Observations on some hydrochemical aspects of the United Arab Emirates waters along the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

Abstract

Surface and bottom water samples were collected from the United Arab Emirates waters along the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman during the period from October 1993 to September 1995. Samples were analyzed for temperature (21.1-33.5oC), salinity (35.86-43.20%), pH (7.94-8.40), transparency (4.5-17.5 m), dissolved oxygen (3.94-8.72 mg/1), ammonia (ND-22.7 ug-at N/l), nitrite (ND-2.16 (ug-at N/l), nitrate (ND-18.12 ug-at N/l), phosphate (0.01-4.22 ug-at P/l), and silicate (0.62-15.38 ug-at Si/1). The levels and distributions of the hydrochemical parameters in the investigated area showed that the Arabian Gulf seawater exhibited higher salinity (1.07 times), and ammonia (1.60 times) compared to the Gulf of Oman waters. Meantime, the Gulf of Oman waters were more transparent (1.30 times), and more oxygenated (1.07 times) . Moreover, seawater at the Gulf of Oman showed a tendency to concentrate nitrite (1.25 times), nitrate (1.72 times), phosphate (1.40 times), and silicate (1.06 times) which reveal relatively oligotrophic conditions in the Arabian Gulf waters. The Calculated atomic ratios of the elements P:N:Si in seawater of the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman were, particularly in the Gulf of Oman water, different from Redifield ratio and indicated that inorganic phosphorus was the limiting factor.