A Lecturer from the Department of Biology Obtains a PhD
The lecturer (Lecturer Sarmed Mahdi Kazem Al-Ghanemi) from the Department of Biology obtained a PhD from the Islamic Azad University of Iran entitled (Biodiversity Changes of Benthic Macroinvertebrates in Response to Qualitative Physical and Chemical Characteristics in the International Wetland area “Chaghakhor”) The study aimed to identify the changes in the biodiversity of benthic macroinvertebrates in the international wetland “Chaghakhor”. And the impact of changes in the physical and chemical characteristics of water and sediments on them. The study concluded that the results in the wetlands in “Jaghakhur” are not contaminated with chromium, manganese and zinc, but range from uncontaminated to relatively contaminated with lead and nickel, which requires environmental monitoring and reducing recreational activities and boat fishing. Surface sediments also showed severe contamination with cadmium and arsenic due to the long use of phosphate fertilizers in agriculture. This contamination poses environmental risks to the ecosystem and living organisms, including humans. Therefore, it is recommended to improve the management of agricultural lands, reduce the runoff of polluted water, and promote sustainable environmental practices to protect the wetland ecosystem. The study concluded that reducing the negative impacts of human activities on the ecosystem in the wetlands “Jaghakhur”, it is recommended to improve the management of agricultural lands by developing sustainable agricultural systems, reducing the use of chemical fertilizers, and preventing the runoff of polluted water and sewage into the aquatic environment. Periodic monitoring programs should be implemented to assess environmental changes, especially in benthic communities, and adopt preventive strategies to protect biodiversity. It received an excellent rating. Note that the lecturer published three research papers extracted from the thesis in Clarivate and Scopus containers, and the third research was in an international journal.
