Assessment of sources and effect of mineral

dust fluxes on biochemical processes in the

northern ROPME Sea Area; challenges and

Future plans"

Technical Workshop on

Monitoring and Assessment of

SDS in the Marine Environment

of ROPME Sea Area

Dubai, UAE,

11-12 October 2015

Dr. Turki Al-Said

Oceanography Group/EBMMR/ELSRC

KISR

Talk outline

• Current situation and stressors; Kuwait’s

waters

• Oceanographic activities and

Achievements

• Recent findings, salinity, temp, nutrients

and trace metals

• New projects

• Dust project (NIO joint project).

Kuwait: Unique Marine Environment

• Coastline ~ 180 km, maximum depth is 30 m.

• Euphotic, Eutrophic, High species diversity

• Heterogeneous, composed of various coastal habitats

• Kuwait’s surface water temp is 23.8°C.

• Summer 30.5°C up to 36°C ; winter 10°C to 14°C

• Mean annual salinity: 41.6 psu; reaching up to 45

psu

•Variability in water quality of Kuwait‘s northern

waters is strongly linked with variability in the

volume and quality of river flow

• Fresh water input in 2013 was insignificant

•Considerable salinity increase over the last decade

(1.8-11.3 psu in long term monitored stations)

•Decreasing trend of annually averaged

chlorophyll a concentrations (0.08 μg l-1 per year)

Current Situation

•Degradation of habitat quality

•Over-fishing and reduction of stocks

abundance

Fisheries : the only important

natural recourse of fresh food

in Kuwait

Annual shrimp catches around 2200 tons

Annual finfish catches around 5000 tons

Annual dust storms (60-200 x 106 tons, 50% of the total

dust emissions in to the troposphere)

Stressors

Build up of Salinity

Rising temperature

Less freshwater flow

Highly polluted

Desalination plants

Kuwait

Rivers in

IranRivers in

Iraq

6

Kuwait Bay; Recent Fish Kill: Sept-2014

Oceanography Activities

• Physical and Chemical parameters

• Micronutrients (Trace Metals) & Macronutrients

• Phytoplankton including Harmful Algal Blooms

• Zooplankton biology

• Benthic Biota

• Fish & Invertebrate larvae.

• Understanding the mechanisms by

which marine biogeochemical cycles

control marine life and, in turn, how

marine life controls biogeochemical

cycles.

• Research focusing on physical,

chemical and biological processes

directly connected with biological

productivity of the sea, from marine

microbes to the fish larvae, through

marine food webs.

Mission

TemperatureSalinity

Dissolved

oxygen

Turbidity

Silicate

Nitrate

Phosphate

Zooplankton

abundance

Phytoplankton

community

Examples of Completed studies

• Assessment of the Effects of the Shatt Al-Arab

• Dynamic Oceanography of the North-western Waters of Inner

RSA

• Aeolian dust rich in essential micronutrients experiments

• Biodiversity of phytoplankton including harmful algal blooms

• Oceanographic Atlas of Kuwait’s Waters

• Oceanographic and Environment Assessment of Kuwait Bay in

relevance to Toxic Algal Blooms

10

◦ Sampling design◦ Sampling

◦ Sea water analyses (equipment measurements)

◦ Biological analyses (microscopic and molecular)◦ Taxonomical studies (Keys and guides)◦ Quantitative analyses

◦ Data entry◦ Data interpretation◦ Statistical Analyses

Guideline

11

Sampling in Kuwait Waters

• 20 µm net for phytoplankton

• 110 µm net for zooplankton

• Niskin and GoFlo bottles are used to collect

seawater samples for chemical and biological

variables.

• Pumping system is recently developed to

collect dissolved Iron samples.

• In-situ measurements for continuous depth profiles of the physical

and chemical variables.

• Measurements always assessed by

quality control and quality

assurance procedures (QA/QC).

• New established trace metal lab

Adsorptive cathodic stripping

voltammetry (Ad-CSV).

• Nutrient measurements are

conducted using Skalar Auto-

analyzer.

• Flow injection analysis method

(FIA) to measure dissolved and

particulate iron .

Seawater Analysis

Zooplankton and Phytoplankton

Biomass and Community Analyses

• 323 phytoplankton species were

described from Kuwait’s waters

• 77 potentially harmful microalgae species

was identified

• 50 tintinnid species were recorded and

described.

• 476 taxa of macrozoobenthos were

recorded and identified.

• 272 benthic diatoms were described

from Kuwait’s bottom sediments

• 85 macroalgal species were identified

from Kuwait's marine environment

14

• Viruses and Bacteria Quantification( FACSort Flow Cytometer)

• Phytoplankton Culture Experiments

• Macroalgal Community

Analyses(DT-X Biosonics Echosounder)

Recent Field of Work

• Fish kill occurred in Kuwait bay

and marinas

• Massive oyster kill

• Frequent algal blooms

15

Response to environmental crises

Most of these crises are attributed to accumulated stress on the

environment

16

Training courses

• The Measurements of Trace Metals

(Cu, Ni, Co and Fe) in Seawater using

Adsorptive Cathodic Stripping

Voltammetry (AdCSV) & Flow Injection

Analyzer (FIA) (Introductory).

• The Measurements of Nutrients in

Seawater; regional and national

participants

Examples of Publications

18

Findings and

observations;

Kuwait’s waters

19

Years

04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14

Wa

te

r t

em

pe

ra

tu

re

, oC

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Long-term variability of surface seawater temperature

during 2004-2013 at all routine oceanographic

stations.

Annually averaged data for June-August over the 2005-2012 have shown the increasing tendencies of seawater temperature.

AVHRR (NOAA) satellite data for Kuwait Bay collected over the period of

1985-2002, showed that sea surface temperature (SST) has steadily increased at a rate of 0.6±0.3oC per decade.

20

04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14

Salin

ity,

PSU

25

30

35

40

45

50

St. A

R2 = 0.77, t = 17.3

04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14

Turb

idit

y, F

TU

1

10

100

1000

Years

04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14

Salin

ity,

PSU

32

34

36

38

40

42

44

46

St. 3

R2 = 0.62, t = 11.0

04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14

Salin

ity,

PSU

30

35

40

45

50

R2 = 0.72, t = 15.3

St. B

Long-term

variability of

surface salinity

at St’s A, B, 3

over the 2004-

2013

approximation

functions (red

solid lines).

21

• Increasing of salinity over the last

decade was estimated to be of 1.8-11.3

psu for different stations.

• Salinity data for 2013 have shown that

fresh water input into the Inner RSA was

insignificant especially during spring

season, which could have significant

implications on fisheries (e.g. timing of

spawning).

Long-term variability of Salinity during 2004-2013 at all

routine oceanographic stations.

Statio

ns

Minimum

(PSU)

Maximum

(PSU)

A26.99 47.56

B 32.2346.18

334.26 44.62

K637.48 44.34

636.65 43.74

1836.38 42.06

22

Stations NO3 (M) PO4 (M) SiO3 (M)

A 6.98 (0.58-20.69) 0.52 (0.13-0.85) 18.05 (10.34-24.69)

K6 0.31 (0.04-0.84) 0.18 (0.08-0.32) 11.46 (1.11-20.63)

18 0.21 (0.07-0.71) 0.16 (0.02-0.49) 4.87 (1.89-7.62)

Average Nutrients Concentrations and

Ranges of its Variability (is given in

brackets) Observed at the Three Stations

in Kuwait’s Waters (2012-2013).

Why this is Important to monitor and

understand ???

Nutrients in Kuwait’s Water; Why?

23

Partec Flow

Cytometry FL1 (DNA

stain detection) vs

FL3

(autofluorescence)

plots. Gated (bacteria

in blue & viruses in

green) data for (A) 30

μm (B) 4 μm and (C)

0.02 μm (control).

A: 30 µm C: 0.02 µm B: 4 µm

FW

K6

C

bacteria

viruses

Marine Viruses

and bacteria

Kuwait’s waters

24

• Average trace metal concentrations

recorded in Kuwait’s waters

Cu: 13.27 nM

Ni 14.17 nM

Co: 0.85 nM

Fe: 5.34 nM

• Observed values are lower than

those previously reported.

• Linking findings and biological activity

Trace metals in Kuwait’s

waters

25

• Assessment of the temporal and spatial

variability of bio-chemical properties

(dissolved oxygen, pH, trace metal,

chlorophyll-a and inorganic nutrients) and

physical parameters in Kuwait's waters.

• Baseline Study; promising findings

Ongoing project

T1.7

T1.6

T1.5

T1.4

T1.3

T1.2

T1.1

T2.1

T2.2T2.3

T2.4

T2.5T2.6

T2.7

T4.1

T4.2

T4.3

T4.4

T4.5

T4.6T3.1

T3.2

T3.3

T3.4

T3.5

T3.6

26

Recent Findings:

Transects Cu (nM) Ni (nM) Co (nM) Zn (nM)

1 17.03 24.51 0.72 9.57

2 12.95 20.12 0.77 19.56

3 7.57 12.44 0.61 8.30

4 8.21 13.72 0.58 6.47

• Average concentration of total dissolved

trace metals at different transects

conducted during June 2015 (summer) in

Kuwait’s water

Ni>Cu>Zn>Co.

Higher trace metal concentration observed in

Transects 1 & 2 (Kuwait Bay) compared to

Transects 3 & 4 (north and southern waters).

27

• The need of comprehensive detailed studies

correlating the oceanographic parameters

variability and fish productivity hence, assessing

the environmental oceanographic factors role and

consequences.

• Time for new research to be conducted:

• Examples Mesocosm experiments (Climate

change) Geomar germany

• Effects of dust on biological activity NIO India

• Marine bioprospecting: Isolation and

characterization of bioactive compounds from

marine sources such as seaweeds and bacteria

What is next ?

28

Summary:

Main stresses and oceanographic features of Kuwait’s sea water has

been clearly described.

Biochemical i.e. Trace Metals & Nutrients, phytoplankton,

Zooplankton and have been documented during last decade.

Potential new experiments and new project ideas were also

described.

Capabilities of the oceanographic group (KISR) will lead to effective

participation in regional collaboration project.

ASSESSMENT OF SOURCES AND

EFFECT OF MINERAL DUST FLUXES

ON OCEAN BIOCHEMICAL

PROCESSES

KISR, KUWAIT

CSIR NIO, INDIA

TURKI ALSAID *

ALI M. AL-DOUSARI

New Project

30

• Kuwait is subjected to severe dust and sand

storms.

• Recognition of aeolian dust as an important

source of iron to marine photosynthetic

organisms

• The deposition of atmospheric dust is the

primary process supplying trace metals such

as Al, Mn and Fe to the surface ocean.

• The residence time in surface waters for each

of these elements differs according to their

chemical speciation and biological utilization

(Wuttig et al. 2013).

Introduction

31

• Few studies have been conducted to understand

the effect of dust on the biological activity in

Kuwait’s waters:

• Incubation experiment (Subba Rao et al.,

1999,Subba Rao et al., 2003).) spiking eolian dust

rich in(Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Zn, Mn, Pb) increased

phytoplankton growth; red tide proportions.

• Dust impact is a major ecological force in the

formation of algal blooms Subba Rao et al. (2003)

and Ismail et al. (2007).

• However, detailed study on effect of duct on the

biological abundances and associated processes

in Kuwait waters is urgently needed.

Background

Dust storm over Kuwait and neighbouring countries on January 8, 2013.

32

1. Enhancement in the understanding the effect of mineral dust on

ocean productivity and thereby the drawdown of atmospheric CO2.

2. To assess the sources and effect of mineral dust fluxes on ocean

biogeochemical processes in the northern Inner RSA. (a) To

estimate the atmospheric deposition of mineral dust and its soluble

fraction (inorganic leachable ions and nutrients). (b) effect of mineral

dust fluxes on ocean biology and chemistry.

3. Identification of sources of mineral dust to Kuwait and north-west

Inner RSA.

4. Provide a database of mineralogy, geochemical and isotopic

characteristics of mineral dust and the soluble component of mineral

dust for future reference.

Project Objectives

33

•Install dust collectors at Failaka island and

KISR campus 2 sites

•Sampling will be conducted for 1 year ????

collecting dust aerosols particles and

seawater samples.

•Dust samples will be analyzed for chemical

composition, mineralogy, grain-size, isotopes

to identify the original source.

•Estimate the total amount of dust being

deposited in the Kuwait waters and the fluxes

of soluble components through leaching.

Project description; overview

34

Dust Collectors

Previous Installed dust trap in

the field in Kuwait. (Dr. Ali M.

Al-Dousari)

Cape Verde Atmospheric Observatory

(CVAO) with a 30 m-tower

for aerosol particle sampling , ~100 m

offshore.

35

•Seawater samples will be collected to understand the

impact of the dust on primary production and its

possible role in carbon sequestration.

•Routine measurements will include monthly sampling

of biogeochemical parameters such as dissolved

oxygen, pH, nutrients, metals and chlorophylla.

•Seasonal measurements will be carried out for

dissolved inorganic carbon and alkalinity to understand

the impact on the carbonate system.

•Fractional solubility (FracSol%) of an element from

the dissolution of dust particles in seawater will be

Project description; overview

36

•POC and nitrogen will be measured seasonally to

document the impact on carbon and nitrogen cycling

in addition to tracing the source of organic matter.

•14C incubation will also be carried out to estimate the

amount of carbon fixed by phytoplankton to

understand the amount of carbon dioxide

sequestered through dust input.

•Phytoplankton speciation through microscopy and

pigment measurement through HPLC

Project description; overview

37

• Incubation experiments will be carried out by

applying dust particles collected from different

locations in Kuwait to phytoplankton assemblages.

Project Description; overview

38

Available Equipment and resources

KISR; international and regional

cooperation

Catamaran Boat

Niskin samplers (5 litres)

AAQ170 RinKo CTD for measurements

of water temperature, salinity, depth,

dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll-a

concentration, pH and turbidity

Milli-Q water system

pH meter, Digital balances, Micro

pipettes

Filtration units to filter seawater samples

39

Ad-CSV(797 VA Computrace)

FIA (FeLume)

Skalar Auto Analyser

Fluorometer for chlorophyll a measurements

TOC analyzer

Laminar Flow cabinets

ICP-MS, XRD, GF-AAS & HPLC

Digesting hotplate 3000 digestion system (rated

1400 W)

Full equipped laboratories

Qualified Manpower

Available Equipment and resources

KISR

40

Regional International Cooperation

41

Collaboration Opportunities for SDS ROPME program

• Future cooperation and joint projects with national and

international sectors are always welcomed:

• Instrumentation

• Dust collectors

• Leaching of the dust particles

• Provide training for regional scientists

• Usage of KISR laboratory's

• Participate in regional pilot and

large scale experiments

Thank you

Dr. Faiza Al-Yamani

Dr. Igor Polikarpov

Dr. Manal Al-Kandari

Dr. Loreta Fernandes

Dr. Sabeena Farvin

Dr. A. Surendraraj

Dr. Valeriy. Skryabin

Mr. Alan Lennox

Mr. Aws Alghunaim

Mrs. Kholood Al-Rifaie

Mrs. Maryam Al-Enezi

Mrs. Wafa Al-Rashed

Ms. Hadeel Al-Mansouri

Ms. Sarah Al-Jutaili

Mr. Ali Al-Hashem

Ms. Hanan Al-Al-Adilah

Mr. Yousef Al-Enezi

Mrs. Raziya Kedila

Mrs. Jessy Sevastian

Mr. Hani Anees Bezedan

Mr. Sainulabdeen Shajim

Mr. SasiKumar