Evaluation of the Water Quality of Dakhla Bay (South Morocco): Qualification and Classification According to the European Methodology

Abstract

Dakhlabay has become a center of socio-economic interest in southern Morocco due toits geographical location and its biological richness. During the last decade,several projects have been installed and the exploitation of this ecologicalniche has increased. Faced with this situation, it was necessary to assess thequality of the waters of Dakhla bay and determine its current ecologicalstatus. To do this, the European method established by the Water FrameworkDirective (2000) was adopted and adapted to Dakhla bay. The results of theevaluation showed that this bay has areas sensitive to chemical contaminationand others affected by eutrophication. These ecological disturbances are due toHuman activities and/or natural phenomena. The objective of this study is tocontribute to the development of a methodology to evaluate the ecologicalstatus of a marine ecosystem and apply it to Dakhla bay. The results arepresented in the form of a matrix of areas at Risk of Non-Respect ofEnvironmental Objectives (RNREO) and measures that could mitigate these risks.