Radhouan Ben-Hamadou

• Eng. Ph.D.
• Professor (Associate) at Qatar University

Microplastics have recently been reported in the most pristine region of the world’s oceans. Microplastics are easily mistaken for food by filter-feeders and planktivorous fish, and can also adsorb large quantities of recalcitrant organic pollutants (OPs) which biomagnify up the marine food web, hence, explains the need for their investigation. In...

Mortality during the early stages is a major cause of the natural variations in the size and recruitment strength of marine fish populations. In this study, the relation between the size-at-hatch and early survival was assessed using laboratory experiments and on field-caught larvae of the European sardine (Sardina pilchardus). Larval size-at-hatch...

The phytoplankton and zooplankton assemblages in the Guadiana estuary (south Portugal) were compared in two contrasting hydrologic years, characterized by high and low freshwater discharges. Changes in salinity, nutrients and turbidity, which were mainly due to the changes in freshwater input, had an important influence on the structure of the plan...

The isolation of lipid-rich autochthonous strains of microalgae is a crucial stage for the development of a microalgae-based biofuel production plant, as these microalgae already have the necessary adaptations to withstand competition, predation and the temperatures observed at each production site. This is particularly important in extreme climate...

The carbonate chemistry of seawater from the Ria Formosa lagoon was experimentally manipulated, by diffusing pure CO 2 , to attain two reduced pH levels, by −0.3 and −0.6 pH units, relative to unmanipulated seawater. After 84 days of exposure, no differences were detected in terms of growth (somatic or shell) or mortality of juvenile mussels Mytilu...

Marine life is integral to Qatar and the broader Arab region, serving as a cornerstone for biodiversity, economic activity, and cultural heritage. Despite the ambitious targets set by Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14, climate change is placing mounting pressure on conservation efforts. Recognizing that climate change cannot be entirely stopped...

The pearl oyster Pinctada radiata (Leach, 1814), a crucial ecosystem builder in the Arabian Gulf, has experienced a significant decline, mainly attributed to anthropogenic pressures. This study aimed to characterize the reproductive cycle of P. radiata in Qatar and compare the current data with historical records in the region obtained between 1992...

Seawater desalination has become an accessible option for augmenting freshwater supplies worldwide. In the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), it has been practiced fordecades as the main source for domestic water use. Sustainable desalination requires addressingenvironmental impacts including damage to ecosystems from the high volumes...

Coral reefs in the world’s warmest sea: The paradoxical vulnerability of the world’s most robust corals

Qatar is a severely water-stressed country. Despite Qatar’s aridity and its lack of freshwater resources, its per capita water consumption is one of the highest in the world, and it is expected to increase in the coming decades. Therefore, understanding water consumption and use through space and time becomes paramount. By employing water footprint...

The ecological state of the Persian or Arabian Gulf (hereafter ‘Gulf') is in sharp decline. Calls for comprehensive ecosystem-based management approaches and transboundary conservation have gone largely unanswered, despite mounting marine threats made worse by climate change. The region's long-standing political tensions add additional complexity,...

Desalination has become an attractive option for addressing water needs or solving problems of increasing water scarcity and short-term supply interruptions. However, several negative environmental impacts are associated with the resulting brine, for which a range of treatment, recovery, and disposal technologies have been suggested in the academic...

In this study, three types of adsorbents were used to remove and recover strontium ions (Sr²⁺) from aqueous and brine solution of seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO), namely roasted date pits (RDP) and RDP modified using copper and nickel salts of potassium hexacyanoferrates to obtain RDP–FC–Cu, and RDP–FC–Ni, respectively. Additionally, the influence...

Decommissioning obsolete oil platforms in the upcoming decades in Qatar, through a complete removal, will imply a major loss of the fouling biodiversity and associated ecosystem functions and services. The rig-to-reef approach, successfully implemented in other seas of the world, provides an attractive alternative to the complete removal by reefing...

Coral communities constitute the most diverse, complex and productive marine ecosystems in the Arabian Gulf. However, they are being lost at such an alarming rate that several coral species are now threatened with regional extinction. Most corals in the Arabian Gulf are broadcast spawners, with only one annual spawning event, which constitutes a cr...

The Persian Gulf is a thermally extreme environment in which reef corals have adapted to survive through temperature ranges that would be lethal to corals from other regions. Despite offering a unique opportunity to better understand how corals from other regions may adapt in the future, through a changing climate, much of the Gulf coral and fish c...

This study was carried out to investigate the impacts of cyanobacteria (Roholtiella sp.) high-value product extract (HVPE) and water resuspended biomass WRB treatments on bell pepper production using the hydroponic system under greenhouse conditions. Six cyanobacteria treatments (6 ml L⁻¹, 4 ml L⁻¹, and 2 ml L⁻¹ – HVPE, 6 ml L⁻¹, 4 ml L⁻¹, and 2 ml...

The restoration of coral reefs is becoming essential as they are declining due to environmental changes and local anthropogenic activities; therefore, it is critical to understand and determine the implications of this decline to the reproductive biology of corals. Despite the harsh and unique marine environment of the Arabian Gulf, coral reef rese...

Current seawater temperatures around the northeastern Arabian Peninsula resemble future global forecasts as temperatures > 35 °C are commonly observed in summer. To provide a more fundamental aim of understanding the structure of wild populations in extreme environmental conditions, we conducted a population genetic study of a widespread, regional...

Bioprospecting programmes are the key to increasing the current portfolio of indigenous microalgal strains accessible for different applications in microalgal biotechnology. In this work, nine fastgrowing microalgal strains isolated from the Arabian/Persian Gulf coastal waters of Kuwait were evaluated for their potential as biofuel feedstocks. 18S...

The subtropical ROPME Sea Area (RSA), comprising the Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and the northern Arabian Sea, is a heavily exploited sea region that experiences extreme environmental conditions, and for which climate change is expected to further impact marine ecosystems and coastal communities, sectors and industries. Climate change risk assessments p...

Provides a summary of the status of coral reefs of the ROPME Sea Area (Persian/Arabian Gulf, Sea of Oman and western Arabian Sea) in 2020 based on survey data from the 1990s onward.

Salinity is one of the abiotic stresses that affect crop growth and productivity in arid and semi-arid regions. Unfortunately, there are few known methods to mitigate the deleterious impacts of salt stress on the development and yield of vegetable crops. Blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) are endowed with the potential to curb the negative impacts of...

The Regional Organization for the Protection of the Marine Environment (ROPME) Sea Area (RSA) in the northern Indian Ocean, which comprises the Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and the northern Arabian Sea, already experiences naturally extreme environmental conditions and incorporates one of the world’s warmest seas. There is growing evidence that climate c...

Citation: Lincoln, S.; Buckley, P.; Howes, E.L.; Maltby, K.M.; Pinnegar, J.K.; Ali, T.S.; Alosairi, Y.; Al-Ragum, A.; Baglee, A.; Balmes, C.O.; et al.

In this study, the adsorption isotherms and thermodynamic studies of lithium ions from seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination brine were investigated. Three adsorbents were utilized namely, roasted date pits (RDP), potassium copper, and nickel hexacyanoferrate-date pits (RDP-FC-Cu and RDP-FC-Ni). The prepared adsorbents showed enhanced morpho...

Abstract In this paper, novel composite materials from modified roasted date pits using ferrocyanides were developed and investigated for the recovery of lithium ions (Li+) from seawater reverse osmosis (RO) brine. Two composite materials were prepared from roasted date pits (RDP) as supporting material, namely potassium copper hexacyanoferrate-dat...

Oil and gas platforms act as artificial habitats for a myriad of marine organisms. In this study, we used opportunistic remotely operated vehicle (ROV) data to describe fouling assemblages through the characterization of functional groups in the Al Shaheen oil field, situated in Qatari waters. The surveys showed a strong vertical stratification, wi...

Cyanobacteria are found to be renewable and sustainable additives for growth improvement in crops. Extracts and biomass of three nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria namely, Roholtiella sp. (QUCCCM97), Nostoc ellipsosporum (QUCCCM99), and Desmonostoc danxiaense (QUCCCM112) isolated from Qatar desert environment were tested for their ability to enhance the...

Microalgae are photoautotrophic organisms with high commercial potential. Extracts from microalgae are extensively used in crop cultivation, mainly because they possess growth-promoting properties, coupled with their enhancing impacts on the crop’s ability to withstand abiotic stresses viz. extreme temperatures, drought, salinity, and mineral defic...

Given the current natural and anthropogenic threats facing Qatar's marine environment and the consequential expected decline in ecosystem services, this paper examines the potential application of the Ecosystem Services-EBM framework developed by Granek et al. (2010) to sustainably manage Qatar's coral reef and seagrass bed ecosystems. Using interv...

The Arabian Gulf is one of the most adversely affected marine environments worldwide, which results from combined pollution drivers including climate change, oil and gas activities, and coastal anthropogenic disturbances. Desalination activities are one of the major marine pollution drivers regionally and internationally. Arabian Gulf countries rep...

Coral reefs are facing global challenges, with climate change causing recurrent coral bleaching events at a faster rate than corals may be able to recover from, and leading to an overall decline of coral cover and shifts in communities across the tropics. Scleractinian corals are ecosystem builders that provide a habitat for numerous marine species...

The novel COVID-19 pandemic that affects global food production and accessibility is a great concern/risk towards different country’s capacity to the attainment of stable and sustaining food security. Thus, Qatar’s food security like every other country of the globe is under a threat because of the COVID-19 pandemic which has been so far well manag...

Aquaculture is considered as a promising alternative to support the food demands of the everincreasing population. Currently, this sector faces several challenges such as using fishmeal, which is unsustainable and expensive. Therefore, it is necessary to identify an alternative feed component that is sustainable, cost-effective and can provide the...

The coral reef ecosystems of the Arabian/Persian Gulf (the Gulf) are facing profound pressure from climate change (extreme temperatures) and anthropogenic (land-use and population-related) stressors. Increasing degradation at local and regional scales has already resulted in widespread coral cover reduction. Connectivity, the transport and exchange...

More recently, Qatar has undergone a remarkable social and economic transformation in less than a generation. Although Qataris have a historic connection to the sea, dating back to the pearl diving days in the 19th century, the marine environment requires many interventions to be managed in a sustainable manner. Given the fact that coral reefs play...

A novel approach of combining manipulative field experiments and cytogenetic endpoints was used to assess the genotoxic impact of chemical contamination on a local model bivalve species, the pearl oyster -Pinctada imbricata radiata. Baseline levels of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPHs) and trace metals were...

Coastal lagoons are often exposed to intense short-term environmental changes and strong anthropogenic pressures influencing zooplanktonic communities and production. However, most works focus on long-term temporal scales using monthly or seasonal sampling strategies. The present study analysed the structure of the mesozooplanktonic assemblages, th...

Conservation and management of marine biodiversity depends on biomonitoring of marine habitats, but current approaches are resource‐intensive and require different approaches for different organisms. Environmental DNA (eDNA) extracted from water samples is an efficient and versatile approach to detecting aquatic animals. In the ocean, eDNA composit...

In order to help safeguard biodiversity from global changes, the Convention on Biological Diversity developed a Strategic Plan for Biodiversity for the period 2011-2020 that included a list of twenty specific objectives known as the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. With the end of that timeframe in sight, and despite major advancements in biodiversity c...

Ocean circulation, geological history, geographic distance, and seascape heterogeneity play an important role in phylogeography of coral‐dependent fishes. Here, we investigate potential genetic population structure within the yellowbar angelfish (Pomacanthus maculosus) across the Northwestern Indian Ocean (NIO). We then discuss our results with res...

In this study, the genus Plegadognathus Morselli, 1981 with the species P. bonariensis. Viets, 1936) is recorded from Qatar for the first time. Diagnoses for the genus Plegadognathus and the short description of female of P. bonariensis are given with original illustrations.

The inexorable movements of growing population, increasing water stress, urbanization, and persistent global warming are greatly responsible for the reduction in the availability of cultivable land in the Arabian Peninsula countries where successful soil crop cultivation practically depends on scarce resources - water for irrigation. Consequently,...

Low‐density polyethylene (LDPE) and polystyrene (PS) films with hydrophilic surface were prepared by photochemical grafting of sulfobetaine‐based copolymer containing photolabile moiety, and long‐term stability of the hydrophilic nature of the surfaces in seawater was proved. The sulfobetaine‐based copolymer was prepared by copolymerization of N,N‐...

Arabian Gulf coral communities are particularly known for their utmost tolerance and adaptation to region’s extreme environmental conditions. However, stress through increasing sea temperatures, salinities, sustained coastal development, etc., has resulted in shifts in reef communities across the region in recent years. We conducted a comprehensive...

Arabian Gulf coral communities are particularly known for their utmost tolerance and adaptation to region’s extreme environmental conditions. However, stress through increasing sea temperatures, salinities, sustained coastal development, etc., has resulted in shifts in reef communities across the region in recent years. We conducted a comprehensive...

Increasing seawater temperatures are being measured worldwide, causing coral bleaching events during which the symbiosis between the coral host and its symbiotic zooxanthellae is disrupted, and a global decline in reef corals. In the Arabian Gulf where water temperatures are naturally extreme with summer maxima at 35°C and above and winter minima a...

The geographical and hydrological characteristics and industrial activities of the Arabian/Persian Gulf contribute to its classification as a stressed marine environment. The persistency of some contaminants released by human activity is putting additional pressure on this already fragile system. Several studies have assessed the chemical contamina...

About one third of the oil and gas extracted worldwide comes from offshore sources. There is currently thousands of large-scale oil and gas platforms spread across the seas and coastal oceans, from the North Sea to the seas of South Asia. Although their primary purpose is not related to enrichment of biodiversity, gas and oil platforms can act as l...

About one third of the oil and gas extracted worldwide comes from offshore sources. There is currently thousands of large-scale oil and gas platforms spread across the seas and coastal oceans, from the North Sea to the seas of South Asia. Although their primary purpose is not related to enrichment of biodiversity, gas and oil platforms can act as l...

Artificial structures get introduced into the marine environment by accident (e.g., shipwrecks) or intentionally, for logistical (i.e., coastal protection), industrial (i.e., oil exploitation) or biological habitat enhancement (i.e., artificial reefs). Similarly to other types of man-made submerged structures, offshore oil and gas platforms provide...

The coastline of Qatar is a rich mosaic of productive and diverse ecosystems including mangrove forests, intertidal mudflats (sabkha), seagrass beds, and coral reefs. These ecologically interconnected ecosystems contain a substantial proportion of Qatar's total biodiversity, and support an estimated 97% of the >US$ 67 million in annual commercial f...

This work aims to undertake a preliminary characterization of winter fish assemblages in the salt marsh areas of Guadiana lower estuary (South-East Portugal) and discusses the potential risks of habitat dominance by a non-indigenous species (NIS). To this effect, six field campaigns were carried out in four sampling sites during winter season targe...

Hydrodynamics and sediment transport are key physical processes contributing to habitat structure within the marine environment. Coastal development that results in the alteration of these processes (e.g., changing water flushing and/or sedimentation rates) can have detrimental impacts on sensitive systems. This is a current, relevant issue in Qata...

This work updates the characterization of winter fish communities in salt marsh areas of Guadiana estuary (SE-Portugal) and discusses the potential risks of habitat dominance by a non-indigenous species (NIS). To this effect, six field campaigns were carried out during winter season targeting the collection of fish species. Individuals from seven d...

An assessment of vertical distribution, diel migration, taxonomic and functional diversity of fishes was carried out at offshore platforms in The (Arabian–Iranian–Persian) Gulf. Video footage was recorded at the Al Shaheen oil field between 2007 and 2014 using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). A total of 12 822 individual fishes, from 83 taxonomic...

The Arabian Gulf is a highly turbid, shallow sedimentary basin whose coastal areas have been classified as optically complex Case II waters (where ocean colour sensors have been proved to be unreliable). Yet, there is no such study assessing the performance and quality of satellite ocean-colour datasets in relation to ground truth data in the Gulf....

Estimates of copepod secondary production are of great importance to infer the global organic matter fluxes in aquatic ecosystems and species-specific responses of zooplankton to hydrologic variability. However, there is still no routine method to determine copepods secondary production in order to eliminate time consuming experimental analyses. Th...

The Arabian Gulf countries’ marine environment has been subjected to increasing industrial development and anthropogenic pressure, leading to the growing introduction of contaminants into the marine environment, with a large percentage of those consisting of potentially genotoxic substances. In this study, we performed the first integrated assessme...

Coral reefs represent one of the most biologically and socioeconomically important natural assets in the Arabian region, particularly in Qatar. Stress through increasing sea temperatures and salinities, growing development, and other pressures, has resulted in shifts in reef communities across the region in recent years. Branching corals have disap...

The combustion of fossil fuels is pushing atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO 2) to unprecedented levels. This rapid increase in atmospheric CO 2 is causing global changes, with noticeable increases in temperature, sea level rise and changes to marine carbon chemistry (i.e., Ocean Acidification-OA). The today average pH of ocean surfac...

Non-indigenous jellyfish species (NIJS) Blackforida virginica have recently been introduced to the Guadiana Estuary. A modelling approach was used for the assessment of the species-specific impact on the native community, during the medusa phase. The novel interactions between NIJS and the native community are assessed through biomass variation inc...

The effect of water temperature on the growth, survival, development and foragin behaviour of European sardine Sardina pilchardus larvae was examined in the laboratory. First the capability of early sardine larvae to cope with starvation was assessed at temperatures from 1 to 22°C. Second, we examined under ad libitum feeding conditions and across...

A modified flow-through chamber method was used to measure gross primary production (GPP), net primary production (NPP), community respiration (CR) and associated environmental variables in an intermittent Mediterranean-type stream in Southern Portugal. Three common types of in stream habitats were targeted: cobble (C), cobble covered with filament...

The Arabian Gulf is a semi-enclosed sea with very high evaporation and low discharge rates resulting in extreme saline and thermal conditions. Additionally the system is characterized by a weak hydrodynamic flushing resulting in pollutant build-up over time. As a result, compared to open marine systems, added stress imposed by pollutants is likely...

There has been a tremendous proliferation in plastic production in the last five decades due to its low cost and versatile applications. Plastic debris dominates the marine litter globally and has been found in the most pristine environment including the abysmal region of the world ocean. Studies show that over 8 million tons of plastics are dumped...

The Northeastern Qatari coast, comprising diverse and sensitive flora and fauna communities (e.g. coral reefs and patches, seagrass meadows and turtles), is expected to undergo changes imposed by anthropogenic stressors (coastal development projects) in the near future. Ecohydrological models are theoretical, mathematical representations of a natur...

Zooplanktons are marine animal members of the planktonic community. They play a key role in marine ecosystem, by linking primary production to higher trophic levels. The spatial and temporal dynamics of zooplankton communities were studied in 4 station along a transect offshore of Doha Bay, Qatar, from June 2014 to March 2015. Zooplankton samples w...

Microalgae have a great potential to be used in animal feeding due to its significant amount of protein and essential fatty acids secreted in their cells. Two strains of microalgae were selected from Qatar University Culture Collection of Cyanobacteria and Microalgae (QUCCCM) isolated from the Qatari coasts and subjected to different cultural condi...

Coral reefs are very important as they provide a foundation habitat for many aquatic species. Corals are marine invertebrates that exist as communities of polyps. Occasionally when corals experience physical stresses, the polyps expel their symbiotic zooxanthellae resulting in a white appearance. This is commonly described as “coral bleaching”. The...

A major consequence of the sustained degradation of the coastal environment is the progressive eutrophication, which makes Harmful Algal Blooms (e.g. cyanobacteria) more likely to happen and with potential production of cyanotoxins which may create health hazards. Qatar concerns have been rising following the observations of blooms in the last year...

Four lipid-rich microalgal species from the Red Sea belonging to three different genera (Nannochloris, Picochlorum and Desmochloris), previously isolated as novel biodiesel feedstocks, were bioprospected for high-value, bioactive molecules. Methanol extracts 3532 were thus prepared from freeze-dried biomass and screened for different biological act...

Salt marsh areas in the Guadiana estuary are important nursery sites for many fish species of commercial and recreational value. More effective protection measures should be adopted as the area is highly affected by anthropogenic and natural threats. Studying larval fish communities in these impacted nursery areas will be relevant to the management...

We used a controlled CO2 perturbation experiment to test hypotheses about changes in diversity, composition and structure of soft-bottom intertidal macrobenthic assemblages, under realistic and locally relevant scenarios of seawater acidification. Patches of undisturbed sediment were collected from 2 types of intertidal sedimentary habitat in the R...

The European clam, Ruditapes decussatus is a species with high commercial importance in Portugal and other Southern European countries. However, the development of R. decussatus culture has been limited by the highly variable patterns of natural recruitment. The development of hatchery technology will provide an alternative source of spat. The effe...

We used a controlled CO2 perturbation experiment to test hypotheses about changes in diversity, composition and structure of soft-bottom intertidal macrobenthic assemblages, under realistic and locally relevant scenarios of seawater acidification. Patches of undisturbed sediment were collected from 2 types of intertidal sedimentary habitat in the R...