Impact of Human Activity on Marine and Coastal Environment in the Gulf of Tadjourah

Abstract

Extensive research with the aim of establishing seawater quality monitoring is considered essential of any integrated coastal management program. The present study reports for the first time the republic of Djibouti costal water quality. The state of the sixteen stations’ seawater quality was assessed on the basis of determination of temporal and spatial variability of inorganic nutrients with physicochemical variables. The samples were collected seasonally from different areas such as harbor and important touristic area in the Gulf of Tadjourah for three years (2008, 2009 and 2012). The seawater temperatures, pH or Chlorophyll a of sampling sites were evaluated and compared to those of the Gulf of Tadjourah or Red Sea waters. Relatively high concentrations of nutrients (for some sites) and very low chlorophyll a concentrations (0.006 to 0.06 μg.l-1) were observed at sampling sites. The seawater concentrations of trace metals in ten stations across the Doraleh coast, where is located the main port of Djibouti, were also investigated in 20012 and the values were compared to the normal range of concentrations for seawater. The levels of microbial concentrations were also determined for the main beaches of Djibouti-city and showed relatively higher concentrations for stations beaches close to sewage outfall.