Marine Biology Commons^™

Essential And Non-Essential Amino Acid Composition Of Hilsa (Tenualosa Ilisha) Fish In Different Fishing Regions Of Bangladesh, Mohajira Begum, Md. Moshfekus Saleh-E-In, Md. Zia Uddin Al Mamun, Umma Fatema Shahjadee, Farha Matin Juliana, Md. Sabir Hossain

Journal of King Abdulaziz University: Marine Science

Hilsa, Tenualosa ilisha (Hamilton, 1822), is one of the favourite and popular tropical fish in the people of South-East Asia due to its delicious taste and flavour. This study investigates the comprehensive amino acid profiles of various fishing locations of Bangladesh to assess the protein quality and nutritional values. Fourteen free amino acids were identified from the six riverine locations of Bangladesh. The total free amino acid (TAA) contents were ranged from 11.60 g/100 g in Cox's Bazar to 13,40 g/100 g in Kirtonkhola for raw fish. In the case of smoked treated, the TAA ranged from 14.01 g/100 g …

Operational Risk Assessment Of Ship To Shore Petroleum Transfer Using Fuzzy Rule-Based Bayesian Networks, Ayman F. Alghanmi

Journal of King Abdulaziz University: Marine Science

Petroleum ports represent critical infrastructure in global energy supply chains, where operational risks during ship-to-shore transfer operations can lead to catastrophic consequences including environmental damage and human casualties. Despite rigorous safety protocols, these facilities remain vulnerable to operational hazards in dynamic maritime environments. This research aimed to develop and apply a hybrid Fuzzy Rule-Based Bayesian Reasoning (FRBBR) model to identify, evaluate, and prioritize operational hazards during crude oil transfer operations at petroleum port berths, with a case study conducted in Saudi Arabia, addressing the challenge of risk assessment where historical data is limited.
The research employed a mixed-methods approach combining …

Revolutionizing Coral Research: The Power Of Holo-Omics, Mohammad M. Binsarhan

Journal of King Abdulaziz University: Marine Science

This mini-review highlights the emerging field of holo-omics and its application in unraveling the complex dynamics of the coral holobiont. Corals exist as meta-organisms, closely interacting with a diverse microbiota including bacteria, archaea, microeukaryotes, viruses, and algal symbionts. Understanding these intricate relationships is critical for assessing coral health, stress responses, and resilience to environmental change. We explore the application of meta-omics approaches such as metabarcoding, metagenomics, meta-transcriptomics, metabolomics, and proteomics in profiling coral-associated microbial communities and their functions. The review sheds light on the methodological advantages and limitations of each approach, as well as some of the technical challenges involved …

Microalgae As Sustainable Biofactories For Bioplastic Production: Challenges And Future Perspectives: A Review, Zahraa Hussein Obaid, Noor S. Naji, Jasim M. Salman, Layla Mustafa A.A. Alkatrani

Journal of King Abdulaziz University: Marine Science

The widespread use of traditional plastics, combined with their slow breakdown, has exacerbated environmental and health problems. Therefore, it has become imperative to find alternatives. Due to their simplicity of cultivation, quick growth, tolerance to challenging growing conditions, and low cost, microalgae are being used more frequently as a bio-source for bioplastics lately. Additionally, a variety of biopolymers, including polyhydroxybutyrate, polylactic acid (PLA), starch, polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), protein, and cellulose, could be produced by microalgae. These polymers show promising qualities including biodegradability, biocompatibility, and non-toxicity under various cultivation conditions. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the potential of microalgae …

Magnetically Treated Water: Enhancing Stocking Density, Water Quality, And Growth In Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis Niloticus), Mortada M. A. Hussein, Ayatollah A. H. Abd-El Said, Asmaa N. Mohammed, Fatma M. M. Korni

Journal of King Abdulaziz University: Marine Science

This study aimed to explore the potential of using magnetic treated water (MTW) to increase stocking densities of growing Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, in storage, productive, and/or rearing holding facilities with limited mortality and water loss. The experimental period was 12 weeks, with 1500 O. niloticus fingerlings acclimated with maintained water parameters. After acclimation, 1350 were randomly selected and used for experiment setting up, including its triplicates. For each replicate, 225 fingerlings were distributed in three experimental tanks of MTW units as group set A, B and C, each received 50, 75, and 100 fingerlings, respectively. Besides, 225 fingerlings …

Environmental Assessment Of The Shatt Al-Basra Canal: Petroleum Hydrocarbons, Heavy Metals And Water Quality, Mohammed A. Jasim Aldoghachi, Bassam A. B. Alabdul Aziz, Shurooq Al-Mosawi

Journal of King Abdulaziz University: Marine Science

The environmental assessment of the Shatt al-Basra Canal in the area of the regulatory was studied. Petroleum hydrocarbons and heavy elements (cobalt (Co), zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and chromium (Cr)) in the waters of this area were analyzed. In addition, some water quality characteristics were evaluated (salinity, total dissolved solids (TDS), pH, oxygen, biological oxygen demand (BOD₅), chemical oxygen demand (COD), nitrate (NO_3^-), nitrite (NO_2^-), phosphate (PO₄ ^-3), and ammonia (NH₃). Petroleum hydrocarbons had been recorded in studied area and dominated with medium-chain alkanes, namely decane …

Impacts Of Coastal Development And Tourism On Fisheries And Aquatic Biodiversity Of The Red Sea: A Review, Lafi S. Al Solami

Journal of King Abdulaziz University: Marine Science

The Red Sea boasts a diverse coastal environment, unique coral reef biodiversity, and fisheries that support rapidly growing marine tourism. Its excellent tourism facilities make it a popular destination. However, intensive tourist activities such as swimming, boating, diving, and fishing have a negative impact on the coastal and marine ecosystem. Additionally, in line with Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia has launched mega projects along the Red Sea coast, increasing tourist activity and leading to human intrusion into critical yet vulnerable marine ecosystems like coral reefs, fish, sea grass beds, and mangrove stands. With the rise in tourism activities and disruptions to …

Coastal Landforms Analysis Of Al-Kharrar Lagoon And Rabigh Coast Using Aster (Ast_L1t) Imagery, Western Saudi Arabia, Omar A. Alharbi

Journal of King Abdulaziz University: Marine Science

The current study sought to examine the coastal geomorphology throughout the entire length of the Al-Kharrar Lagoon, in addition to the coastal region of Rabigh City, situated on the western coast of Saudi Arabia. The mechanisms underlying the formation of the wide variety of natural land features were also studied. These include sandy, pebble and rocky beaches and sand dunes; intertidal areas; salt flats (sabkhas) and marshes; elevated, terraced or fringing coral reefs; water inlets; and the deposition of terrigenous or alluvial materials, all reflecting the swift transformation that has impacted the region. Evaluation of the ASTER (AST_L1T) data enabled …

The Influence Of Reef Shape On The Fish Community Structure Around Coral Reefs Off Jeddah Coast, Red Sea, Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia, Safaa Alowaidi, Lara Aljarafi, Lina Aloufi, Zekra Albeishi, Fay Al-Salem, Lama Alnebehi, Mohamed Abu El-Regal

Journal of King Abdulaziz University: Marine Science

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of the reef profile on the associated fish community. Two stations with different reef shape and depth, Bayada and Abotair islands located off Jeddah coast on the Saudi Arabian Red Sea were studied. The reef check was used to determine the proportion of hard coral, soft coral, algae, and other benthic components. A 20 m long by 5 m belt was used to determine the number and colonies and genera of hard and soft corals. Fish were counted using the underwater visual census (UVC) technique along a transect that is …

Microplastics Contamination In Marine Environment: Sources And Management Strategies, Aishah Hamdi, Mohammad Oves, Naser Alkenani, Majed Alshaeri

Journal of King Abdulaziz University: Marine Science

Microplastics (MPs) have been identified as emerging global pollutants because of their persistence, mobility, and significant ecological impacts. These particles, which result from the degradation of plastic waste and from various industrial and consumer activities, are now widespread in marine environments. The capacity of MPs to adsorb contaminants and bioaccumulate within food webs increases their ecological and health risks, prompting substantial concern regarding their long-term consequences for marine ecosystems and human health. This review synthesizes current knowledge regarding the composition, sources, transport, mechanisms, and environmental behavior of microplastics (MPs), with particular emphasis on marine systems. In these environments, the persistence …

Multi-Label Seabed Image Classification: A Comparative Study Of Deep Learning And Machine Learning Models, Anis Bel Hadj Hassin, Elyes Omri

Journal of King Abdulaziz University: Marine Science

This study evaluates the effectiveness of deep learning and machine learning models for classifying seabed images into three ecologically significant categories: algae, rocks, and sand. We investigated five models: ResNet50, VGG16, a custom-designed convolutional neural network (CNN), support vector machines (SVM), and random forests (RF). Deep learning models were fine-tuned on 1259 seabed images, with the custom CNN architecture optimized using depthwise separable convolutions and global average pooling. For SVM and RF, features were extracted using a pre-trained VGG16 network. Class weighting was applied to address potential imbalances in the dataset. The custom CNN achieved the highest validation accuracy (82.01%), …

Microplastic Analysis In Fish Larvae (Family: Gonostomatidae And Myctophidae) From The Banggai Sea, Indonesia, Noer Kholis, Luqman Ilyas Ardito, Luqmanul Hakim, Augy Syahailatua, Agus Saleh Atmadipoera, Rina Zuraida, Tuan Nurul Sabiqah Tuan Anuar, Mufti Petala Patria

Makara Journal of Science

Microplastic pollution is recognized as a threat to marine ecosystems, yet its impacts on early life stages of mesopelagic fishes remain poorly understood. This study investigated the occurrence and characteristics of microplastic ingestion in fish larvae of the families Myctophidae and Gonostomatidae from the Banggai Sea, Indonesia. Morphometric measurements and microplastic content were analyzed in 40 larvae (20 per family). Gonostomatidae larvae, despite being smaller in total length, exhibited significantly larger mouth widths and ingested more microplastic particles (mean = 3.90 ± 0.72 particles) than Myctophidae (mean = 3.40 ± 0.38 particles). Correlation analysis showed no significant relationships between morphometric …

Ontology-Based Decision Support System For Improving Aquaculture Management, Thuy Thi Thu Pham, Phuong Thi Can, Nga Thi Thanh Ha

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Early detection of shrimp diseases is vital for reducing losses and ensuring sustainable aquaculture. In this study, a novel ontology-driven framework for shrimp disease diagnosis that integrates environmental knowledge with machine learning-based image analysis is proposed. An ontology was constructed from a structured dataset of environmental parameters and farm conditions related to shrimp diseases, which formally represents concepts such as farm characteristics, environmental factors, symptoms, and disease types. Two public shrimp image datasets were subsequently used to train convolutional neural networks (ResNet50 and MobileNetV2) for automated disease classification. The predicted disease labels and confidence scores were mapped onto the ontology. …

Case Study On Operational Performance Improvement By Turbocharger Nozzle-Ring Modification In Shipboard Generators, Jong-Hun Im, Mukyeong Kang, Sang-Deuk Lee

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Owing to increasingly stringent emission regulations imposed by the International Maritime Organization and rising fuel prices, the demand for enhanced energy efficiency and emission control in marine power systems is increasing. This study presents a case study in which the performance of an aging auxiliary generator is restored by modifying the turbocharger nozzle ring. The vessel, a 12-year-old crude-oil tanker, experienced repeated operational issues with its No. 3 generator. This included elevated exhaust gas temperatures, reduced intake air pressure, and frequent turbocharger surges. To address these challenges, the nozzle-ring blade angle was reduced by approximately 2° using spare components, while …

Towards Sustainable Marine Education: Assessing High School Students’ Understanding Of Conservation Concepts, Cheng-Chieh Chang, Tsuyoshi Sasaki, Ya-Yin Liao, Ling-Ya Hung, Liang-Ting Tsai

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

This study assesses the concepts of marine resource conservation and sustainability among Taiwanese high school students by developing a Chinese version of the Marine Resources Conservation and Sustainability Scale. Grounded in the cognitive, socio-emotional, and behavioral learning objectives outlined in UNESCO’s Education for Sustainable Development Goals (ESDGs), the scale targets students aged 16 to 18 to examine gender differences in marine knowledge and conservation concepts. The scale comprises 31 items across four dimensions: the first section evaluates marine knowledge, while the remaining dimensions utilize a four-point Likert scale to assess cognitive, socio-emotional, and behavioral learning objectives, respectively. The results indicate …

Dynamic Governance Of Transboundary Fisheries Through Deep Learning And High-Frequency Vessel Tracking Data For Climate-Resilient Management: An Application To The East China Sea, Qin Lin, Yaqing Shu, Manel Grifoll, Hongxiang Feng

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Transboundary fisheries governance is increasingly challenged by jurisdictional conflicts, regulatory asymmetries, and climate-induced stock shifts in fish stocks, especially in contested regions like the East China Sea (ECS). This study capitalizes on China’s high-frequency BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) data (June 2021–May 2022) to pioneer a CNN-BiLSTM deep learning model to dynamically identify fishing hotspots and evaluate policy effectiveness. By integrating vessel trajectories, environmental variables, and regulatory events, we examine spatiotemporal patterns of fishing effort relative to seasonal bans, extreme weather, and quota systems. Key findings reveal: (1) post-moratorium (September–December) concentration of fishing intensity, peaking in November; (2) significant weather-driven …

Lock Scheduling Decisions And Strategy Optimization Under Operation Interruption Scenarios, Junhe Li, Qiang Zhang, Junpeng Jiang, Jiangchao Bao

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Locks are critical nodes in inland waterway transportation systems that concentrate vessel traffic between upstream and downstream reaches, making their operations highly sensitive to hydrological conditions. Therefore, disruptions caused by droughts, floods, or routine maintenance can easily trigger congestion. To address this issue, this study systematically examines the interrelationships among the number of ships awaiting passage, scheduling strategies, the trade-off between lock chamber utilization and ship waiting time, the influence of ship entry sequences on user satisfaction, and the combined effects of these factors on overall lock scheduling performance. Based on these analyses, an integrated decision-making model for two-stage ship …

Corrosion Protection Assessment Of Offshore Wind Turbine Substructures Using Beasy Cp Simulation Analysis, Chuan-Yang Wan, Hung-Hua Sheu, Sheng-Yu Wang, Yao-Ming Wang, Wei-De Chen, Ming-Yuan Lin, Hung-Bin Lee

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

This study investigates the corrosion protection assessment of offshore wind turbine substructures established in the waters off Keelung, Taiwan. First, a cathodic protection system for the monopile foundation is designed and established. The Boundary Element Method (BEM) is applied using the BEASY simulation software to develop a 3D geometric model for cathodic protection. In the steel monopile simulation analysis, the exposed marine environment is set based on the sea conditions of the Keelung small boat marina, including parameters such as salinity, resistance, and polarization curves, to establish an effective cathodic protection system for underwater structures. By simulating these parameters, a …

Face-To-Face Versus Distance Education In Competence-Based Maritime Education And Training, Clara Borén, Marcella Castells-Sanabra, Manel Grifoll

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

The COVID-19 pandemic created significant challenges for higher education, with universities being shut down and face-to-face teaching and assessment shifting to an online format. This presented an opportunity to focus on the continuity of learning through distance education, especially in the maritime context, due to the on-board training requirements, and even though five years have passed, this shift has reshaped the education landscape, proving that remote learning has come to stay.

At the Barcelona School of Nautical Studies, we have developed a weather routing software in the framework of distance education and teaching innovation. We conducted a teaching trial alternatively …

A Bibliometric And Visualization Analysis Of Global Giant Clam Research, Chia-Hsiang Chen, Chih-Hsien Chang

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

In this study, bibliometric analysis and visualization tools were used to investigate the academic network and knowledge structure surrounding global giant clam research. A total of 551 relevant publications from the Web of Science database, published from 1900 to 2024, were analyzed. The findings indicate that research on giant clams has experienced considerable growth since 2012, peaking in publication output in 2021. Sixty-six countries were represented in the study sample, with the United States, Australia, China, Singapore, and Japan being the most represented ones. Notably, the rate of international collaboration was only 29%, highlighting a need for additional integrated cross-border …