Characteristics of Mediterranean Sea water in vicinity of Sidikerir Region, west of Alexandria, Egypt

AbstractA hot spot region of the Mediterranean Sea located at Sidikerir west of Alexandria was chosen to evaluate the present status of its water quality due to the direct impacts of effect of the power station, petroleum pipe company (SUMED) and some tourist villages. Subsurface and near bottom water samples were collected seasonally during 2012 at eight locations to measure physicochemical and nutrient salts characteristics as indicators of the water quality.Temporal, spatial fluctuations as well as statistical correlations between the analyzed variables were examined. They demonstrated a wide range of water temperature (17.14–26.31°C), narrow fluctuations in salinity (37.51–39.71), and well-oxygenated seawaters (4.16–8.00mgO2/l), low amounts of oxidizable organic matter (1.92mgO2/l) and the seawater was slightly alkaline (pH range 8.03–8.53). Nutrient characteristics sustained the levels up to 1.68, 11.00, 8.82, 1.15 and 33.18μM for reactive phosphates, reactive silicates, ammonium, nitrite and nitrate, respectively. Total nitrogen and total phosphorous were fluctuated between 17.63–118.65 and 0.20–2.80μM, respectively. Trophic states, as well as factors affecting the water quality of study area, were evaluated. The water quality index WQI demonstrated that Sidikerir water was between medium and good