Quality of the marine environment in Iran

Life in our planet is dependent upon the oceans and seas, which are the sources of wealth, opportunity and abundance. About 71% of the surface of this planet is covered by salt water. The water depth averages 3.8km, a volume of 1370 x 106 km3. They provide us food, energy and water and sustain the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people. They are the main highway for international trade as well as the main stabilizer of the world s climate. Marine environments are diverse and can change rapidly depending on tide waters and currents. They include many unique animals and plants, such as corals and bi-valves, and manyunique habitats. The marine environment can be described or characterized at a number of different scales, ranging from ocean-level processes through to those that occur at species and genetic level. This paper presents information on the current status of marine environmental quality in the Iran, with focuses on the impacts of human activities on the marine environment and its resources, providing an assessment of current status and trends, based on current knowledge and information. It covers fish and fisheries, aquaculture, nutrients and eutrophication, hazardous substances, microbiological contamination, oil and oil-based contaminants, construction and aggregate extraction, litter.

کلیدواژه ها:

Marine Environment ، environmental management ، impacts of human activities ، Eutrophication