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This review paper investigates unprecedented recent investment and capital spending in cross-provincial water management and transfer infrastructure in Iran. Although numerous cross-provincial water transfer plans have been implemented in the country, the scale, approach, and stakeholders involved in this recent national plan are unprecedented. This notable national plan includes long water transfer pipelines that pass through seven provinces, aiming at transferring desalinated water from the Persian Gulf to the interior. Regarding the scale, there have been a few cases of transferring water at the cross-provincial level, but mostly across two provinces. The approach has also changed in this plan. Long-term efforts to construct dams for electricity or farming with limited geographical impact have been shifted to desalinating water, long-distance pipe-laying, large-scale electric-powered water pumping, and long-distance underground tunnels. Stakeholders have become more diverse, from the council members of a small village to high-level decision makers at the national level. This paper elaborates on these extraordinary alterations by exemplifying a few other contemporary case studies of water transfer plans in Iran. It also examines the fundamental logic, bottlenecks, and future scenarios of this large-scale plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self‐organized industrial symbiosis (IS) starts with one actor's decision to invest in a waste recovery plant and the other actors' decision to buy the recovered flow. Technical and institutional conditions of the cluster influence actors' decisions. This paper explores the emergence of IS collaborations in industrial clusters under different techno‐economic conditions in the long term. We propose a mixed‐integer linear programming model that incorporates costs and constraints associated with waste recovery and exchange to study actors' investment decisions and investigate shaped symbiotic exchanges under rising energy prices and limited electricity supply. The approach is implemented in Iran's Persian Gulf Mining and Metals Special Economic Zone as a case study. The results revealed that changes in internal or external condition simultaneously influence the industrial and waste recovery plants. For instance, increasing energy prices without raising product prices significantly decreased the production level of industrial plants and, consequently, heat recovery potential. Furthermore, the waste heat recovery plants' contribution to improving the cluster's economic and environmental performance was not the same. Electricity recovery from a power plant's waste heat can result in 55 PJ grid electricity intake reduction and 720 M€ cluster cash flow increase. Recovered cooling or electricity from the steelmaking plant waste heat was consumed internally rather than shaping IS. These model outcomes show its capability to study IS within the socio‐technical structure of the cluster, not a standalone phenomenon. Implemented conceptualization offers a novel system‐level approach, which could be adjusted to assess other industrial development strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potential toxic element (PTE) contamination in the Persian Gulf has become an important health concern in recent decades. This investigation aimed to meta-analyses of potential toxic elements including lead (Pb), inorganic arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), and mercury (Hg) in the coastal sediment of the Persian Gulf. In this study, an attempt was made to retrieve papers conducted on the concentration of PTE in the coastal sediment of the Persian Gulf by searching in international databases including Web of Science, Scopus, Embase, and PubMed. Meta-analysis concentration of PTE in the coastal sediment of the Persian Gulf was conducted using random effects model based on the country subgroup. Additionally, non-dietary risk assessment including non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks from ingestion, inhalation and dermal contact routes and ecological risk assessment was estimated. Seventy-eight papers with 81 data-reports (1650 sample size) were included in our meta-analysis. The rank order of heavy metals in coastal sediment of the Persian Gulf based on pooled concentration was Ni (65.44 mg/kg) > Pb (58.35 mg/kg) > As (23.78 mg/kg) > Cd (1.75 mg/kg) > Hg (0.77 mg/kg). The highest concentration of As, Cd, Pb, Ni, and Hg was observed in the coastal sediment of Saudi Arabia, Arab Emirates, Qatar, Iran, and Saudi Arabia, respectively. Although the Igeo index in coastal sediment of the Persian Gulf was in grade 1 (uncontaminated) and grade 2 (slightly contaminated) but total target hazard quotient (TTHQ) of adults and adolescent was higher than 1 value in Iran, Saudi Arabic, United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. Total cancer risk (TCR) for adults and adolescent due to As was higher than 1E-6 in Iran, United Arab Emirates, and Qatar but TCR for adolescents due to As was higher than 1E-6 in Saudi Arabic. Therefore, it is recommended to monitor the concentration of PTE and implementation of programs to reduce the emission of PTE from resources in the Persian Gulf. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, achieving sustainable economic growth and development through energy efficiency has been a key challenge for Persian Gulf countries. This study presents a two-stage analysis of the energy efficiency and environmental performance of Persian Gulf countries in 2000–2014 using data envelopment analysis and Tobit regression. The hypothesis of this study is that energy efficiency is low in the Persian Gulf countries and these countries have the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. At first, using data envelopment analysis, total-factor energy efficiency and environmental efficiency of the Persian Gulf countries were measured. Then, using Tobit regression, the effects of GDP per capita, oil price, industrialization degree, population size, paper citation rate, foreign direct investment, and the degree of commercial openness on energy efficiency were investigated. The results of the first stage measurements show that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates had the highest and second highest total-factor energy efficiency, respectively, while Oman and Iran had the lowest, and second lowest, respectively. In terms of environmental performance, the UAE and Qatar proved to have the best and second best performance, respectively, while Iran and Iraq showed the weakest and second weakest performance, respectively. The results of Tobit regression revealed that GDP per capita, oil prices, industrialization degree, and population size had a direct relationship with energy efficiency while the paper citation rate (as an index of science, technology, and innovation) and foreign direct investment had an inverse relationship with energy efficiency. This study shows that the Persian Gulf countries could potentially reduce their energy consumption by up to 18%. Finally, a number of environmentally friendly economic policies and several environmental projects are proposed and it is emphasized that more innovative green technologies should be used to increase energy efficiency and optimize the energy structure to combat climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the use of Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Geographic Information System (GIS) to find the best route for a pressurized water transmission line. When planning a water transfer project, it is essential to consider economic, environmental, social, and technical criteria. The decision-making process involves comparing various options based on different criteria. Different approaches can be employed to analyze project criteria, allowing for the integration of technical, environmental, social, and other elements. In this research, the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was utilized as a strategic decision-making method to determine the optimal route for the water transmission pipeline in southern Iran, connecting the Persian Gulf to the central provinces. To identify the best route, a questionnaire was created to gather expert opinions on the key criteria influencing the water transmission route. The criteria were then weighted based on these opinions. Subsequently, the reclassified weighted layers of these criteria were overlaid within the GIS environment to identify the most cost-effective path among the available options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Upper Cretaceous carbonate rocks of the Sarvak Formation are among the most important hydrocarbon reservoirs of the Middle East. This paper summarizes the depositional history, diagenetic alteration, and geochemistry of this formation in south and southwest Iran. The combined effects of tectonic activities and the paleoclimate had remarkable control over the depositional–diagenetic evolution of this formation. Large changes in facies types, their frequency, and thickness were recorded across the study area and attributed to the tectonic activities. The complex diagenetic history of this formation includes minor marine, intensive meteoric, and burial diagenesis. Two pronounced paleoexposure events were recorded at the Cenomanian–Turonian boundary (CT-ES) and the middle Turonian (mT-ES), which are associated with remarkable changes in facies and diagenetic characteristics and special geochemical trends. Elemental (Mg, Fe, Rb, Mn, Sr), isotopic (carbon, oxygen), and 87Sr/86Sr ratios provide useful tools for delineating the paleoexposure surfaces, their associated diagenetic alterations, and chemo-sequence stratigraphic interpretation. Variable exposure durations resulted in immature to over-matured karstified profiles below the CT-ES and mT-ES, respectively. Meteorically dissolved rudist-dominated facies provided the best reservoir zone of the Sarvak Fm. in the regressive systems tract of the Cenomanian sequence, just below the CT-ES. Microporous and dolomitized mud-dominated facies formed the second important reservoir intervals, especially within the transgressive systems tracts. The results of this study revealed that the reservoir characteristics of the Sarvak Fm. were considerably controlled by paleoexposure events and, therefore, it can be considered as a typical paleokarst hydrocarbon reservoir in Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On 14 November 2021, doublet earthquakes with magnitude 6.1 and 6.3 occurred near Fin town, in the north region of the Persian Gulf, Iran. This paper analysed the ground motion characteristics of records obtained during the 2021 Fin doublet earthquakes. The different features of these events in the far and near distances have been compared with an update local ground motion prediction equation proposed for Iran. The peak ground acceleration (PGA) and spectral acceleration of records at the 2021 Fin doublet earthquakes are also compared with the 2012 Ahar–Varzaghan doublet events. Analysis of ground motions illustrated that the attenuation rate for the PGA and the spectral accelerations at a short period of 0.2 s is higher than Ahar–Varzaghan events. Several ground motions parameters, including PGA values and spectral acceleration, Fourier spectra, significant duration and Arias intensity obtained at two nearest stations (Siahoo and Varzaghan) in these two doublet events, are discussed. Comparison of spectral accelerations showed that the amplitude of spectral accelerations takes large values in short periods (high frequencies) at the Siahoo station. A large difference is observed between significant duration values obtained at Varzaghan and Siahoo stations which could be explained by the presence of a pulse in the records of Varzaghan station. The results also showed that the spectral level observed at the Sihao station in short periods is higher than the level of the seismic design code, which can be a reason for the high damage to low-rise buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The carbonate-evaporite sequence of the Arab Formation constitutes the important reservoir unit in the Persian Gulf and adjacent area. The paper aims to present detail facies characteristics, depositional environment and sequence stratigraphic analysis of the Arab Formation in an oil field in the Persian Gulf. A total of 12 microfacies (MF) and 3 dolomitic (diagenetic) facies (DF) were identified, and are interpreted as a homoclinal carbonate ramp platform. The Arab Formation is divided into four third order sequences corresponding to main reservoir intervals (Arab-A, B, C, D). The results highly correlate with the sequences of local and regional studies in the Arabian Plate. It is probably due to the cake layer nature of the Arab Formation and high impact of the world eustatic sea-level fluctuations (global curves) on the facies stacking pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper, for the first time, estimates the amount of soil and vegetative blue carbon (C) sequestered in Khuran mangrove, Iran's largest mangrove forest along the Persian Gulf coasts. Cores were retrieved down to parental materials in 32 stations to achieve whole-soil C stock. A radiocarbon dating was also used to estimate sediment accretion and C sequestration rates during the last 18 centuries. Results indicated that soils and mangrove trees of the Khuran store a total of 16.79 Tg C (equivalent to ~ 60 Tg of CO2), 98.8% of which (16.59 Tg C) is sequestered in mangrove soils. During the last couple of thousand years, 8967 Mg C year−1 (one Mg C ha−1 year−1) has been stored in mangrove soils of the area. Mean whole-soil C stock in Khamir and Qeshm is 1076 and 2134 Mg C ha−1, respectively. A total of 5181 Gg C and 201 Gg C is stored in the top 1 m of soil and mangrove trees, respectively, 76% of which is sequestered in QM. Our results also indicate that mangroves located in desert and dryland coasts can store comparable quantities of belowground C than their tropical counterparts. High phytoplankton concentration and accreting mangrove high organic C content soils on their own accumulated peat in response to sea-level rise have possibly caused Khuran desert mangroves to store large amounts of C in their sediments. Our estimates suggest that probable complete deforestation of Khuran mangrove could lead to 8.14 Tg CO2 equivalent emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regarding the ability of data mining algorithms for post-processing the output of climate models, and on the other hand, the successful application of multi-model ensemble approaches in climate forecasts, in this paper, some important data mining algorithms are evaluated for the monthly forecast of precipitation over Iran. For this purpose, four European climate models, from DWD, ECMWF, CMCC and Meteo-France, with six lead times, are used to be post-processed by applying four different algorithms including artificial neural networks, support vector regression, decision tree and random forests. Based on the proposed approach, 72 different models are provided for 12 months, each month with six lead times. The approach is applied for the monthly forecast of precipitation over Iran. According to the results, the neural network and random forest methods performed better than the decision tree and the support vector machine. This advantage preserved for all months of the year. Also, the proposed multi-model approach outperformed any of the individual European models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geomechanics is a science dealing with the study of the behaviour of rocks affected by stress. It has various applications in utilisation from oil and gas reservoirs including of the wellbore stability analysis and determination of safe mud window. The main aim of this paper is geomechanical study of Kangan-Dalan reservoir in South Pars gas field in Persian Gulf in south Iran. Seismic waves are affected by physical properties of rocks when passing underground formations; thus, the velocity of these waves is a desired parameter for estimation of geomechanical properties. The velocity of compressional and shear waves has been determined with processing seismic data resulting from vertical seismic profile. In this paper, after calculation of elastic modules of reservoir rock, the imposed stress field was determined and these concepts were used for engineering calculations such as safe mud window, wellbore stability analysis and sand production potential. For well drilling in Kangan-Dalan reservoir, the minimum and maximum mud weights were proposed in average as 1.093 and 2.011 gr/cc and average critical mud weight as 2.48 gr/cc such that if the weight of mud increases, the tensile fractures will be created on the formation and complete loss of mud will happen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accumulation of heavy metals (HMs) in fish tissues is an important factor in monitoring the health and safety of aquatic ecosystems. Furthermore, fish are important parts of aquatic food chains and play a significant role in human health. Considering the significant role of fish in the diet of humans and their ability to transfer and biomagnify HMs, it is necessary to determine and study these contaminants in fish tissues, especially in the edible parts of the fish. In addition to the other ecological and economic services of aquatic ecosystems, water bodies, especially the Persian Gulf in the south and the Caspian Sea in the north of Iran, are the main sources of seafood for people in nearby areas, as well as people living farther away who have gained access to seafood due to the extensive trade of aquatic organisms. This study provides an overview of the health conditions of the aquatic ecosystems in Iran by monitoring HM bioaccumulation in fish species. For this purpose, we reviewed, summarized, and evaluated papers published on HM concentrations in fish species from different aquatic ecosystems, including the Persian Gulf, the Caspian Sea, wetlands, rivers, qanats, water reservoirs, lakes, and dams, with emphasis on species habitats, feeding habits, and target organs in accumulation of HMs. Generally, the highest concentrations of HMs were observed in fishes collected from the Persian Gulf, followed by species from the Caspian Sea. Species inhabiting the lower zone of the water column and carnivorous and/or omnivorous species showed the highest levels of HMs. Moreover, liver was the main accumulator organ for HMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The site of Kharaib al‐Dasht, located on the northern coast of Failaka, is a late Islamic settlement with an extensive fishing infrastructure. It has been excavated since 2013 by the Kuwaiti‐Polish Archaeological Mission. The ceramic assemblage collected so far exceeds 18,000 fragments. The sherds underwent technological and typological analyses, which demonstrated a wide diversity of local common kitchen wares, consistent with the needs of households specialised in fishing. A considerable percentage of imported vessels was brought to Failaka from the Arabian Gulf and Persia, though Far Eastern luxury tableware was also attested. This paper demonstrates the socioeconomic role of Kharaib al‐Dasht in the context of trade exchange on the microregional (Kuwait) and macroregional (the Gulf, South and Eastern Asia) scales in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The meiobenthic harpacticoids of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman has been almost unknown. During October 2014 to September 2016, interstitial and phytal harpacticoids were collected from tide pools in 30 different localities along the Iranian coast of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. The new information on the distribution of 26 species and 12 families is provided, here. The most species-rich family was Laophontidae with seven species, followed by Miraciidae with four species. In this paper, all the species were considered new records for the area. Furthermore, the first checklist of meiobenthic Harpacticoids is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study adopts a Critical Discourse Analytical approach to investigate how a form of Iranian national(ist) identity is (re)constructed and (re)presented on a popular Facebook Page called Persian Gulf. It focuses on linguistic practices of the Iranian side of the debate over the name of this body of water. After briefly discussing some of the challenges of applying CDA to a participatory web platform e.g. Facebook, This paper explores the characteristics of the Persian identity discourse in the way that it is utilised to legitimize the name Persian Gulf vs. the claim to the name Arabian Gulf. The paper concludes that the emergent Persian national/ist identity discourse is strongly preoccupied with opposing a perceived cultural invasion of the Arabic Other in its emphatic defence of the name Persian Gulf but in the meantime it aspires to distinguish itself from the officially propagated Islamic identity. It is also shown that aspects pertaining to powerfulness, defiance and conflict are the main thrusts of the discursive representation of this Self-identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the amount of 19 elements in three species of algae and associated sediment in the northern margin of the Persian Gulf was investigated. A sampling of algae was performed on the coast with a length of 5 km in each station and surface sediment was sampled at the same time in low and middle intertidal zones. The values of elements in the samples were measured by using an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) device. Then, the amount of bioaccumulation factor in algae tissue relative to sediment (biota-sediment accumulation factor, BSAF) was determined. The value of BSAF was compared with the empirical cumulative entropy (ECE). ECE is based on comparing the element information in algae with those in sediments. The results showed that BSAF was very closely related to the ECE factor so that significant correlations were obtained for algae species of P. gymnospora (ECE = 0.477 BSAF, R2: 0.967), H. hamulosa (ECE = 0.542 BSAF, R2: 0.979), and C. membranacea (ECE = 0.356 BSAF, R2: 0.976). The ECE values > 0.4 were similar to those obtained for BSAF > 1, exhibiting that the element accumulation in algae was higher than in sediments. Based on ECE, to determine the vanadium accumulation in the environment, the C. membranacea algae are more appropriate than H. hamulosa. Overall, the data showed that ECE is a good alternative to BSAF in estimating marine pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Persian Gulf Iranian fishery, just like many marine fisheries, needs sustainable management. The assessment of the sustainability of the fishery requires the development of a set of local indicators. This paper used an integrated multi-criteria participatory framework as a decision-making approach, to evaluate sustainability relating to ecological, economic, social, technological, and management dimensions. The indicators were modified from appropriate tools such as Rapfish and other reference studies. The determination of the importance of sustainability indicators was performed based on local stakeholders' opinions in the Persian Gulf, Iran. Three groups of stakeholders in this field have included fishers, managers, and researchers. Also, cognitive mapping as a soft methodology was applied to useful tools, for the assessment of the perceived linkage among indicators. The result of the assessment was analyzed and provided an overview for understanding the decision-making process and how to achieve sustainable fishery management in Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The anomaly in Pak-Iran relations started due to Afghanistan, and served as a stimulus for Indo-Iranian strategic convergence in the longer run. India's ties with Iran cater to its ambition of circumventing Pakistan in its western backyard. India has been trying to bring Afghanistan into its sphere of influence through Iran, to undermine Pakistan's interest. This has adversely impacted Pak-Iran ties and rejuvenation has become a formidable challenge. The paper argues that Pakistan and Iran have to resurrect mutual strategic relationship. Notwithstanding Chabahar and Gwadar projects, both need to recalibrate their bilateral ties with respect to regional dynamics, to explore the potential for entente, and to neutralize Indian factor in the relations. For Pakistan, Iran provides connectivity to Central Asian Republics (CARs). There is also a great potential for boosting energy trade, developing border security mechanism and a joint plan to address the issue of terrorism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, sea wave energy is widely regarded as an energy source that is clean, renewable and highly available for power extraction. The subject of extracting the maximum power from sea waves in Iran is of great importance due to access to the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf. Moreover, there is a need for resources with no air pollution besides providing a part of the country's power demand without costly infrastructure, so this research field is highly interesting although has rarely been addressed so far. The main purpose of this paper is to use an appropriate control strategy to improve the performance of point absorbers. In this scheme, to consider high uncertainty in the parameters of the power take-off system in different atmospheric conditions and improve controller performance, a new improved black hole algorithm is introduced to tune fuzzy controller parameters. The proposed method is then implemented for tuning the fuzzy controller parameters in order to obtain the maximum power capture of wave energy converters. Compared to particle swarm optimization and conventional black hole algorithm, the results of the proposed method indicate enhancements in reference velocity tracking and absorbed power. Finally, some simulations are performed and the proposed controller is implemented for the wave spectrum of the Persian Gulf waters, so the performance of the proposed controller is evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Coastal areas are of paramount importance due to their pivotal role in facilitating a wide range of socio-economic activities and providing vital environmental services. These areas, as the meeting points of land and sea, face significant risks of flooding due to the ongoing rise in sea levels caused by climate change. Additionally, they are susceptible to extreme events like king tides and large waves in the future. This paper introduces a framework for estimating the extreme total water level (TWL) by considering the effects of regional sea level rise (RSLR) resulting from a warming climate under RCP 8.5. It also incorporates the contributions of high tides, 100-year storm surge, and 100-year wave setup and run-up. The proposed framework is utilized to evaluate the occurrence of extreme coastal flooding along the Persian Gulf coast of Iran, an area that is home to significant industries in the country. The results offer an estimated increase of RSLR by 0.23 m from 2020 to 2050 considering an ensemble of climate model projections. Extreme wave setup values are estimated to range between 0.19 and 0.66 m, while storm surge is projected to vary from 0.4 to 1.44 m across the studied coastline. These together yield in a projected extreme TWL along the coastline within the range of 3.18 and 3.90 m above the current sea level. This significant increase in sea level could lead to the inundation of approximately 513 km2 of low-lying coastal land, which accounts for about 16% of the studied domain and could pose serious flooding threat to the people and their assets in this region. Finally, relative ranking of flooded zones (i.e., 6 zones) helps determine the areas with higher chance of flood exposure, at which investment in flood mitigation measures should be prioritized. [Display omitted] • Regional sea level rise is quantified using GCMs under RCP 8.5. • Flooding maps are shown under regional SLR, tides, storm surge, wave setup and run-up. • Extreme total water level is expected to inundate important ports in Persian Gulf coast of Iran by 2050. • Research projects that 513 km of low-lying coastal areas will be inundated due to extreme total water level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay traverses linked scales of development by DuPont, centering on its Iranian joint venture, Polyacryl Iran Corporation. This brief episode of petrochemical development took place where the global supply chain linked oil to polyester, amid the corporate and architectural patronage of the late Pahlavi era, and in the literal ground of the desert outside of Isfahan. Over the course of construction and plant startup (1975–79), DuPont's synthetics mythology acted on the desert site and local labor, understood to be similarly amenable to transformation. The relatively minor part played by architects Moira Moser (Khalili) and Nader Khalili in this process are also curiously cast in terms of plasticity, something they attributed to the landscape and its capacity for change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One juvenile specimen of the desert Cobra (Walterinnesia morgani) was obtained from Kerman Province, southeastern Iran. Three further localities of the species were recorded during 2010-2020. The farthest locality is situated about 270 km northeast of easternmost limit of the range. These records indicate a wider distribution of Walterinnesia morgani on the Iranian Plateau than previously thought. Results indicated that Walterinnesia morgani has a compatible distribution pattern with the zoogeographical region of Khuzestan Plain and the Persian Gulf Costs. In addition, information of pholidosis and habitat is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterial endophytes associated with algae represent a rich source of bioactive metabolites and biostimulants that can be used practically in agriculture as biofertilizer. We carried out a series of experiments to study the diversity of bacterial endophytes associated with seaweed species of the Persian Gulf (PG) and Oman Sea (OS) and their capability in nourishing Mexican lime seedlings. We collected samples of brown, red, and green seaweed species (62 samples of brown, 79 of red and 49 of green) from intertidal zones of PG and OS in southern coastlines of Iran. The isolated bacteria were identified molecularly, morphologically and physiologically. Among 12 bacterial genera identified, the genus Bacillus had the highest frequency (51.51%). In addition to identification, results showed that all bacterial endophytes isolates were negative oxidase, most isolates (81.25 %) were positive catalase and could produce HCN, and all isolates produced IAA, from 0.897 µg mL-1 in Empedobacter falsenii to 0.085 µg mL-1 in Bacillus zhangzhouensis. Most isolates (96.77%) were able to grow on medium incorporated with different NaCl concentrations. Results of inoculation showed that lime seedlings colonized by B. aquimaris (MT278260), B. megaterium (MN626631) and B. zhangzhouensis (MN611359) had more growth and intended morphological characteristics than those lacking endophytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blood transfusion safety is an essential element of public health. Current blood screening strategies rely on targeted techniques that could miss unknown or unexpected pathogens. Recent studies have demonstrated the presence of a viral community (virobiota/virome) in the blood of healthy individuals. Here, we characterized the blood virome in patients frequently exposed to blood transfusion by using Illumina metagenomic sequencing. The virome of these patients was compared to viruses present in healthy blood donors. A total number of 155 beta-thalassemia, 149 hemodialysis, and 100 healthy blood donors were pooled with five samples per pool. Members of the Anelloviridae and Flaviviridae family were most frequently observed. Interestingly, samples of healthy blood donors harbored traces of potentially pathogenic viruses, including adeno-, rota-, and Merkel cell polyomavirus. Viruses of the Anelloviridae family were most abundant in the blood of hemodialysis patients and displayed a higher anellovirus richness. Pegiviruses (Flaviviridae) were only observed in patient populations. An overall trend of higher eukaryotic read abundance in both patient groups was observed. This might be associated with increased exposure through blood transfusion. Overall, the findings in this study demonstrated the presence of various viruses in the blood of Iranian multiple-transfused patients and healthy blood donors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 40‐year hindcast of the wave conditions in the Arabian Gulf, the elongated basin between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran, is described. The input wind fields were derived from the ERA5 reanalysis by the European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts for the period 1979–2019. Extensive comparisons with scatterometer data suggested a direction‐dependent wind calibration with a strong influence on the underestimation of offshore blowing winds. The dominant wave patterns in the basin are described together with the characteristics of the related winds. After characterizing the possible meteorological conditions, the corresponding wave fields were hindcast using the WAVEWATCH III model. Extensive validation against altimeter data shows an almost unitary fit and a 0.02‐m bias; a comparison with measured data strongly demonstrates that the general patterns and conditions were well reproduced. The wave physics was also analysed, revealing the crucial role of their dynamic generation in the investigated area domain. The very shallow nature of some limited coastal zones suggests that locally focused studies, with more detailed and specific physics, are required for the best description of the waves in these areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ubiquitous nature of microplastics (MPs) in nature and the risks they pose on the environment and human health have led to an increased research interest in the topic. Despite being an area of high plastic production and consumption, studies on MPs in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region have been limited. However, the region witnessed a research surge in 2021 attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic. In this review, a total of 97 studies were analyzed based on their environmental compartments (marine, freshwater, air, and terrestrial) and matrices (sediments, water columns, biota, soil, etc.). Then, the MP concentrations and polymer types were utilized to conduct a risk assessment to provide a critical analysis of the data. The highest MP concentrations recorded in the marine water column and sediments were in the Mediterranean Sea in Tunisia with 400 items/m3 and 7960 items/kg of sediments, respectively. The number of MPs in biota ranged between 0 and 7525 per individual across all the aquatic compartments. For the air compartment, a school classroom had 56,000 items/g of dust in Iran due to the confined space. Very high risks in the sediment samples (Eri > 1500) were recorded in the Caspian Sea and Arab/Persian Gulf due to their closed or semi-closed nature that promotes sedimentation. The risk factors obtained are sensitive to the reference concentration which calls for the development of more reliable risk assessment approaches. Finally, more studies are needed in understudied MENA environmental compartments such as groundwater, deserts, and estuaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates relationships between the twenty large-scale climate signals and the precipitation variability during 1960–2018 in Iran. The twenty large-scale climate indicators include atmosphere-ocean teleconnections as well as El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) signals, and Pacific and Atlantic ocean Sea Surface Temperature (SST). Wavelet Coherence Analysis (WCA) and Pearson correlation analysis were applied to detect the impact of climate signals on Iran's monthly precipitation and also the precipitation of one mountainous region in Iran as a verification example. The results revealed that (a) the significant wavelet coherence and the phase difference between monthly precipitation and climate signals were highly variable in time and periodicity, (b) WCA shows the signals that are leading and most linked to Iran's precipitation at inter-annual scales are Extreme Eastern Tropical Pacific SST(5 ∘ S-5 ∘ N, 170 ∘ -120 ∘ W) (Niño 4), Western Pacific Index (WP), Tropical Southern Atlantic Index (TSA) and Western Hemisphere Warm Pool (WHWP), respectively, and at decadal and inter-decadal scales are Arctic Oscillation (AO), Atlantic Meridional Mode (AMM), and Southern Oscillation Index (SOI), respectively, (c) The WCA results for mountains region precipitation are almost consistent with the results of the country precipitation for all signals except AMM, (d) Iran's precipitation has a statistically significant positive correlation with Niño signals, and a negative one with SOI and TSA based on Pearson correlation analysis, (e) in the most recent decade, the coherence between precipitation and large-scale climate signals has declined in decadal and inter-decadal scales, and an unstable coherence has emerged in the annual scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A siliciclastic succession is exposed at the Faraghan mountain, northern Persian Gulf, southeastern Iran. A detailed, high-resolution palynological analysis was performed on the Zardkuh, Seyahou, Dargaz, and Sarchahan formations to verify the exact age and palaeogeographic position of the High Zagros Mountains. Two hundred surface samples from this succession were collected and analysed. Most samples yielded abundant and well-preserved chitinozoans, acritarchs, scolecodonts, and cryptospores. Fifty-three chitinozoan species (21 genera) were identified that permitted to establish the Eremochitina brevis, Desmochitina ornensis, Belonechitina henryi, Siphonochitina formosa, Belonechitina robusta, Tanuchitina fistulosa, Acanthochitina barbata, Armoricochitina nigerica, Ancyrochitina merga, Tanuchitina elongata, Spinachitina oulebsiri, and Spinachitina fragilis biozones in ascending stratigraphic order as was previously established for the North Gondwana Domain. These results indicate that the Zagros Mountain Belt of Iran was part of the North Gondwana palaeo-province during the Ordovician-Silurian. On the other hand, these chitinozoan biozones and other associated fauna (e.g. graptolites, trilobites, brachiopods, and conodonts) suggest a late Early Ordovician (Floian) to Early Silurian (Rhuddanian) age range, with unconformities, for this succession. Based on chitinozoan biozones, a distinctive hiatus is present between the Zardkuh and Seyahou formations at Faraghan mountain, which corresponds to the absence of jenkinsi-tanvillensis chitinozoan biozones, encompassing the latest Middle Ordovician (latest Darriwilian: stage slice Dw3) and the early Late Ordovician (Sandbian: the stage slices Sa1 to Sa2 and time slices 5a to 5b). Two chitinozoan species were erected: Belonechitina bifurcaspina sp. nov., Angochitina persianense sp. nov., and Eremochitina cf. brevis was left in open nomenclature. Siliciclastic deposits of the Faraghan mountain yielded rich chitinozoan assemblages. Fifty-three identified chitinozoan species resulted in 12 chitinozoan biozones. Kerogenous black shales contain both the S. oulebsiri and N. persculptus biozones. A hiatus was identified, corresponding to the Dw3 and Sa1–Sa2 stage slices. Two new taxa: B. bifurcaspina and A. persianense, are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given their high dependence on energy imports, Asian countries' energy security is challenged by international political conflicts that interfere with the global energy supply. This study examines the impacts of the sanctions imposed on Iran on the energy security and economic growth of oil-importing Asian countries. A global computable equilibrium model is applied, and three illustrative scenarios are developed to simulate a full embargo on Iran's oil exports, the utilization of spare oil production capacity of other Persian Gulf countries, and a reduction of their oil exports. The impacts of a full embargo are not disastrous if oil exports from other Persian Gulf petrostates are secured. The utilization of spare oil production capacity could largely buffer the impacts on Asian countries' oil prices than oil supply. Under a pessimistic scenario, the oil supply of Asian countries would be disastrously disturbed. Moreover, political conflicts would force Asian countries to struggle for oil import sources, straining their relations and causing intense international competition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Snow is one of the most important climatic-hydrological variables that plays a vital role in watersheds. This importance is multiplied in Iran, as Iran is a warm country which is dependent on melting snow for the warm seasons. The purpose of this study is to monitor and project snowfall changes in Iran. To this end, we used two sources of data; the daily snow cover data of MODIS Terra satellite with horizontal resolution of 0.01 arc degree during the period of 2000–2019 for snow monitoring, and bias-corrected output of CMIP6 models under SSP scenarios for the period 2021–2100 with horizontal resolution of 0.5 arc degree for projection of snow cover. According to satellite data, spatial snow cover often occurs in the Alborz and Zagros altitudes with a snow boundary of 4000 m above sea level (MASL), and most snow cover occurs in January. The snowfall projection for the future period showed a significant downward trend at level of 0.05, the slope of which is steeper in the cold months of the year (December to February). Caspian Sea, Persian Gulf, and Oman Sea basins show a more decreasing trend of snowfall than other basins. Under a pessimistic scenario of SSP 5–8.5 in the period 2061–2100, snowfall will decrease by 6.8–7.4 cm in the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea basins for the high Zagros highlands in January. Due to the reduction of snowfall in the main basins of Iran, integrated watershed management is crucial in the field of water resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Pars Industrial Zone is located near an Assaluyeh city on the coast of the Persian Gulf and is known as the energy capital of Iran. In this study, environmental and health effects due to PCB congeners had an assessment. In this study, 10 air stations, 10 seawater, and sediments stations were systematically selected and sampled in two seasons. Air, seawater, and sediment pollution made by polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were evaluated. Seawater-sediment exchange conditions using the fugacity coefficient reviewed. PCB levels in marine sediments, seawater, and air based on the analysis of the obtained data were 107.33–172.92 ng/g, ND–135.68 ng/L, and ND–4.4 ng/m3, respectively. The highest concentration was observed in the vicinity of refineries, petrochemicals, and petroleum export facilities. These values had increased significantly compared to values of studies, conducted in similar areas. The sources were electrical wastes, storage sites, power generation units, and wastewater treatment. The ecological risk of seawater was assessed to be low to high, while sediment risks were reported with a low to moderate risk range. In 70% of the stations, the predominant transfer was from sediments to seawater; sediments were in fact the secondary source of seawater pollution. It is suggested for the area to be continuously monitored, while engineering and management measures should be adopted to improve the situation and also prevent the spread of pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Boleophthalmus dussumieri is one of the most widely distributed mudskippers and is native to the Persian Gulf in Iran down to the northeast of the Arabian Sea and the coast of India. Nonetheless, the present study is the first to confirm the presence of B. dussumieri in the marine areas of the Mozambique coast. In addition, molecular analysis revealed strong evidence for the existence of two lineages with a high level of nucleotide divergence along the sampled area, revealing a still‐neglected taxonomic condition for this lineage/species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Facies modeling of Albian-Turonian successions at Tang-e-Bijar gas field in the Lurestan Province, NW of the Zagros region, Iran is the main objective of this study. The sedimentary environment and biozones of the Sarvak and Garau formations (Albian-Turonian time) are different in Lurestan Province when compared with the south Zagros and the Persian Gulf ranges. Synchronous successions of the formations with different lithofacies and laterally changing of biofacies are always controversial. The primary objectives of this paper is to determine the concurrency of the Sarvak and Garau successions using the correlation of foraminifera biozones and subsequent modeling of simultaneous lithofacies via employing the Truncated Gaussian Simulation with a trend (TGSim) algorithm. In this regard, the Tang-e-Bijar and nearby field data such as core data and petrophysical logs, paleontological and stratigraphy studies were taken into consideration. The stratigraphic ranges of the two formations were determined as Albian-Turonian age. Based on these biostratigraphic data, the tongue of the Garau Formation was clarified. The sequence stratigraphy zonation has been used for the entire Tang-e-Bijar field wells, based on Integrated Prediction Error Filter Analysis (INPEFA) logs and core data. In order to capture the heterogeneity of deep sea lithofacies, MRGC clustering method with supervising lithofacies was implemented in this study and five electrofacies were generated and coded from 1 to 5. They correspond to Rudist-Oncoids, packstone to grainstone (RO), Orbitolinid peloid packstone (OP), Fine Orbitolinid wackestone to packstone (FO), Bioturbated echinoderm mudstone to wackestone (BM), and Oligosteginid Mudstone (OM) lithofacies, respectively. The facies modeling in the reservoir such as Tang-e-Bijar where synchronous successions and laterally transient heterogeneous has occurred has always been challenging. To address this challenge, a new workflow has been implemented in this paper. • Facies Modeling of Albian-Turonian successions in Lurestan province at the northwest of the Zagros fold-thrust belt, Iran is the main objective of this study. • Multi Resolution Graph Based Clustering (MRGC) techniques have been used for identifying electrofacies in reservoirs. • Sequence stratigraphy and age determination have been done based INPEFA log and the Zagros biozonation. • The Truncated Gaussian with Trend method has been used to distribute facies parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The D RCMT,28 and S ER28 of OPC and SF-containing concrete of the Persian Gulf region and Iran is gathered. • The developed models predict the D RCMT,28 and S ER28 values at reference age (28 days). • The correlation of the D RCMT,28 and S ER28 values at reference age (28 days) is prepared. • Statistical methods and external validation are used to develop and validate the models. • Using the predicted D RCMT,28 values as the input value of the service life prediction models led to acceptable estimations. The chloride diffusion coefficient and surface electrical resistivity (SER) are two most important characteristics of concrete durability. This study aims to develop prediction models of the rapid chloride migration tests (RCMT) and SER results according to the concrete mix properties and their correlation. The proposed models can be employed in the designing phase for service life prediction and in the construction phase to control the quality of the concrete. In this paper, the results of the RCMT and surface electrical resistivity (SER) test (Wenner method) of concrete specimens at the reference age (28 days) were collected, and statistical models were prepared to predict the RCMT and SER based on the concrete mix properties. Furthermore, the correlation of the RCMT results and SER results is shown, which can be practical in using surface electrical tests as an alternative for RCMT, due to its simplicity in the design and quality control phase. In order to validate the model and compare its precision against other prediction models, a dataset of RCMT resulting from other studies was gathered. Then, the prediction performance of different models was compared with each other. It was observed that the model proposed in this study makes more precise predictions in chloride diffusion coefficient than the models proposed by other authors. Finally, the predicted and experimental chloride diffusion coefficients along with the service lives of RC structures with different concrete cover and chloride diffusivity were estimated using a full probabilistic model. The results indicated that the calculated corrosion initiation probability using the predicted and experimental chloride diffusion coefficient was almost similar, demonstrating the applicability of the predicted chloride diffusion coefficient in service life prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is the first attempt to detect antibiotic residues released into the Persian Gulf marine environment. In particular, this study quantifies and assesses the ecological risks of amoxicillin (AMX) and azithromycin (AZM) residues in wastewater outfalls from Bandar Abbas, one of the major coastal cities in southern Iran. The wastewater effluent samples were collected from two main wastewater discharging stations, Gursuzan and Suru, between December 2020 and February 2021. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis revealed the average concentration (± 95% CL) of AMX were 460 ± 230.0 μg L−1 and 280 ± 100.6 μg L−1 in Gursuzan and Suru stations. Mean AZM concentrations were also 264 ± 10.59 μg L−1 and 295 ± 89.75 μg L−1 in these stations, respectively. Pooled data indicated that there are 335.17 ± 105.11 and 288.17 ± 37.94 μg of AMX and AZM residues in the wastewater per liter. The values of potential ecological risk, hazard quotient (HQ), were extensively above 10 (AMX: 90,586.5 and AZM: 5541.7) which suggest that these substances have a high health risk for the ecosystem and public. Given that Bandar Abbas wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) outlets are discharged at about 500 to 700 L s−1, the daily maximum potential AMX and AZM released were estimated to be 19.05 (± 0.283) × 103 and 14.74 (± 0.113) × 103 g day−1, respectively (α = 0.05). Our findings show that there is a concerning volume of antibiotic residues released into the northern Persian Gulf, and hence urgent policies and actions are necessary to reduce this pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The Irano‐Anatolian biodiversity hotspot is among the least‐known biodiversity hotspots on earth. In this study, we aim to map the richness and genetic divergence of lizards in the biodiversity hotspot and its surrounding areas and identify the most important determinants of the richness and genetic divergence patterns. Location: Iran and Turkey (Irano‐Anatolian biodiversity hotspot). Methods: Here, we mapped the distribution of 211 lizard species in Iran and Turkey using existing occurrence data and generated the first genetic divergence pattern map of the lizard species in the two countries to identify areas of high species diversity and genetic divergence in the Irano‐Anatolian biodiversity hotspot. We also identified determinants of lizard richness and genetic divergence patterns. Results: Results showed that the Zagros Mountains, Central Iranian Plateau and the northern Persian Gulf have the highest lizard richness. The Zagros Mountains, Central Iranian Plateau, the northern Persian Gulf and the regions around the Lut Desert and Jazmourian Plain have the highest total genetic divergence in Iran. Alborz and Kopet Dag mountains and south western parts of Turkey have the highest average genetic divergence. The annual temperature was the most important predictor of lizard richness, and temperature change velocity was the most influential determinant of genetic divergence pattern. Much to our surprise, species diversity and most areas with high genetic divergence are located outside of Irano‐Anatolian biodiversity hotspot. Main conclusions: This study showed that lizard richness and genetic divergence patterns are associated with current and past climate. In particular, this study highlights the legacy of past climate changes on lizard genetic divergence distribution patterns. We showed that most of the species‐rich and genetically diverse regions are located outside of the biodiversity hotspot. So conservation efforts that are concentrated inside the biodiversity hotspot may not benefit lizard biodiversity conservation. Thus, future studies and conservation programs on the biodiversity hotspot should also consider its surrounding areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A cross-sensor-based approach using Landsat-8 OLI (L8/OLI) and Sentinel-2A MSI (S2A/MSI) imagers was examined to estimate bathymetric data in nearshore coastal waters. An L8/OLI image and an S2A/MSI image (Acquisition date: November 16, 2017) were selected from Nayband Bay, the southern region of Iran. In addition, precise bathymetric data for the studied area were used to calibrate the models and validate the results. Ratio together with traditional linear transform methods and a novel cross-sensor-based method were conducted to determine the depth values from both satellite images. Four bands of L8/OLI imager (Band No.1: Coastal/Aerosol [0.435–0.451 µm], Band No. 2: blue [0.452–0.512 µm], Band No. 3: green [0.533–0.590 µm], and Band No. 4: red [0.636–0.673 µm], spatial resolution: 30 m) were considered to create the aforementioned models while the three bands of S2A/ MSI imager were used (Band No. 2: blue [0.458–0.523 µm], Band No. 3: green [0.543-0.578 µm], and Band No. 4: red [0.650–0.680 µm], spatial resolution: 10 m). All models' accuracy was evaluated using comparing the calculated bathymetric information with field observed values. The statistical indicators including correlation coefficients (R2), root mean square errors (RMSE), and standard errors (SE) for validation points were computed for all models of two imagers. The final results demonstrated that although the spatial resolution of L8/OLI imagery is less than S2A/MSI, the precision of estimated depth is higher due to having more bands in the visible wavelength range. However, the integrated cross-sensor-based method including the bands of both sensors yielded the most accurate results (R2 = 0.90, RMSE = 1.66 m, and SE = 1.29 m). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the determinants of military spending of the six countries in the Gulf Region by using a partial adjustment model in a system setting estimated with the three-stage least squares (3SLS) method. Our model takes into consideration the institutional inertia as well as intercountry correlations, both observed and unobserved. In addition to economic variables, we also consider a series of strategic variables to shed light on various issues such as free riding and spill-in effects. Our findings based on annual data between 1980 and 2016 indicate that the military expenditures are influenced by both economic and strategic factors with a high degree of heterogeneity across different countries. Our results also show that the GCC member countries do not free ride on each others' military expenditures. In addition, the US military presence is an important determinant of defense spending in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ongoing excavations at Tell Abraq (Emirate of Umm al‐Quwain, U.A.E.) are revealing new aspects of this multiperiod site, which was occupied from c. 2500 BC to 300 AD. Together with substantial architecture dated to the 2nd and 1st millennia BC, relevant assemblages of archaeological materials are being collected and dated to different phases of the site's life. Among this material, exceptional is the discovery of two jars bearing the impression of two different cylinder seals, which will be presented here. Seal impressions on any media are extremely rare in the whole of south‐eastern Arabia and strongly indicate a foreign provenance for the jars. Their iconographic study, the fabric and morphological parallels for the jars, and probable chronology will be discussed, as this can highlight transmarine connections during the late 2nd‐first half of the 1st millennium BC, as well as provide new data to address chronological issues in south‐eastern Iran itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ethnopharmacology is a very diverse approach to drug discovery that involves the observation, description, and experimental study of native drugs and their biological activities based on botany, chemistry, biochemistry, pharmacology, and other disciplines such as anthropology, archeology, history, and linguistics that helps discovering of natural products with biological activity. The aim of this study was to identify medicinal plants that have a traditional use in the north and west of Dashtestan county, Bushehr in the north of Persian Gulf . Materials and Methods: The medical uses of medicinal plants were gathered from 25 local informants by face-to-face interviews. The relative frequency of citation (FRC) and cultural importance (CI) indices were calculated. Results: A total of 117 medicinal plants related to 63 families were identified in the north and west of Dashtestan region. Zataria multiflora, Cuminum cyminum, Aloe vera, Achillea eriophora DC, Matricario chamomilla, Echium amoenum, Trachyspermum copticum, Foeniculum vulgare, Plantago psyllium, Fumaria parviflora and Nigella sativa had the highest cultural importance index. The highest medical uses were for gastrointestinal discomforts, infectious diseases, respiratory diseases, pediatric problems, kidney and urinary tract diseases, OB & Gyn problems, psychiatric and neurological diseases, dermatologic and the metabolic disorders, respectively. The native people used some of these medicinal plants for some diseases which these usages were unique for this region. For example, they used Achillea eriophora DC for ulcers, abscesses, and carbuncles, Matricario chamomilla for fever and abdominal discomfort, Echium amoenum for promotion of labor pain, Plantago psyllium for purulent infections, Fumaria parviflora for neonatal jaundice and Nigella sativa for musculoskeletal pains. Conclusion: There is a vast variety of medicinal plants in the north and west of Dashtestan region. Although most of the therapeutic applications of these plants in this area are the same as Iran’s traditional medicine, the people in this region use some of these plants for some diseases which these usages are unique for this region. Thus, investigation about these plants should be initiated to discover novel drugs for clinical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a comprehensive geochemical study, the genetic relationships among 14 samples of gas condensates from the Persian Gulf were investigated for the purpose of evaluating the respective source rocks in terms of both age and sedimentary paleoenvironment. Chemometric analysis was used for categorization and determination of a certitude range to determine the genetic type of the condensate families in the studied basin. The samples were collected from Late Permian – Triassic reservoirs (Dalan and Kangan formations) located in 6 gasfields (gas condensate) hosting some of Iran's most important gas/gas condensate reserves. Obtained by gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (GC‐MS), a total of 16 biomarker parameters (10 maturity‐related parameters and 6 sedimentary environment‐related parameters) were used to evaluate the samples in terms of thermal maturity (and hence their positions in the maturity chart), the sedimentary environment of the source rock and the lithology. Application of Hierarchical Clustering Analysis (HCA) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to the collected data led to the categorization of the samples into three main genetic groups, I–III. Groups I and III were found to be located in the east and the west of the Persian Gulf, respectively, while Group II was developed between the two other groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of Karun river inflow on salinity intrusion from the Arabian Gulf towards the upper reaches of the Shatt Al-Arab river estuary was evaluated by using Mike11, a one-dimensional numerical modeling technique. The simulations results indicated that, during the moderate and low flow conditions of the Shatt Al-Arab river, freshwater inflow from Karun river at 10 and 40 m3/s, respectively, could be capable of keeping salinity extent to not exceeded the confluence location of these two rivers. Additionally, the results indicated that in the case of a sharp decline of Karun river inflow, additional releasing of freshwater from the Tigris river can completely compensate for the Karun inflow. While in the case of cut off of Tigris river, the Karun inflow in the range of 60 m3/s could be able to keep salinity extent beyond the Abo Flous station during the simulation period. Furthermore, the possibility of discharging water with high levels of salinity from the farming projects located at the lower basin of Karun river towards the Shatt Al-Arab river estuary was taken into account. In such cases, the results suggested that during low and moderate flow conditions, freshwater inflow by about 250 and 225 m3/s, respectively, should be released from the Karun river to remains salinity extent below the Abo Flous location. A water management policy agreement between Iraq and Iran could be an effective solution to the salinity issue both in the Shatt Al-Arab river estuary as well as Karun river. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water supply is one of the most critical infrastructures for development, and by desalinating the water of the Persian Gulf, water demands may be satisfied. The countries of the Persian Gulf basin have applied this technology and compensated for the country's water shortage, whereas because of Iran's unlimited access to water, desalination has only been applied on a local scale. Due to serious hydrological stress and periodic water shortages in Iran's southern coastal area, seawater desalination may be necessary as an optional solution for water supply. Site selection for desalination plants is difficult as it may have a direct influence on the territorial and water environment, as well as disrupt biological systems, hence, the objective of this study was to identify desalination sites across the coastline of Hormozgan. To choose a suitable site, a multi-criteria evaluation (MCE) design was applied, with three scenarios evaluated in the constraints part and two scenarios considered in the criteria weight section. Altogether, out of 21 determination criteria considered for the construction of desalination facilities, 14 were associated to the inland and coastal segment, six with the marine zone, and one with the water quality phase. The results showed that about 33,584 ha in the optimal scenario, or when minimum and maximum constraints were applied, approximately 109,553 and 7182 ha, respectively, of the region, including a total of 11 zones, were suitable for the building of desalination facilities. In conclusion, this study was the first to consider MCE with many criteria and different scenarios for developing a decision rule for the installation of desalination facilities based on environmental and marine factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, our attempt is to integrate sedimentological and petrophysical data for reservoir evaluation in the sequence stratigraphic framework. Petrographic analysis of the Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous Fahliyan Formation reservoirs of two oilfields in the northwest of the Persian Gulf led to recognition of twelve microfacies. They can be classified into four facies associations, including open marine, shoal, lagoon and tidal flat, which are deposited in a homoclinal ramp carbonate. Sequence stratigraphy of the studied successions led to the recognition of three third-order depositional sequences based on vertical changes in microfacies and gamma ray analysis. Except for the upper boundary of the third sequence, the other sequence boundaries are type I (SBT.1). Dissolution is the most important diagenetic feature that affected the lower depositional sequence which is caused by the development of subaerial exposure after the deposition of the Fahliyan Formation, whereas cementation is the main diagenetic feature affecting the second- and third depositional sequences, causing their lower reservoir quality. In order to identify the flow units, the flow zone index methods, porosity throat radius (R35) and modified Lorenz based on stratigraphy were applied. The key wells studied in this area have shown good correlation throughout the studied oilfields which may potentially be used for hydrocarbon exploration and field development in the Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous deposits of the Persian Gulf. This study integrates geological and petrophysical data (rock typing) toward sequence stratigraphic framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate the microplastic (MP) pollution in sediments, surface waters, and four fish species in the northern coast of the Persian Gulf. Sampling was conducted in seven important regions during December 2019. The abundance of MPs was respectively 190 ± 35.5 items/kg dry weight for sediments, 9.28 ± 2.1 items/km2 for surface waters, and 0.33 ± 0.05 items/individual for fish. There was no correlation between MP abundance in surface water, sediment, and fish samples. Except for Cynoglossus arel, abundance of isolated MPs did not show significant relationships with body weight, body length, and gastrointestinal tract weight (P > 0.05). MPs were ranged from 0.3 to 5 mm in size and were prevailed by fiber in shape; black, red, and blue in color; and polypropylene and polyethylene in polymer. This study may help in increasing our knowledge regarding MP pollution in marine water systems and biota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate information on the sources of suspended sediment in riverine systems is essential to target mitigation. Accordingly, we applied a generalized likelihood uncertainty estimation (GLUE) framework for quantifying contributions from three sub-basin spatial sediment sources in the Mehran River catchment draining into the Persian Gulf, Hormozgan province, southern Iran. A total of 28 sediment samples were collected from the three sub-basin sources and six from the overall outlet. 43 geochemical elements (e.g., major, trace and rare earth elements) were measured in the samples. Four different combinations of statistical tests comprising: (1) traditional range test (TRT), Kruskal–Wallis (KW) H-test and stepwise discriminant function analysis (DFA) (TRT + KW + DFA); (2) traditional range test using mean values (RTM) and two additional tests (RTM + KW + DFA); (3) TRT + KW + PCA (principle component analysis), and; 4) RTM + KW + PCA, were used to the spatial sediment source discrimination. Tracer bi-plots were used as an additional step to assess the tracers selected in the different final composite signatures for source discrimination. The predictions of spatial source contributions generated by GLUE were assessed using statistical tests and virtual sample mixtures. On this basis, TRT + KW + DFA and RTM + KW + DFA yielded the best source discrimination and the tracers in these composite signatures were shown by the biplots to be broadly conservative during transportation from source to sink. Using these final two composite signatures, the estimated mean contributions for the western, central and eastern sub-basins, respectively, ranged between 10–60% (overall mean contribution 36%), 0.3–16% (overall mean contribution 6%) and 38–77% (overall mean contribution 58%). In comparison, the final tracers selected using TRT + KW + PCA generated respective corresponding contributions of 1–42% (overall mean 20%), 0.5–30% (overall mean 12%) and 55–84% (overall mean 68%) compared with 17–69% (overall mean 41%), 0.2–12% (overall mean 5%) and 29–76% (overall mean 54%) using the final tracers selected by RTM + KW + PCA. Based on the mean absolute fit (MAF; ≥ 95% for all target sediment samples) and goodness-of-fit (GOF; ≥ 99% for all samples), GLUE with the final tracers selected using TRT + KW + PCA performed slightly better than GLUE with the final signatures selected by the three other combinations of statistical tests. Based on the virtual mixture tests, however, predictions provided by GLUE with the final tracers selected using TRT + KW + DFA and RTM + KW + DFA (mean MAE = 11% and mean RMSE = 13%) performed marginally better than GLUE with RTM + KW + PCA (mean MAE = 14% and mean RMSE = 16%) and GLUE with TRT + KW + PCA (mean MAE = 17% and mean RMSE = 19%). The estimated source proportions can help watershed engineers plan the targeting of conservation programmes for soil and water resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, sodium alginate was extracted from Sargassum algae, collected from coastal waters of Bushehr, Persian Gulf, Iran and used as a stabilizing and wrapping agent for CuO nanoparticles. The synthesized nanocomposite was characterized by some spectroscopic and microscopic techniques, such as IR, XRD, Uv–vis, BET, BJH, zeta potential, SEM, TEM, HR-TEM, and XPS. The antibacterial effects of the CuO–alginate nanocomposite against some bacteria, isolated from a burn wound, were evaluated. The results showed that this nanocomposite had better antibacterial effects than its components on Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 12600, Streptococcus pyogenes ATCC 19615, and Staphylococcus epidermidis ATCC 49461. Among these, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 12600 was the most sensitive one to this nanocomposite, with the lowest minimum inhibitory concentration (2.08 mg mL−1) observed. Moreover, the synthesized nanocomposite showed good catalytic activity in the oxidative coupling of carboxylic acids with N,N-dialkylformamides toward the synthesis of amides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pars Special Economic Energy Zone (PSEEZ) in the north of the Persian Gulf has made major changes to the landscape of the Nayband mangrove forest in Iran, but there have been very few studies on the carbon in mangrove forests of the region. To study the carbon stock of the mangrove forests in Bushehr, and to compare it according to the distance from PSEEZ, some mangrove forests, including 6 stations in Asalouyeh, 2 stations in Basatin (close to PSEEZ), and 1 station in Malegonzeh (far from the PSEEZ) were sampled in November 2018. The carbon of trees was calculated by allometry equations and the carbon of sediment was measured by the Walkley and Black method. The results showed a significant difference between the forests in biomass, carbon of vegetation, and sediments (P < 0.05). The carbon stock of the mangrove vegetation was 34.92, 12.50, and 27.54 t ha−1 in Asalouyeh, Basatin, and Malegonzeh forests, respectively, while the carbon stock of sediments was 867.4, 728.4, and 612.6 t ha−1 in the mentioned forest, respectively. The highest total carbon was observed in the Asalouyeh and the lowest was observed in the Malegonzeh. The pattern of carbon was different in the sediment depth profile in the three forests. The rate of the carbon storage was 6.6 t ha−1 y−1 and 3.33 t ha−1 y−1 in Asalouyeh and Basatin, respectively. The carbon and CO2 sequestration rate in Basatin was lower than Asalouyeh. According to the results, mangrove forests in the area can act as a carbon sequestration service against the CO2 emitted by PSEEZ, if their habitats are not destroyed. The rate of the CO2 sequestration was 22.46 t ha−1 y−1 in Nayband forest. The carbon stock was 640.14–902.32 t ha−1, which was equal to and greater than the carbon stock of the other mangroves in the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]