Vulnerability assessment of bivalves due to climate change and coastal pollution in Nile Delta coastal region
Ayman A. El-Gamal1* and Ibrahim H. Saleh2
1 Marine Geology Department, Coastal Research Institute, National Water Research Center, 15, St. Elpharanaa, Elshalalat, Postal Code 21514, Alexandria, Egypt.
* corresponding author: ayman_elgamal@yahoo.com
2 Environmental Studies Department, Institute of Graduate Studies and Research, Alexandria University, P. O. Box 832, El-Shatby, Alexandria, Egypt.
Abstract
Egypt is faced two major environmental problems on its coastal zone and it will have a direct and critical impact on Egypt’s entire economy. The first problem is the climate change and its impact of the coastal environment and the second is the coastal pollution. Successful environmental management and governance can be realized through maximum dissemination of information. The aim of this work is to assess the bivalves’ vulnerability to the climate change and coastal pollution using its hard structure (shells). Comparison between the growth rate and calcium carbonate contents between Cardium edulis and Mactra corallina shells collected from Nile Delta coast at 1999 with the recent shells collected during 2011 from the same place was carried out to check the different environmental effects of climate change and coastal pollution between the 12 years intervals on the shells.Al, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, V, Zn and U were measured using ICP for the shells under investigation. The investigation of the differences of Cardium shell thicknesses revealed that the shells collected during 1999 were thicker than shells collected during 2011. It means that the availability of calcium carbonate,which is critical for the organism to build its shells,become less in Nile Delta coastal environment than in 1999 which indicated more CO2 turned to carbonic acid and more acidification. Influence of water temperature increase of on shells has been recognized.
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