Characteristics of Seawater in Northern Part of Gaza Strip, Palestine

This study has been conducted to comprehensively investigate and determine the physico-chemical and microbiological characteristics of the seawater quality of northern Gaza Strip. The main objective of the study is to identify the characteristic of the near shore water quality and to determine the extent of compliance with the Palestinian local standards, WHO and other international standards. The investigation was conducted through analysis of seawater samples from six sites along the coastal water of northern Gaza Strip. Samples were collected from the study area of about 14 km along the seashore region. The study area was divided into 6 sites according to several criteria such as the presence of pollution points of direct and indirect and the most crowded areas of swimmers and sea visitors. The analysis of the results shows significant spatial and temporal variations in the physico-chemical parameters but no significant variations in pH and water temperature. On the other hand, the analysis of the results shows significant variations in the microbiological indicators which is apparently due to raw sewage discharge.