Environmental Approach and Influence of Red Tide to Desalination Process in the Middle East Region

Water is desalinated in order to be converted to unsalted (fresh) water which is suitable for human consumption or irrigation. The process produces salt as a by-product. It is also used on many seagoing ships and submarines. Most of the modern interest in desalination is focused on developing cost-effective ways of providing fresh water for human use in regions where the availability of fresh water is limited. Large-scale desalination typically uses extremely large amounts of energy as well as specialized, expensive infrastructure, making it very costly compared to the use of fresh water from rivers or groundwater. The large energy reserves of many Middle Eastern countries, along with their relative water scarcity, have led to extensive construction of desalination in this region. The marine Cochlodinium polykrikoides is one of several taxon responsible for the ecologically and economically important phenomenon known as harmful algal blooms (HABs), commonly referred to as ‘red tides’. A phenomenon known as a ‘red tide ’ is actually the result of an algal bloom, an event in which marine or fresh water algae accumulate rapidly in the water. The effect of excessive algae on fish can be lethal. It produces oxygen radicals which can damage fish gills, possibly leading to suffocation. These Cochlodinium species are known as responsible for severe and widespread HABs in the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman. The red tide causes of killing thousands of tons of fish and limiting traditional fishery operations, damaging coral reefs, impacting coastal tourism, and forcing the closure of desalination plants in the region. Some red tides are associated with the production of natural toxins, depletion of dissolved oxygen or other harmful impacts, and are generally described as harmful algal blooms. The most conspicuous effects o