Phosphorus Speciation and Trace Metals in Core Sediment of Kuwait Bay

Abstract

Kuwait Bay constitutes a unique ecosystem and a significant nursery ground for many fishes and shrimps. The nutrient, phosphorus, is essential for the growth of marine organisms. Yet, at high concentrations, this nutrient could stimulate excessive algal blooms, and deplete oxygen, causing eutrophication. This study is designed to study the concentrations of different phosphates species and trace metals with high affinity to phosphate in samples of sediment cores. Sediment cores collected from Kuwait Bay were sliced into surface, middle and bottom layers. In all of the samples of sediment cores, the dominant phosphate fraction was CaCO3 –P, while the dominant metal was Ca. Pearson correlation shows a positive and negative correlation between phosphate species and metals e.g., organic P and Mn, and CaCO3 –P and Fe, respectively. This study is important as it provides an overview of the different phosphate species and their high-affinity trace metals levels from the present time back.