UNDP Office, Amman, Jordan

Keynote: Integrated Studies on the Hydro-Geo-Ecosystems of The Coastal City of Aqaba, Efforts for Environmental Protection

2SD04D3

Dr. Mohammad Al Farajat, Petra College for Tourism and Archaeology, Al Hussein bin Talal University, Jordan

Algeria Coastal Zone Vulnerability to Erosion and Flooding, Three Cases Studies

2SD05D3

Mokhtar Guerfi, National Marine Science School, Algeria

Seasonal-Scale Nearshore Morphological Evolution of Sidi-Frej Shoreline (Algeria)

2SD06D3

Mezouar Khoudir, National High school of Marine Sciences and Coastal Management (ENSSMAL), Algeria

Impact of Metal Pollution, Food Availability and Excessive Fishing on Rhabdosargus Haffara Stock (family: Sparidae) in Timsah Lake.

2SD07D3

Prof. Sahar Mehanna, National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Egypt


2SD08D3

Prof. Mohammad Rasheed, Faculty of Marine Sciences, The University of Jordan, Aqaba, Jordan


4SD09D3

Dr. Zayed Al-Hamamre, Chemical Engineering Dept., Faculty of Engineering and Technology, The University of Jordan, Jordan.

Assessment of Pollution Risk Vulnerability Against Pollution For Unconfined Aquifer in Southern of Aqaba

4SD10D3

Nooraldeen Farajat, Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA), Jordan


of 112


of 112

1SD01D3

Socioeconomic and Cultural Ethics of Fishermen Community in Aqaba, Red Sea

Mohammad Al-Zibdeh*

Department of Marine Biology, Faculty of Marine Sciences, University of Jordan, Aqaba-

Jordan


Cultural and socioeconomic conditions of the Aqaba fishermen community was studied and

included 160 fishermen representing 129 families. Several questionnaires were prepared on

different aspects of the fishermen life; cultural, social, economic and health. Results of the study

showed that the majority of Aqaba fishermen (70%) depend on fishing only in making their

living. They all practice simple traditional fishing techniques. Fishing return (200-300 metric

tons per year for the entire community) was found hardly enough to cover the basic needs of the

fishermen families. A major reason for the weak fishing yield is the low abundance of

commercial fish in the Gulf of Aqaba. This can be attributed to the size of the Gulf as well as its

oligotrophic nature and the excessive exploitation of the coastal areas of the Gulf for trade,

industry and tourism. The weak capture fishery was reflected on the overall socioeconomic status

of the fishermen community and the daily life requirement to be below poverty standard of

Jordan. Rates of schooling were also low making it a serious issue that needs further

investigation specially for young generations. The main reason behind is attributed to the fathers

need to help in fishing to secure the family living needs. On other hand, fishermen who earn

other sources of income are in better situation and those correspond to about 20% of the fisher

folks in Aqaba. They have subsidiary jobs like driving glass bottom boats and working in the

ports and Marine Park as rangers. It can be concluded that there is an urgent need to increase

national capture fishery either by extending fishing ground beyond the Jordanian territorial

waters or by mariculture development, where fishermen are involved as active partners. Either

way will certainly provide better income to them. There is also a need to include the fishermen

families in the social security system and get the community involved in development projects.

The fishing profession requires integration with tourism development as a sea related tradition of

the peoples of Aqaba.



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1SD02D3

Regional Development of Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) in the Mediterranean and

Contributions of MEDCOAST

Erdal Ozhan*

Mediterranean Coastal Foundation, (MEDCOAST), Turkey


Regional efforts for developing integrated coastal management in the Mediterranean date back

to early 1990s. The earliest activities were the first group of four Coastal Area Management

Projects (Castella Bay, Croatia; Izmir Bay, Turkey; Syrian Coast, Syria and Rhodes Island,

Greece), designed and executed by the Priority Actions Programme Regional Activity Centre

(PAP RAC, Split, Croatia) of UNEP’s Mediterranean Action Plan (UNEP MAP). These were

followed by CAMPs in other Mediterranean states. Earlier than the initiation of CAMPs, the

Mediterranean Action Plan activities covered mainly monitoring of marine pollution (MED

POL), regulating pollutant input into the Mediterranean waters through five protocols of the

Barcelona Convention (1976) and managing specially protected areas and flagship marine

species by means of the Protocol concerning Mediterranean Specially Protected Areas (1982).

Activities of the Mediterranean Action Plan on ICM (CAMPs and other activities) gained

momentum after the initiation of the Second Phase of the MAP in 1996, following the revision

of the Barcelona Convention to include protection of coastal areas a the main focus of the

regional cooperation. Parallel to the work carried out by UNEP MAP in the second half of

1990s, other international Institutions (like UNESCO-IOC, the World Bank) and the European

Union showed interest for supporting the development of ICM in the Mediterranean countries.

The interest of the European Union, a party to the Barcelona Convention like 21 riparian states,

grew substantially in the 2000s.

On the side of non-governmental initiatives, MEDCOAST emerged with the organisation of

the “First International Conference on the Mediterranean Coastal Environment”, held in

Antalya, Turkey during 2-5 November 1993. With a project funding received from the

European Union, the MEDCOAST Network started the first international training program on

ICM (the MEDCOAST Institute) in 1994. This significant and well-known training program

has been brought successfully to present and the 10th Institute was organised during 26

August- 11 September 2014. MEDCOAST Network (became an independent and non-profit

foundation in 2007), through organisation of scientific meetings (conferences and workshop)

and training programs together with regional scale projects succeeded to create measurable

impacts on regional development of ICM over the Mediterranean and Black Sea regions.

A relatively recent and significant development is the adoption of the ICZM Protocol for the

Mediterranean (January, 2008) under the Barcelona COnvention, which entered into force with

a record speed on 14 March 2011. This is the ever first international legislation on ICM.

The paper provides a historical perspective for development of ICM in the Mediterranean

region by several actors and discusses the strengths and weakness today



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1SD03D3

Development of Sea Use Master Plan in the Gulf of Aqaba, Jordan

Ivica Trumbic*

Independent Consultant, Split, Croatia


Jordanian coastline is limited to 27 km in length, and the area is strategically important for the

entire country. Vast majority of all consumer goods and foodstuffs for the country are shipped

through the Aqaba Special Economic Zone (ASEZ). The marine area of the Gulf of Aqaba that

belongs to Jordan is comparatively small (96 km2). The coral reef ecosystems of the Gulf of

Aqaba is the most significant feature of its marine environment. However, the coastal activities,

concentrated in a limited area, subject the coast to considerable and conflicting resource

pressures. That has added urgency to implemenmt the project "Mainstreamingtoarine

biodiversity conservation into coastal management in the ASEZ". The project, developed by

UNDP and implemented by a small implementation unit in Aqaba, aims to conserve the unique

marine biodiversity in Jordan and ensure the long-term survival of the coral reefs of the Gulf of

Aqaba as well as promote equitable sharing of the benefits of the ecosystem services they

provide by: (1) delivering significant improvements to the conservation status of globally

important biodiversity in the coastal and marine areas of the country; and (2) by developing an

enabling environment and creating capacities at institutional and individual levels for the

mainstreaming of biodiversity considerations into the tourism sector primarily, into

development plans of the ASEZ and into the fisheries sector as a sector with a potential bearing

on marine biodiversity, which also represent the principal sources of threats to biodiversity.

While a number of ICZM instruments are already in place, there is a need to formulate a Marine

Spatial Plan. It is defined as a forward-looking exercise that allows to address conflicting uses

and cumulative impacts from a system perspective, with a goal of preventing problems in

marine space utilisation from arising in the future. The development of the Marine Spatial Plan

will have three major phases: (1) situation analysis, where institutional and other barriers for

marine management will be identified; (2) vision and strategy, where major objectives for MSP

and the idea how the marine area should look like in the foreseeable future will be developed;

and (3) definition of the sea zoning, where marine area will be divided in specific use zones

based on the characteristics of the identified bioregions. The results of the first stage of the

project implementation will be presented.



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2SD04D3

Integrated Studies on the Hydro-Geo-Ecosystems of the Coastal City of Aqaba, Efforts

for Environmental Protection

Dr. Mohammad Al Farajat

Petra College for Tourism and Archaeology

Al Hussein bin Talal University , X-Commissioner of L.C. Development & Environment


Aqaba city overlooks the northern extension of the Gulf of Aqaba, the city with its all types of

land use units is built on a structural graben filled with clastic sediments of different sizes. The

graben is a part of the Dead Sea transform fault system. The groundwater under the city ranges in

depths between few meters near the shores, to around 90 meters going further to the north. water

dynamics and quality of the aquifer have been studied, where the interface between the fresh and

seawater was delineated. Groundwater vulnerability maps against pollution were modeled using

DRASTIC index, and some areas were found to show high vulnerability. As a part from the

water cycle in the nature, the seawater in Aqaba forms the sink where the groundwater ends, the

annual amounts to reach the body of the gulf were approached to reach some millions of cubic

meters. Aquatic life in the gulf and the marine ecology are in direct relationship with the quality

of groundwater reaches the seawater. ASEZA since it was found makes intensive efforts to

protect the quality of groundwater.



of 112

2SD05D3

Algeria Coastal Zone Vulnerability to Erosion and Flooding Three Cases Study

Mokhtar Guerfi*, Mezouar Khoudir

National High school of Marine Sciences and Coastal Management (ENSSMAL), Algeria


The Algerian coastal zone is one the most populated in the Mediterranean, with 40% of the

population living in 1.9% of the country total area. It is a zone under high pressure occurring

from natural origin (seism and tsunamis risks, erosion/accretion, salt water intrusion, etc.) and

from human sources (pollution, loss of biodiversity and economic value, etc.). The lack of data,

particularly time series over natural coastal process, is an impediment for decision making. In

many cases, the coastal protection measures implemented even exacerbate the vulnerability of

these zones, particularly the hard engineering solutions.

The aim of this study is to assess Algerian coastal vulnerability to erosion and flooding at three

spatial scales (local, regional and national), by adapting a method successfully tested by

Mclauglin et al. This is achieved by integrating the most important variables contributing to the

vulnerability of the coastal zone in a GIS database. These variables combined, are weighted and

analyzed with a multicriteria method in three sub-indexes; for coastal physical characteristics,

coastal forcing and socioeconomic factors, which combined gives the coastal vulnerability index

(CVI). This index turned out to be a relevant tool for orientating coastal planning and

management decision making, by confirming the vulnerability of some physiographic units at

local and regional level and give at the national level a broad image of coastal zone sensitivity to

erosion and flooding. This index should be integrated in policy (ICZM) and management

decision making. are weighted



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2SD06D3

Seasonal-scale Nearshore Morphological Evolution of Sidi-Frej Shoreline (Algeria)

Mezouar Khoudir*, Mokhtar Guerfi

National High school of Marine Sciences and Coastal Management (ENSSMAL), Algeria


Shoreline erosion constitutes one of the most serious natural hazards in many coastal areas

worldwide. It can be considered an essentially natural process, but the increasing occupation

of the coast has led to an increased risk, due to the growing exposure and the strong human

influence on the stability of coastal systems.

The shoreline analysis along the Sidi-Frej coast has been performed by utilizing aerial

photographs to reveal the different behaviour between left and right side of the Sidi-Frej

harbour. The shoreline in the East sector has been moving more dynamically than the West

sector. In an attempt to improve data treatment and interpretation, Empirical Orthogonal

Function (EOF) statistical analysis was performed for Eastern profile data. The efficiency of

the method for analysing the data was evaluated and compared with previous similar works.

(EOFs) or principal components were used to extract the significant modes of shoreline

variability from several data sets collected at three very different locations. Although EOFs

have proven to be a valuable tool in the analysis of nearshore data, most applications have

focused on the ability of the technique to describe cross-shore or profile variability. Here

however, EOFs were used to help identify the dominant modes of longshore shoreline

variability at several beaches.

The analysis separates temporal and spatial dependences of the data allowing the description of

beach changes as a linear combination of time and space functions. Irregulary time sampled

seasonal data yielded worse results than the more regular daily profile observations. Most of

the variations in profile configuration were explained by the first three eigenfunctions

corresponding to the three largest eigenvalues. The largest eigenvalue corresponded to an

eigenfunction which represented an average profile. The second eigenfunction showed a

maximum at the berm location and tended to have a minimum towards the lower terrace. The

third eigenfunction showed a minimum at the berm, tending to have a maximum near the

terrace location. Results indicated that the method can be useful tool for analysing Sidi-Frej

shoreline data. It provides a way of interpreting profile variation behaviour and the governing

physical processes.



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2SD07D3

Impact of Metal Pollution, Food Availability and Excessive Fishing on Rhabdosargus

Haffara Stock (family: Sparidae) in Timsah Lake

Sahar Mehanna*

National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, P.O.Box 182, Suez, Egypt


The lakes' fisheries play an important role in Egyptian economy. In 80’s they provided more than

50% of harvested fish in Egypt but now their contribution to the Egypt fish production decreased

to 14.3% (2005-2012) and to only 12.5% in 2012. Lake Timsah, one of the Suez Canal lakes,

faced many challenges lead to seriously changes in its water and fish quality, fish production as

well as the catch composition. The present work investigated the impact of heavy metals

pollution, food availability and excessive fishing mortality on the haffara production from Lake

Timsah. The distribution of four heavy metals (Pb, Zn, Ni and Fe) were detected seasonally in

water and in muscles, gills and livers of Rhabdosargus haffara, collected in autumn 2012

through summer 2013. Iron and zinc were presented by high values in liver, while Lead and

Nickel in gills. Generally, the lowest concentrations of all metals were found in muscles. The

Lead level measured in the gills was higher than the safe level given by WHO (2µg/g). R. haffara

are fed mainly on crustacean organisms. In the first year from summer 2011 to spring 2012, the

recorded crustacean organisms were 12 species and 32079 organisms⁄m² decreased to only 7

species and 7290 organisms⁄m² from summer, 2012 to spring, 2013 as well as the amphipods are

completely disappeared. This serious change was due to the increasing of pollution in the Lake.

A logistic surplus production model was fitted to the catch per unit effort CPUE indices, to

estimate the maximum sustainable yield (MSY) and the optimum level of fishing effort (fopt).

Also, 2/3 fMSY as a target reference point was calculated. The obtained results revealed that,

haffara stock at Lake Timsah is suffering from overfishing and the estimated precautionary target

reference points advised the reduction of fishing effort by about 30-50%.



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2SD08D3


Mohammad Rasheed*

Department of Coastal Environment, Faculty of Marine Sciences, University of Jordan- Aqaba

Branch. Jordan


Natural fisheries in most parts of the world are under pressure due to heavy fishing activities and

pollution threats. The establishment of fish and shrimp hatcheries using native species provides

an opportunity for replenishment of fish and shrimp stocks in an environmentally responsible

manner. This paper provides guidelines for conducting an EIA of fish and shrimp hatcheries in a

semi-enclosed water body. The purpose of the guidelines is to outline issues that may be relevant

to the design and construction of hatcheries and to identify important factors for consideration in

an EIA study. Effective consultations and technical discussions during the design stage with

project proponent and relevant government agencies are recommended. Early evaluation of

alternative sites and consideration of environmental factors in ascertaining the suitability of

intended project site can help minimize potential impacts. Aspects to be considered in depth

include water quality, habitat loss, and socio-economic factors. The paper also provides

suggested mitigation measures for minimizing potential impacts along with key elements to be

considered in the development of an adequate Environmental Management and Monitoring Plan.



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4SD09D3


Zayed Al-Hamamre 1*

, Motasem Saidan 1, Muhanned Hararah

2

1Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering and Technology,

The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan 2Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, Aqaba, Jordan

* Email: [email protected],

The main objective of this study is to identify sustainable biomass resources currently available

in Jordan and evaluate their contribution for power generation and biogas production. It also

aims to increase awareness of the resource availability and determine future requirements.

Energy sustainability is indirectly linked the three components of the overall sustainability:

environmental sustainability, economic sustainability and social sustainability. The component

and requirements for energy sustainability are discussed. These components include:

Capture/production of sustainable energy sources, conversion of these resources into proper

energy carriers, reduced its environmental impact and increased efficiency in the provision of

energy services.



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4SD10D3

Assessment of Pollution Risk Vulnerability Against Pollution For Unconfined Aquifer in

Southern of Aqaba

Eng. Nooraldeen Farajat*

Water Specialist, Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority /ASEZA, Aqaba,


1. Assessment, understanding and modeling of the Hydro-environmental systems and building a

data base on GIS environment taking into consideration: soil, geological structures, area

hydrology and hydrogeology, groundwater quality and the environmental considerations.

2. Using of groundwater and soil vulnerability maps against pollution with other environmental

elements, these maps are considered one of strategies used in site selection for multiple uses that

have environmental impacts such as landfills, and waste water treatment plant.

3. Simplifying the EIA process and making the decision making easier.

4. Using the results of this study to protect and manage the ground water resources.



of 112

Poster Session

MB: Marine Bio-resources and Biotechnology, SD: Sustainable Development and Coastal Management, EN: Environment: Monitoring, Management and Climate Change, OC: Oceanography, BD: Biodiversity and Coral Reef Ecosystem

index Title Presenter Country

P01OC Introduction Of The Copepod Limnoithona Tetraspina

Hanaa Al-Latifi Iraq

P02OC How Complementary arre Soft-Bottom Macrobenthic Assemblages in Transitional and

Coastal Marine Areas in the Central-Eastern Red Sea?

Zahra Alsaffar Saudi Arabia

P03OC

Levels of Heavy Metals in Ophoroidea (Ophiocoma Scolopendrina) from the Gulf of

Aqaba, Red Sea.

Mjduleen Sbaihat

Jordan

P04OC

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Marine Sediments of Bou-Ismail Bay

Latifa Bentchikou

Algeria

P05OC

Penaeid Shrimp Fishery in Sultanate of Oman

Iman Al-Kharusi Oman

P06OC

Pore water gradients below microbial mat surface of Umm Alhool sabkha in Qatar

Mohammed Al-Najjar

Saudi Arabia

P07OC

Plants on Salty Ground from Aqaba, Jordan Ikhlas Alhejoj Jordan

P08OC

Assessing Stress Response of Stylophora Pistillata in the Gulf Of Aqaba Towards Various Anthropogenic Activities, Using Molecular and

Biochemical Markers

Maysoon Kteifan

Jordan

P09OC

Radionuclides in Marine Sediment and Seagrass from the Gulf of Aqaba, Jordan

Eman Al-Absi Jordan

P10EN

Monitoring of Tunis Southern Lake after restoration using chlorophyll-a and

phytoplankton diversity

Ben Rejeb Jenhani1

Tunisia

P11EN

Molecular Biomarkers as Stress Prognostic Tools in coral from Polluted Sites in the Gulf of

Aqaba-Jordan

Sewar AlTtelfah Jordan

P12EN

Transboundary Water Governance and Climate Change in the Hashemite Kingdom of

Jordan

Osama Mohawesh

Jordan

P13EN

First report of integrated assessment of heavy metals in the northwest of Tunisia:

bioaccumulation in snails, soil and native plants

Anwar Mleiki Tunisia


of 112

P14EN

Improving benefits from sustainable tourism in Aqaba – pilot project Cedar Pride

Mohammad Al-Tawaha

Jordan

P15EN

Environmental Quality Assessment in the Jordanian Marine Ecosystem

Mohammad Wahsha

Jordan

P16SD

Strategies for Mitigating the Coral Reef Damages Caused by the Coastal

Fuad Al- Horani Jordan

P17SD

ENPI CBC MED Programme: Toward Sustainable ICZM in the Mediterranean Basin

Esmat Karadsheh

Jordan

P18BD

Heterotrophic Nutrition of Giant Clams from the Jordanian Coast of the Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea

Abdel Wahab Al-Shiyab

Jordan

P19BD

Stylophora pistillata-associated Microbial Community Structure in Polluted Sites in the

Gulf of Aqaba

Ruba Almsri Jordan

P20BD

Structure of the Macrozoobenthos Biodiversity of Oran Coastal Area, Algeria

Djillali Bouras Algeria

P21BD

Preliminary results of coral reef fish community structure in relation to habitat and

depth in the northern Red Sea

Jafar meqdadi Jordan

P22BD

Preliminary Results of Fish Catch in Deep and Coastal waters in the Jordanian Coast of the

Gulf of Aqaba-Red Sea

Shorouq Maaita Jordan

P23BD

Combining 3-D Reconstruction Of Coral Reefs And Rugosity Measurement Using Still Images

Holger Anlauf Saudi Arabia

P24BD

Application of the oil-degrading bacterial

consortia for the degradation of crude oil in small volume vessels

Abdul-salam F. Juhmani

Jordan

P25BD

Characterization and seasonality of bacterial communities associated with Galaxea

fascicularis mucus in the Gulf of Aqaba in Jordan

Mutaz A. Abdelrazaq

Jordan

P26MB

Antimicrobial Activity of Bioactive Compounds Produced by Bacteria Associated with

Stylophora pistillata and Galaxea Fascicularis in the Gulf of Aqaba

Farah Al- Waked Jordan

P27MB Reproductive biology of Liza ramada (Risso, 1826) (Pisces Mugilidae) in the Algiers coast

(Algeria)

Kahina Bouzidi Algeria


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P01OC Introduction of the Copepod Limnoithona Tetraspina

Hanaa Al-Latifi*

University of Basra/ Marine Science Center/ Biological Development. Iraq

*Corresponding author Email: [email protected]

The cyclopoid copepod Limnoithona tetraspina was collected for the first time in the Shatt Al-

Arab, a river in Iraq, in the summer of 2009; its abundance ranged from 2-16 specimens/m3. Its

distribution was restricted to the areas around Al-Sindibad Island and Al-Kornish in waters with

temperatures between 27-28°C and salinities less than 4.1. A larger number of specimens was

collected in August 2012 around Al-Sindibad Island, 134 specimens/m3, and in July 2013

aroundAl-Kornish, 378 specimens/m3 in waters of comparable temperatures and salinities. The

copepod

initially was described from the mouth of the Yangtze River, China, in 1976. It was introduced

from the Yangtze River into the San Francisco Bay estuary, U.S.A., in 1993, with ship ballast

water, and into the Columbia River, U.S.A., in 2003, presumably from the San Francisco

Estuary. The origin of the Shatt Al-Arab population is unknown, but it is likely to have been

introduced.



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P02OC

How Complementary arre Soft-Bottom Macrobenthic Assemblages in Transitional and

Coastal Marine Areas in the Central-Eastern Red Sea?

Zahra Alsaffar1, Susana Carvalho

1

1KAUST- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Red Sea Research Center, Saudi

Arabia

*Corresponding author mail: [email protected]

In sub-tropical and tropical areas worldwide, soft-bottom assemblages have received

considerably less attention compared to coral reef systems. Yet, they are the main biological

component used in monitoring programs in marine ecosystems. The Red Sea is a unique

ecosystem characterized by high temperature and salinity as well as low nutrient levels. Despite

that, high biological diversity levels are known for this region. The information available for

soft-bottom habitats is, however, mainly limited to the northern tip of the Red Sea. Therefore, no

comprehensive spatial and temporal biodiversity patterns are known for the whole region. This

study aims to contribute to a better knowledge of the spatial and temporal patterns of biodiversity

(α- and β-diversity), abundance and community structure of soft-bottom macrobenthic

assemblages in the central-eastern Red Sea region. For the purpose of this study, samples will be

taken twice in winter and summer for two consecutive years in a lagoon and along the coast off

Thuwal (~22 ˚N). Here we will present data from two sampling periods in the winter 2013/2014.

Five sampling stations were allocated to a lagoon north of Thuwal and another nine were

established along the coastal area in the same region. Macrobenthic assemblages were sampled

in mangroves, seagrass meadows, and in the channel that connects the lagoon to the coastal area

and then down to a depth of 90m. Samples were collected using a 0.1 m2 Van Veen grab and

sieved through a 1 mm mesh screen. Sub-samples were taken for grain-size analysis, organic

carbon content, metals and organic contaminants. The water column was characterized by means

of vertical conductivity, temperature and depth (CTD) casts. Water samples were also collected

for nutrient and chlorophyll a analysis. Data comprise the number and abundance of macro-

invertebrates and environmental parameters for water and sediment. The benthic fauna will be

compared within and between the lagoon and coastal area and the relationship with the

environmental parameters will be analysed



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P03OC

Levels of Heavy Metals in Ophoroidea (Ophiocoma Scolopendrina) from the Gulf of Aqaba,

Red Sea

Mjduleen Sbaihat*


Jordan


Brittle stars (Ophiocoma scolopendrina) were collected from three different stations distributed

along the northern part of the Gulf of Aqaba during 2012. Concentrations of 6 heavy metals (Cu,

Ni, Cd, Co, Cr, and Pb) were measured in two body compartments (central disc and arms) using

F-AAS analysis. Brittle stars from a station located in the most northern part of the Gulf of

Aqaba showed the highest concentrations of Cu, Cd, Cr and Pb, whereas other stations displayed

lower levels. For most elements examined herein, heavy metals were accumulated in the central

disc more than in the arms. No simple correlations could be established between the contaminant

levels measured and the body length of the brittle stars.



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P04OC

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Marine Sediments of Bou-Ismail Bay

Latifa Bentchikou*

ENSSMAL, Campus Universitaire, Dely-Ibrahim Algiers


Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are pollutants of concern due to their persistent in the marine

ecosystem, thus they can cause long-term adverse effect to the marine life; and since these

compounds are generally concentrated in the marine sediment, we were therefore interested in

the extraction of these pollutants from surface marine sediments of Bou-Ismail bay, west

Algiers, and their quantitative analysis by Ultra-Violet fluorescence spectroscopy.

The results revealed a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon levels ranged from 2.60 µg/g to 26.01

µg/g dry weight for the different sampling stations considered in the studied zone



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P05OC

Penaeid Shrimp Fishery in Sultanate of Oman

Iman Al-Kharusi*

Marine Sciences and Fisheries centre, Muscat, Oman


The fishery sector plays an important role in the Oman economy as a source of cheap protein,

foreign exchange earnings and employment, that contribute to the national economy and

provides more than 32,000 jobs in fishing, in addition to many jobs in the related activities.

Crustaceans, such as penaeid shrimp, crabs and clawed and spiny lobsters have become very

important of world annual fishery production due to high demand for them in world markets.

The penaeid shrimp fishery is one of the most important fishery resources in Oman. Shrimps are

greatly contributed to the Oman economy where 002 tons were landed in 2012 from which 400

tons were exported forming 034,2 million Omani Rial (OR = 2.6 USD). This study was

undertaken to throw the light on the main shrimp species that constitute the commercial shrimp

production in Oman waters and their economic importance to the country



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P06OC

Pore water gradients below microbial mat surface of Umm Alhool sabkha in Qatar

A.M. Al-Raei 1, Roda F. Al-Thani

2 and M. Al-Najjar

1,3*

1 Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, D-28359 Bremen, Germany

2 Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences.

University of Qatar, P.O. Box 2713 Doha, Qatar 3

Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi

Arabia


The mineralization of organic matter in marine sediments by microbial activity was studied in

Umm Alhool Sabkha. In intertidal surface sediments, the development of steep compositional

and physico-chemical gradients was a common phenomenon. Rapidly, oxygen is consumed

within the upper few mm of microbial mats. In permeable sediments, however, oxygenated

bottom waters may have flew through the upper part of the surface sediments leading to

enhanced participation of oxygen in element cycling. Whereas in microbial mats, the surface

sediments are locally formed, indicating a disturbance in the balance of the biogeochemical

processes.

In the present study, the chemistry of pore water below mats surfaces of intertidal sandy

sediments in Umm Alhool sabkha was investigated in winter 2011 using a number of different

techniques. Pore water was sampled down to 20 cm below surface using pore water lances,

diffusion samplers, and centrifugation of sediment core sections. Microsensor measurements of

sulfide and pH were also performed on the upper 2 cm. Specifically, we measured salinity,

dissolved O2, pH, SO42-

, H2S, Cl-, TN, TOC, PO4

3-, NO3

-, NH4

+, H4SiO4, and microbial sulfate

reduction rates have been analyzed using intact sediment cores.

Sulfidic sediments were characterized by high sulfate reduction rates exhibiting maxima

between about 5-15 cm, associated with decreased oxygen penetration depths, and proton

activities. Anaerobic metabolic activity in pore waters below mat surface lead to significantly

enhanced concentrations of sulfide, ammonium, DIC, phosphate, silica (steep gradients), and a

net consumption of sulfate. They acted as windows for the liberation of reduced substances into

the bottom water or the atmosphere.

This study represents the first comprehensive investigation of the chemical composition and

sulfate reduction rates in Umm Alhool microbial mat ecosystem. It shows how dynamic and self-

fueling the system is



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P07OC

Plants on Salty Ground from Aqaba, Jordan

Ikhlas Alhejoj*

University of Jordan, Amman- Jordan


Plants which tolerate salty ground for their growth display a quite distinct character regarding

their systematic composition at the different localities with such occurrences in Jordan. We

studied plants tolerating salty ground on the shore of the Gulf of Aqaba, Wadi Yutum, and all of

them are quite distinct from each other and from the flora discussed here. On the shore of the

Gulf of Aqaba plants grew after a heavy rain on salty ground on a slightly inclined field next to

the beach that is closed off from it by a small wall of earth.

The most characteristic plants in Aqaba are Atriplex halimus, Anthemis haussknechtii, and

Aaronsohnia factorovskii which are relatively common in Jordan. The thick green fleshy leaves

of Suaeda can be found commonly with Sclerocephalus arabicus and Aizoon canariensis. Of

these Sclerocephalus also grows in the not salty desert Wadi Yutum. Especially Aizoon is

characteristic to the salty soil on the beach of the Gulf of Aqaba, while similar environment on

salty flats of brackish Karama reservoir have the similar Mesembryanthemum. Aizoon prefers to

grow on the soil in places which contained puddles with water during evaporation becoming

increasingly saltier, thus a salt crust covers the sandy bottom. Along the ridge of sand separating

the salty area that held the shallow pond during the rain flood the small bush Halocnemum

strobilaceum and Amaranthus albus has grown. Anabasis setifera forms larger bushes, and

Chenopodium ambrosioides is one of the larger plants here with large stands of flowers of rather

indistinct small size.

Among the Brassicaceae four species are present, Zilla spinosa, Eruca sativa, Sisymbrium

septulatum and Diplotaxis harra. The small Trigonella stellata and Leguminosae Astragalus

grow in salty ground, both tolerate salty ground but are found also outside of it. Opophytum

forsskaoli is present with Arnebia hispidissima, Reseda bushes of Ochradenus baccatus.

Anchusa aegyptiaca of the Boranginacea and Sclerocephalus of the Caryophyllacea grow here

as they do on the sand in Wadi Yutum but here on the Gulf next to flowering Aizoon and juvenile

Suaeda, both typical salt loving plants



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P08OC

Assessing Stress Response of Stylophora Pistillata in the Gulf Of Aqaba Towards Various

Anthropogenic Activities, Using Molecular and Biochemical Markers

Maysoon Kteifan*

Marine Science Station, University of Jordan-Aqaba Branch, Jordan


Jordanian coast at the Gulf of Aqaba serves most kinds of coastal activities that include the

different types of ports, industries and public beaches. Two such sites are the oil terminal and the

phosphate port might introduce toxic pollutants to the marine environment and might cause coral

death and/or decrease in the total coverage and diversity of corals and the associated reef

organisms. To assess stress response towards the anthropogenic activities at selected sites the oil

terminal and the phosphate port as expected polluted sites, and Marine Science Station “MSS” as

control site because it is part of marine protected area along the Aqaba coast, molecular and

biochemical biomarkers were used to assess stress response in Stylophora pistillata, these

biomarkers were: DNA damage measured by Comet assay and lipid peroxidation “LPO”

measured by thiobarbituric acid “TBA” test. All biomarkers for stress used in this study were

found with high values in the oil terminal and phosphate port sites compared to low values of

stress biomarkers found in MSS site



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P09OC

Radionuclides in Marine Sediment and Seagrass from the Gulf of Aqaba, Jordan

Eman Al-Absi1*

, Riyad Manasrah1, Mohammed Wahsha

2

1Department of Coastal Environment, Faculty of Marine Sciences, University of Jordan-Aqaba

Branch, Jordan 2Marine Science Station, University of Jordan- Aqaba Branch, Jordan


The coastal area represents the part of the world ocean that is directly affected by anthropogenic

activities, due to the exploitation of its natural resources are resulting in problems ranging from

contamination of sediments to living marine resources. Radionuclides provide tracers for many

of the processes related to coastal area problems. Indeed, increasingly in the last decades, natural

radionuclides have been used to quantify the rates of coastal ocean processes and many of these

results are directly applicable to providing important information that may be used by managers

tackling problems in the coastal area. In this study sediments and seagrass collected from

different sites along the Jordanian coastline of the northern Gulf of Aqaba were analyzed to

determine the radionuclides levels of 238U, 235U, 40K and 137Cs using Gamma ray

spectroscopy techniques. The activity concentrations were 24.4 - 725.3, ND - 43.2, 93.3 - 579.6,

ND - 2.7 Bq kg -1 for 238U, 235U, 40K and 137Cs, respectively. Besides, the activity of 109Cd

ranged between 12.5 and 588.1 Bq kg -1. The results showed that the highest level of

radioactivity was at phosphate area due to anthropogenic activities, and the average activity

concentrations for 238U, 234U, 226Ra, 214Pb, 214Bi and 210Pb were 688.2±25.1,

2501.4±635.8, 600.6±66, 598.4±8.1, 785.7±7.2 and 422.3±80.8 Bq kg -1 respectively. Mean

activities of 228Ac phosphate area was 24.8±2.4, whereas 220Rn daughters (212Pb and 208Tl)

were 11.8±1.1 and 5.4±0.8 Bq kg -1, respectively. In addition, the mean activity concentrations

of 231Th and 227Th were 121.2±9.2 and 24.2±2.7 Bq kg -1, respectively. Other radionuclides,

such as 94Nb, 133Xe,138Xe, 97Zr and 126I, were also analyzed in sediment samples from

phosphate area. Additional studies will provide further information on various ecotoxicological

aspects in order to estimate the risk of adverse environmental and health effects around the area

of consideration



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P10EN

Monitoring of Tunis Southern Lake after restoration using chlorophyll-a and

phytoplankton diversity

Ben Rejeb Jenhani1 A., Fassatoui

1 C., Fathalli

12 A., Gharbi

1 K., Baccar

3 L. et Romdhane

1 M.S.

1-U.R Aquatic Ecosystems and Resources- National Institute of Agricultural

Sciences/University of Carthage, Tunisia

2- National Institute of Marine Sciences and Technology. Tunisia

3- Eco-Resources International. Tunisia


South Lake of Tunis represents the southern part of the lagoon complex of Tunis. A restoration

program was established between 1998 and 2001 to reduce eutrophication and remediate the

environment. Indeed, the diversion of waste and storm water, the dredging of polluted sediments

and the reduction of approximately 40 % of the area has been made to reach a hydrodynamic

equilibrium leading to a shorter residence time of waters, (around 9 days). The present work

aims to assess changes in the lake environment after intervention over the period of 12 years

using chlorophyll-a and phytoplankton diversity in terms of indicators of water quality. Thus, the

compilation of average chlorophyll-a levels in three distinct periods: before restoration

(1995/1997), first follow-up (2001/2003) and the current survey (2013/2015) reveals the marked

positive response of the water quality after rehabilitation with an evident decrease from 33.6 µg/l

to 2.1 µg/l. during the first two periods. However, an increasing trend of average chlorophyll-a

(3.35 µg/l) was recorded during the last study period. For the phytoplankton populations, a

significant improvement, both qualitative and quantitative, is recognized but with the persistence

of potentially toxic species (Alexandrium sp.) or proliferating species (Akashiwo sanguinea,

Prorocentrum micans) or species characteristic of eutrophic environments (Euglena sp.). This

statement confirms the lagunarisation of this lake, however the level of containment, should be

maintained under control



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P11EN

Molecular Biomarkers as Stress Prognostic Tools in coral from Polluted Sites in the Gulf

of Aqaba-Jordan

Sewar AlTtelfah*

Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Yarmouk University, Jordan


Coral reefs, “the rain forests of the sea” are the most productive and biologically rich

ecosystem on the earth. These shallow water organisms are based on rigid skeleton. They are

considered as an important source of food and income, act as nurseries for commercial fish

species (Cooper et al., 2011), and they have an important economic role.

During the past few decades, up to 75% of the coral reefs habitat have been lost and 27% of

the ecosystems have been deteriorated worldwide (Wilkinson, 2003). Series of individual and

cumulative threats invade coral reefs, which in turn affect the existence of corals, and destruct

their habitat.

Using molecular biomarkers to assess the response of coral reefs toward pollution stresses is

very important; they can be used as tools of prognostication for increased level of pollution.

This study aims to evaluate coral response in two contaminated areas in the Gulf of Aqaba

(industrial zone and the public beach) and compare them with Marine Science Station (MSS)

as reference relatively unpolluted site towards the exposure to anthropogenic stresses by

examining DNA damage using comet assay of coral cells and lipid peroxidation as molecular

biomarkers



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P12EN

Transboundary Water Governance and Climate Change in the Hashemite Kingdom of

Jordan

Osama Mohawesh*

Director of Prince Faisal Center for Dead Sea, Environment and Energy Research,Mutah

University, Jordan


Jordan is one of the most water stressed countries in the world in a region where water scarcity

is a fact of life. Jordan shares significant transboundary surface and groundwater resources

with Israel, Syria, Egypt, the West Bank and Saudi Arabia. These limited, and in some cases,

un-renewable water resources support a multitude of strategically important water uses such as

drinking water, irrigation, industry, tourism and aquatic life. The availability of adequate

quantity and quality water in Jordan is deteriorating over time due to a number of factors such

as rapid natural population growth, influx of high number of refugees due to regional political

instability, rapid urbanization, limited water resources, unsustainable water use and

degradation of water quality. Additionally, climate change and associated impacts such as

changes in precipitation patterns, increased frequency of droughts and floods and high

evaporation are affecting the availability of water resources.

As a downstream riparian with limited resources, Jordan is in a strategically weak position to

assert its water rights with its transboundary neighbors. Over the years, Jordan has seen

increased withdrawals from, and pollution of, shared water resources. With diplomacy the only

means available to Jordan to resolve transboundary water issues, it needs every tool available,

such as real time water resources monitoring, to ensure transboundary water agreements are

being met and that its international water rights are not being violated. In a region where water

is scarce, having scientific proof of transboundary cooperation over the management of limited

water resources can do much to diffuse potential sources of conflict. There is also a distinct need

for remote monitoring capability within Jordan due to the fact that the rivers, such as the Jordan

and Yarmouk, which form the border between Jordan and its neighbors to the north and west, are

essentially militarized zones



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P13EN

First report of integrated assessment of heavy metals in the northwest of Tunisia:

bioaccumulation in snails, soil and native plants

Anwar Mleiki1*

, Ionan Marigomez2,3

, Najoua Trigui El Menif1

1 University of Carthage, Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, Laboratory of Environment Bio-

monitoring, 7021 Zarzouna, Bizerta, Tunisia 2 CBET Research Group, Research Centre for Experimental Marine Biology and Biotechnology

(PiE-UPV/EHU), University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Areatza w/n, Plentzia-Bizkaia,

E-48620, Basque Country (Spain). 3CBET Research Group, BERRILUR Research Consortium, Zoology & Cell Biology Dept.

(Science and Technology Faculty), University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Sarriena w/n,

Leioa-Bizkaia, E-48940, Basque Country (Spain).


To assess the global impact of traffic road on surrounding environment, all compartments (soil,

native vegetation and living organisms) must be taken into account. In fact, trace metals (TM)

emitted by vehicles can contaminate soil, plants growing by the road sides and animals. In this

study, the evaluation of the pollution induced by traffic road, near a trunk road P17 which

represents a high traffic road, has been studied in four selected sampling stations (ST I, ST II, ST

III and ST IV) based on their proximity or remoteness to the main road. The control station (ST

IV), free from contamination road, was located in the mountain forests of the eastern part of the

study area, at a distance of 2 km from the main road. Concentrations of zinc (Zn), lead (Pb) and

cadmium (Cd) were measured by ICP-MS in soils, native plants, foot and viscera of the snail

Cantaraeus apertus from the four sampling stations. The results showed heterogeneity in the

distribution of the analyzed TM. Concentrations of the three TM in the different compartments

of the control station showed values of Cd and Pb below the detection limit of the machine. For

Zn, the concentrations were 4.70 ± 0.24 mg/kg in soil and 0.04 ± 0.02 mg/kg in plant tissues. In

snails, Zn concentrations were respectively 0.195 ± 0.21 mg/kg in the foot and 0.55 ± 0.01

mg/kg in the viscera. Cd and Pb concentrations were low in the three studied stations. However,

ST I, located at 100 meters from the main road, was relatively most affected given the high

values registered. Indeed, despite the metal concentration is low in ST I, a significant difference

was recorded between Cd concentration in the soil of this sampling site and the other two

stations. For Pb, concentrations in the soil were similar in ST I and ST II and significantly

different from ST III. Zn has a higher concentration of 4.07 ± 0.12 mg/kg in ST I and 3.25 ± 0.21

mg/kg in ST II, significantly different from the concentration recorded in ST III (2.26 ± 0.14

mg/kg). The analysis of the three TM in native plants showed no accumulation of Pb and Cd in

different stations. In contrast, Zn is present at low concentrations. No significant difference was

observed between the three stations considered. The average concentrations of TM found in the

feet of snails are low despite some authors support the hypothesis that this organ accumulates

some of TM in or on the ground. This accumulation is significantly different between stations for

Cd and Pb. For Zn, no significant differences were recorded. Gastropods accumulate TM in

different tissues, however, the digestive gland remains the organ which accumulates most of the

bioavailable metal fraction. Cd was present only in the digestive gland of animals from ST I and

ST II and levels were significantly higher in ST I. Results of this study show a complementarity



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between chemical analyses and biological indicators (animals or plants) which can play the role

of early warning systems for environmental contamination by TM. Showing a significant

accumulator power, snail is an important link in the food chain as it is the prey of many predators

and should therefore be included in biomonitoring programs.


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P14EN

Improving benefits from sustainable tourism in Aqaba – pilot project Cedar Pride

Mohammad Al-Tawaha*

The Royal Marine Conservation Society of Jordan, Aqaba, Jordan


The Royal Marine Conservation Society of Jordan (JREDS) partnered with nine organizations

from six Mediterranean countries to implement the HELAND Project funded by the European

Union- (ENPI CBC Med Programme).

HELAND project aims to promote social and economic development through innovative

technological measures to protect heritage and touristic sites in the Mediterranean countries.

JREDS selected the Cedar Pride shipwreck site in Aqaba- Jordan as a pilot site for HELAND. It

is the only underwater site selected in the project and it holds a unique extraordinary ecological

and historical value as well as hosts high biodiversity. However, high pressure from uncontrolled

tourism activities and a lack of comprehensive management enforced on the site threatens

constantly the natural and cultural value of the site.

JREDS works toward establishing a series of research studies to understand the site in its

ecological context. Also the social and economic dimensions and dependencies of the activities

on the site will be evaluated. JREDS aims to integrate the results within the Aqaba Marine Park

management plan. In addition, the site will be promoted using advance technologies as a tool of

marketing to further enhance the "responsible tourism" concept which in consequence will

support the conservation of the site.



of 112

P15EN

Environmental Quality Assessment in the Jordanian Marine Ecosystem

Mohammad Wahsha*

Marine Science Station,University of Jordan- Aqaba Branch, Jordan


In the present work, we examined the lipid peroxidation as a relevant bioassay of thermal stress

on seagrass samples (Halophila stipulacea) collected from The Gulf of Aqaba, Jordan in

response to a short term exposure to gradual 5 °C seawater temperature increase (22 to 37 °C

over 1 h). Our results showed that the temperature change in the water ecosystem can strongly

affect seagrass. The specific damaging effects of thermal stress include the generation of

Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) cause severe cellular membrane damage by lipid peroxidation

result as s reduction in metabolic efficiency. We conclude that one of the best methods to follow

the effect of any variable temperature change in the environment is the estimation of the

generation of ROS within the cell, as an indicator of environmental stress.



of 112

P16SD

Strategies for Mitigating the Coral Reef Damages Caused by the Coastal

Fuad Al- Horani*


Aqaba- Jordan


At the time when human stresses on coral reefs drastically increased to levels threatening their

existence, an urgent and effective act became important to save those precious marine

ecosystems. In the Gulf of Aqaba, the coral reefs have very high biodiversity and are classified

as being one of the most preserved ecosystems at a global scale. Even though, some localized

damages exist especially in areas where human sea-related activities are focused. As a result of

the intense use of the Gulf for industrial and/or touristic activities, many coral reef areas have

been damaged and if untreated it will lead to killing of the rest of the coral reefs in the Gulf. The

relatively fast developments in constructing ports, marinas, lagoons and other constructions in

the sea in addition to pollution and tourism are threatening this ecosystem and might lead to

environmental catastrophe through losing most of the corals and its associated flora and fauna of

the ecosystem. It is therefore extremely important to start acting to preserve this precious

environment by planning and applying effective solutions to the problems created. The most

effective solutions were found to be through establishing artificial reefs, transplantation of

endangered coral species, establishing coral nurseries and settlement devices. Those strategies

were proved to be effective in the rehabilitation of damaged coral reefs and preserving the

endangered coral reef habitats. The basic idea of the suggested strategies is to build state of the

art designs of artificial reefs for the restoration of damaged coral reefs in the damaged areas to

enhance the growth of corals and other associated reef organisms including the fish communities.

The endangered habitat can then be transplanted to the newly created habitat in order to preserve

them. The coral nurseries are developed to propagate selected species to be planted on the

artificial reefs. This new created habitat is expected to protect the natural coral reefs by attracting

the recreational divers to the new site, thereby reducing pressure on the natural reefs. This

strategy will not only be of environmental values to the marine ecosystem in the sea, but also

represent a chance to increase eco-tourism, where it carries much potential for making profits for

the private sector and improving the livelihood of the local citizens in the coastal areas



of 112

P17SD

ENPI CBC MED Programme: Toward Sustainable ICZM in the Mediterranean Basin

Esmat Karadsheh*


The multilateral cross-border cooperation "Mediterranean Sea Basin Programme" is part of the

European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) and of its financing instrument (European

Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument - ENPI) for the 2007-2013 period: it aims at

reinforcing cooperation between the European Union (EU) and partner countries regions placed

along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. The Programme has a budget of € 200 M, to fund

standard and strategic projects. 14 participating countries, which represent 76 territories and

around 110 million people, are eligible under the Programme: Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece,

Israel, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Malta, Palestinian Authority, Portugal, Spain, Syria and Tunisia.

The Programme establishes a strategic framework of 4 jointly defined Priorities: Promotion of

socio-economic development and enhancement of territories; Promotion of environmental

sustainability at basin level; Promotion of better conditions and modalities for ensuring the

mobility of persons, goods and capitals; and Promotion of cultural dialogue and local

governance. Main beneficiaries include; regional and local public authorities, NGOs,

associations, development agencies, universities and research institutes, as well as private actors

operating in Programme’s fields of intervention.

As main decision-making body, the Joint Monitoring Committee, composed of the

representatives of the participating countries, supervises and ensures the quality and

effectiveness of Programme implementation and approves projects for funding. The Joint

Managing Authority, the Autonomous Region of Sardinia (Italy), is responsible for the

operational and financial management of the Programme and supported by a Joint Technical

Secretariat, an international bureau also located in Cagliari while a network of National Contact

Points contributes to the promotion of Programme opportunities and results in the eligible

territories. Two Branch Offices were also established to support Programme; the Eastern

Mediterranean Branch Office in Jordan and hosted by ASEZA and the Western Mediterranean

Branch office in Valencia/Spain.

From about 2000 project proposals submitted, through the 3 Calls for Proposals, 95 projects were

awarded. Regarding Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM), the following projects are

running; MAPMED, MESP, MARE NOSTRUM, MED-JELLYRISK, MED-PHARES,

MEDSEATIES, GREAT Med, MEDSANDCOAST, ECOSAFIMED and M3-HABs. Further

information about these projects is available on the Programme website www.enpicbcmed.eu .

Cooperation in the Mediterranean goes on: over € 209 million have been assigned by the

European Union to the new ENI CBC Mediterranean Sea Basin Programme for the period 2014-

2020


http://www.enpicbcmed.eu/


of 112

P18BD

Heterotrophic Nutrition of Giant Clams from the Jordanian Coast of the Gulf of Aqaba,

Red Sea

Abdel Wahab Al-Shiyab*

ACT - Aqaba Container Terminal, Aqaba, Jordan (ACT)


This study was carried out to investigate the Heterotrophic nutrition of the giant clams

(Tridacnidae) in the Jordanian coast of the Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea. In the present experimental

work, a Tridacna maximum was used as a target species, because of its abundance in natural

stocks as compared to the other species. Different species of the microalgae Isochrysisgalbana,

Nannochloropsisoculata, Tetraselmissuecica, and natural phytoplankton were used in the

feeding of three size groups (3-5, 5-7, 7-9 cm's) of Juvenile Tridacna maxima. Within the

different microalgae species Isochrysisgalbana was found to be a good food for all growth stages

of giant clams. The results showed a significant difference in the grazing rate of different

microalgae species in both short and long-term experiments. The grazing rates of 1.64, 1.22, 0.96

and 0.72 μg l-1 d-1 chlorophyll a (chll a) for Isochrysisgalbana, Tetraselmissuecica,

Nannochloropsis and natural phytoplankton, respectively. Significant differences in the grazing

rate of the different size classes of the juveniles were also observed. However, the grazing rate of

the different shell-length classes was in the following order 3-5 > 5-7 > and 7-9 cm. Sampling

time does not seem to have any significant effect on the grazing rate of T. maxima on the

selected microalgae species. There were no significant differences in the grazing rate of T.

maxima veliger larvae under two feeding conditions. The grazing rate was 0.13 μg l-1 d-1 chll a

for feeding conditions of 600 cell. ml-1 and 0.07 μg l-1 d-1 chll a for feeding conditions of 300

cell.ml-1. The correlation between the grazing rate and veliger number was highly positive



of 112

P19BD

Stylophora pistillata-associated Microbial Community Structure in Polluted Sites in the

Gulf of Aqaba

Ruba Almsri*



Coral reefs are very important marine ecosystem. Although they occupy less than .1% of the

marine environment, they represent an important habitat for a variety of marine organisms

including different microbial communities. Corals usually live as colonies made of identical

polyps and this colonization builds the coral reef. All corals have glands called mucocytes which

generate the mucus layer that serve several functions. Bacterial communities are known to be

abundant and active around corals. The Jordanian coast at the Gulf of Aqaba is threatened by

many pollution sources which affect the coral health directly by causing coral death, or indirectly

by affecting the coral-associated bacteria. As a result, the pathogenicity of bacteria will increase,

which in turn affect the coral health, and might lead to coral death. The possible microbial

diversity shifting of the coral-associated bacterial communities of the coral Stylophora pistillata

in contaminated zones at the Gulf of Aqaba investigated using culture-independent DNA/RNA

methodologies include analyses of the whole genome or selected genes (16S rRNA).



of 112

P20BD

Structure of the Macrozoobenthos Biodiversity of Oran Coastal Area, Algeria

Djillali Bouras*

BP 1524, El Mnaouar oran, fac of life sciences, dep. biology, Oran university, Algeria


This study allows us to have an overall idea about the qualitative and quantitative status of

macrozoobenthos that is rich and diverse. It is highly endangered due to human activities. The

development of actions to promote conservation, including the establishment of a monitoring

system and monitoring of key species is essential.The inventory macrobenthic species of the

subtidal zone during 4 years 2009 to 2012 of follow-up shows the distribution uneven in

different taxa by a dominance of sponges presented by 25 species, molluscs represented by 20

species then cnidarians by 15 and echinoderms by 9, crustaceans are the least represented, these

figures reflect the strength from our quantifications and not reality. The results obtained after

prospecting the sub-littoral different stations show a clear qualitative and quantitative difference

between sites close to human actions (settlements, infrastructure, industry and pollution) and

those far to the east and the West on the one hand and between sites hard or soft substrate on the

other. The most represented groups correspond to sponges, cnidarians, echinoderms, crustaceans

and mollusks bivalves and gastropods.



of 112

P21BD

Preliminary results of coral reef fish community structure in relation to habitat and

depth in the northern Red Sea

Jafar meqdadi*, Fuad Al-horani, Maroof Khalaf

The University of Jordan, Faculty of Marine Sciences, P. O. Box 195, Aqaba


In the present study, the study area was divided into Reef flat, 5 m and 10 m depths, each with

three quadrates. The quadrates were 2 m by 10 m in dimensions. Fish associated with coral

colonies and those above the corals were identified using visual census. A total of 2980 fish

individuals were counted belonging to 39 species from 14 families. The most abundant species

wasNeopomacentrus miryae with (RA= 70.47%) in all transects, followed by Pomacentrus

trichourus with (RA= 5.34%) and Dascyllus aruanus (RA= 4.70%). The most abundant species

at reef flat was Pomacentrus trichourus (RA=18%), at 5m was Dascyllus aruanus (RA=23.3%)

andNeopomacentrus miryae at 10 m (RA=86.8%). Whereas, the most common species in all

quadrates were Dascyllus aruanus, Thalassoma rueppellii(FA=100%, each), followed

by Meiacanthus nigrolineatus, Sufflamen albicaudatum Pomacentrus trichourus (FA=88.89%,

each). Chromis viridis was associated mainly with Acropora sp. And Millepora

dictoma, Dascyllus marginatus was mainly associated with Acropora sp.Exallias brevis was seen

associated with the coral species Millepora dictoma.



of 112

P22BD

Preliminary Results of Fish Catch in Deep and Coastal waters in the Jordanian Coast of

the Gulf of Aqaba-Red Sea

Shorouq Maaita*, Tasneem Shandaq, Tariq H. Al-Najjar and Maroof A. Khalaf

The University of Jordan, Faculty of Marine Sciences, P. O. Box 195, Aqaba


A total of 288 fish individuals representing 64 fish species belonging to 29 families were counted

in the deep sea and coastal waters fish catch. Out of them 58 were counted in the deep sea fish

traps belonging to 5 species that were deployed in depths ranges between 150 m to 500 m,

weighing 9730.2 gm; 103 individuals were counted using fish traps in coastal waters belonging

to 22 fish species and weighing 9849.5 gm. A total of 41 individuals belonging to 15 fish species

were counted in 13 fish sampling, weighing 1932.5 gm using long lines deployed in depth ranges

50 to 150 m depths. Sixty eight fish individuals were counted in 6 fish sampling, weighing

11595.2 gm using gill nets deployed at depth ranges from 30 to 70 m. The most abundant species

in deep sea trap catch were Polysteganus coeruleopunctatus (RA=86.2%, RWt=81.9%) followed

by Argyrops spinifer (RA=8.6%, RWt=8.3%). Whereas the most abundant fish species in coastal

fish traps were Chaetodon paucifasciatus (RA=29.1%) followed by Genicanthus caudovittatu

(RA=20.4%, RWt=12.6%). In terms of fish weight (RWt) the fish Scarus fuscopurpureus

represent the highest fish Wt (RWt=22.5%). Gymnothorax johnsoni was the most abundant

species in the long line fish catch (RA=19.5%), followed by Gymnothorax elgans (RA=12.8%).

Whereas, Gymnothorax johnsoni has the highest weight (RWt=33.3%) in the long line fish catch

followed by Variola louti (RWt=21.0%). The most abundant species in gill net sampling were

Lethrinus borbonicus (RA= 6.2%), followed by Caesio suevica (RA=9.0%). The family Sparidae

dominate the trap fishing in deep waters, Coral reef fishes such as Chaetodon paucifasciatus,

Scarus fuscopurpureus, Genicanthus caudovittatus were the most dominant species in trap

fishing in coastal waters; Muraenidae was the most dominant family in long line fishing, families

Mullidae, Caesionidae Carangidae and Lethrinidae were the most dominant in Gill net fishing.

Gymnothorax elgans and Xiphias gladius are two new records to Jordanian coast.

https://mail.ju.edu.jo/owa/redir.aspx?C=XPHbMmq37kWA7DFOiw3c6d3jwiDMwdEInrT0mMA8ri7-VK2xaW5fo_YdUoEN4859aZLjvYhKx_0.&URL=mailto%3ashmaaitah%40gmail.com


of 112

P23BD

Combining 3-D Reconstruction Of Coral Reefs And Rugosity Measurement Using Still

Images

Holger Anlauf 1, Neil Gordon Smith

2, Bernard Ghanem

2, Burton Jones

1

1 KAUST- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Red Sea Research Center,

Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia 2

KAUST- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Visual Computing Centre,

Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia *Corresponding author Email: [email protected]

Coral reefs are recognized as the biologically most diverse marine ecosystem. Throughout the

Anthropocene, the fragile coral reef communities have been severely altered at a global scale.

Continuously rising seawater temperatures, further non-sustainable coastal urbanization, and

ocean acidification represent only a selection of stressors intensifying the pressure on coral reef

communities with many coral reefs having shifted to a lower ecological state already. The

biodiversity and structural complexity of coral reefs are important indicators of the health of the

ecosystem. As the ecological state of the coral reef ecosystem is in transition, the assessment of

coral reef habitat characteristics must follow to provide a rapid and more comprehensive analysis

of reef habitats. The advancements of modern digital cameras and computer vision algorithms

open the possibility of exploring new inexpensive techniques for underwater reconstruction and

automated methods for classification providing important information to coastal managers in

shorter periods of time. Here, we show first results from 3-D reconstructions of coral reef

topography from still images to identify ecological features and their changes over time. The

Structure-from-Motion technique was applied to reconstruct a 3-D map of a coral reef section of

100m at the central Saudi Arabian Red Sea coastline using 2-D images. The 2-D images were

taken from different viewpoints, which are then automatically correlated to derive the original

camera positions in 3-D space. The reconstructed 3-D point cloud was triangulated into a 3-D

model of the coral reef. Excisions of the 3-D coral reef model were cut to create profiles to

estimate the rugosity of the reef. The excised profiles were compared to profiles obtained from

digital reef rugosity measurements using digital level gauges. 3D-reconstruction of the coral reef

topography from still images is feasible and provides information of the structural complexity

and growth of the corals. The reef rugosity data from excised profiles provide information that is

comparable to previous data sets. The method shows robustness and applicability to the extent

that it could become a viable alternative to other 3-D methods of scanning and reef rugosity

assessments.



of 112

P24BD

Application of the oil-degrading bacterial consortia for the degradation of crude oil in

small volume vessels

Abdul-salam F. Juhmani1*

, Emad Hussein1, Fuad A. Al-Horani

2, Hanan Malkawi

1

1 Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Yarmouk University, Jordan

2Department of Marine Biology, Faculty of Marine Sciences, University of Jordan-Aqaba

Branch, Aqaba- Jordan


Crude oil spills and their impact on the environment are of global concern due to their toxicity,

and carcinogenicity. During this assessment, the levels of total hydrocarbons were determined in

seawater and sediments collected from Red sea contaminated sites at the Gulf of Aqaba, Jordan.

A microbial study was carried out in 5 L glass vessels using seven consortia (MSS, MSW, OS,

OW, PS, PW and FW) that Were previously constructed and were grown in vessels containing

minimal media, in the presence of 0.5 % crude oil as the sole source of C and/or N.

Biodegradation was determined by measuring the residual hydrocarbon by gas chromatography,

cell mass and the evolved CO2. The specific degradation rate (qs) of crude oil was achieved

about 0.043 ng/MPN/day. The population dynamics of the microorganisms showed that the

degradation process closely correlated with the growth of bacterial strains and carbon dioxide

evolution. For analyzing the complexity of the microbial communities from the broth,

Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)-Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) was used

to identify the composition diversity and dynamic changes .



of 112

P25BD Characterization and seasonality of bacterial communities associated with Galaxea

fascicularis mucus in the Gulf of Aqaba in Jordan

Mutaz A. Abdelrazaq, Fadi M. Jaber1, Emad Hussein

1, Fuad A. Al-Horani

2

1Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Yarmouk University, Jordan

2Department of Marine Biology, Faculty of Marine Sciences, University of Jordan-Aqaba

Branch, Aqaba- Jordan


Coral reefs are among the most diverse marine ecosystems; however, little is known about their

Microbial diversity in these ecosystems. The present study aimed to help in establishing a

comprehensive glimpse for future examinations of changes in the bacterial community

associated with hard coral Galaxea fascicularis during different seasons in the Jordanian coast of

the Gulf of Aqaba. In the current study we characterize and identified the culturable bacterial

community within the mucus in different time of year by using culture-based methods and

molecular techniques. The results showed that the concentration of colony- forming unit (CFU)

in the coral mucus was about 107–10

10 per ml. In general, the culturable heterotrophic bacterial

community of the mucus of this coral is composed mainly of the bacterial group Gamma

proteobacteria. Also, this study provides new evidence about the changing of bacterial

communities associated with coral mucus during the seasonality, Marine bacteria associated with

mucus of G. fascicularis coral were successfully isolated and cultured on Marine agar is different

during seasonality in the same sampling site that led us to propose the coral-associated bacterial

population undergoes a rapid change when environmental conditions are altered.



of 112

P26MB

Antimicrobial Activity of Bioactive Compounds Produced by Bacteria Associated with

Stylophora pistillata and Galaxea Fascicularis in the Gulf of Aqaba

Farah Al- Waked*



Tropical coral reefs are highly diverse and productive ecosystems, where complex abiotic

environment gradients provide multiple habitats and niches over time and space. Bacteria are

known to be abundant and active in seawater and sediment around corals, and their mucus. The

main goal of this study is to examine the ability of coral associated bacterial isolates to produce

antibacterial compounds in addition, a partial characterization of the antimicrobial agents

produced by bacteria associated with to corals Stylophora pistillata and Galaxea fascicularis

previously isolated from the Gulf of Aqaba, Jordan.

Seven bacterial isolates were investigated in the current study for their potential in generating

antimicrobial (anti-bacterial and anti-fungal) agents. The effect of the marine isolates was tested

against bacterial reference Bacillus cereus ATCC 11778, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213,

Micrococcus luteus ATCC 9341, Staphylococcus epidermis ATCC 12228, Pseudomonas

aeruginosa ATCC 13048 and Serratia marcescens ATCC 27117 and the antifungal screening

against fungal references ( Candidal albicans ATCC 10123, Aspergillus nidulans and

Aspergillus nuger ) using agar well diffusion assay.

Obtained results showed that the highest zone of inhibition in mucus isolates was against

Micrococcus luteus, while the lowest was against Serratia marcescens. The minimum inhibitory

concentration was determined using broth dilution method, the highest value was 600 mg/ml and

the lowest was 450 mg/ml. In addition, the bioactive compound containing were partially

characterized through solvent fraction and proteolytic digestion. Results shows that the bioactive

compound are mostly polar and protein in nature. In general, the mucus-associated bacterial

species were identified as Psychrobacteraquaticus, Pseudomonas stutzeri,

Stenotrophomonasmaltophilia, Pseudomonas segetis, Vibrio chagasii, Vibrio pomeroyi,

Psychrobacterpacificensis. The present study suggests that coral associated bacteria provide

corals with a set of bioactive compounds that help corals to live within the hostile marine

environment.



of 112

P27MB

Reproductive biology of Liza ramada (Risso, 1826) (Pisces Mugilidae) in the Algiers coast

(Algeria)

Kahina Bouzidi*

USTHB, Algeria


A study was made on the reproductive biology of Liza ramada (Pisces, Mugilidae) present in the

Algiers coast (Algeria), which revealed fundamental information about reproduction dynamics of

this species. Gonadosomatic Index (GSI) value was highest in November for both sexes and

maintained this level from September to December. It was inferred that the spawning period

extends through these months. It has been noted the maximum value of the Liversomatic Index

(LSI) is reached one month prior the maximum of the Gonadosomotic Index (GSI) for both

sexes, these indexes evolves inversely. This indicates the transfer of the lipids from liver into

gonads happens at the end of the sexual maturity, accordingly Liza ramada can be classified as a

lean fish. The First maturation occurs at the length of 30.7cm for females whereas for males is

reached earlier at 28cm, which is most common for fishes. Absolute fecundity varied from

13505 to 628125 eggs per female. The absolute fecundity relations to the fish total length,

standard length, total weight, gutted weight and gonad weight were calculated. Gonad weight

was found to be the best indicator of the fecundity of Liza Ramada and it is best described by the

following equation: F = 2101.8 Wg + 63301. Relative fecundity is estimated at 248 eggs/g.

Females with length varying between 39cm and 47cm are the most contributing to the renewal of

germinal stock.


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