ACTUAL SITUATION OF OIL POLLUTION IN THE ECOSYSTEM ALONG THE EGYPTIAN RED SEA COAST Hassan Awad, P. Michel, and A. El-Shazly Alexandria University Institut Scientifique et Technique des Peches Mariti.es1 Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries Alexandria, Egypt

ACTUAL SITUATION OF OIL POLLUTION IN THE ECOSYSTEM
ALONG THE EGYPTIAN RED SEA COAST
Hassan Awad, P. Michel, and A. El-Shazly
Alexandria University
Institut Scientifique et Technique des Peches Mariti.es1
Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries
Alexandria, Egypt
IISince the reopening of the Suez Canal in 1975. there has been
an increase in petroleum production in the Egyptian territorial
waters of the Red Sea (especially in the Gulf of Suez) as well as its
transport across the Suez Canal. One consequence has been intensive
oil pollution along the Egyptian Red Sea coast. To evaluate the
effects of the pollution. 30 marine samples (sediments, algae. molluscs. and fish) were collected in April 1981. from 8 stations extending 500 kilometers from Suez to Safaga and analyzed by gas
chromatography for total hydrocarbon content.
Because of the variations in the collected species. it was
difficult to establish a spatial comparison along the coast. However. at certain stations. there were very high levels of hydrocarbons in species such as Patella sp. and Nerita polita from Ain
Sukhna, Atactodea sp. from Al-Ghardaqa. and two speci es of fi sh
(Sardinella melanura and Lethrinus miniatus) from Al-Ghardaqa. In
general. the hydrocarbon levels from the species collected at Allihardaqa were hi gher than those found el sewhere. 1I