The marine environment plays a major socioeconomic role in the Agadir region (south-west Morocco). This area, which hosts important fishery resources, is currently not spared from the pollutants produced in the course of agricultural, domestic, industrial and tourist development. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of the Taghazout bay tourist resort on the bacteriological and physicochemical quality of the coastal waters of Taghazout. The seawater samples were collected between March 2016 and March 2018 at three sampling sites (S1, S2 and S3) in order to monitor the concentrations of fecal coliforms (FC), fecal streptococci (FS) and total germs (TG). The results of physicochemical parameters show seasonal fluctuations influenced by climatic factors. The spatio-temporal monitoring of the bacteriological parameters shows that the average total germ count is 127.05 CFU/100 ml, 39.61 CFU/100 ml for fecal coliforms and 15.21 CFU/100 ml for fecal streptococci. The values of FC80, FC95 and FS90 do not exceed the guide values of the Moroccan standards. This classifies the Taghazout beach in category A (good quality of bathing water). The monitoring analysis recorded by the Pearson correlation test between the environmental parameters and the level of fecal bacteria showed that there was a significant positive correlation between the FC concentrations and rainfall; the FS concentrations showed significant positive correlations with all the environmental parameters while the TG concentrations indicate no correlation with them. The fecal contamination parameters should be routinely monitored for improving the environmental conditions of coastal cities. This must be the case for the Taghazout coastline where a regular monitoring program must be established to evaluate the impact of the new tourist resort "Taghazout bay" on the environmental quality of this ecosystem.

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Groundwater resources of the alluvial aquifer Ghiss Nekkor, which covers an area of 100 km2, are the main source of domestic and agricultural freshwater supply in the region of Al Hoceima in Morocco. Due to human activities (overexploitation, increase in agricultural activity), this alluvial aquifer has become very sensitive to chemical pollution. The principal objective of this current study is to develop and implement a calibration method to assess, map, and estimate the vulnerability of the Ghiss Nekkor alluvial aquifer to pollution risk. In this work, the GIS-based DRASTIC model was used to estimate the inherent vulnerability to contamination of the Ghiss Nekkor alluvial aquifer with seven standard hydrogeological parameters. Nitrate (NO3) and electrical conductivity (EC) data were used to validate the DRASTIC map. The results of the vulnerability map analysis show that the vulnerability to contaminants varies from non-existent in the southwestern part of the plain (7.3% of the total area), to very high (14.5%). The vulnerability is moderate in the central and northeastern areas (26.9%), while it is high in the other areas (17.5%). Furthermore, the most sensitive areas are mainly concentrated near the coastal strip and the central plain on both sides of the Nekkor River. In these areas, the NO3 and EC values are above the maximum allowable limit of the World Health Organization. The results suggest that the DRASTIC model can be an effective tool for decision-makers concerned about managing groundwater sustainability.

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Cigarette butts pose a significant challenge in managing solid litter, with an estimated 4.95 trillion of them being discarded into the environment annually. This study investigated the pollution of eleven beaches along the Moroccan Mediterranean by cigarette butts compared to other types of marine litter between 2018 and 2023. Sampling was conducted using the visual survey technique according to a standardized protocol. A total of 50,575 items were collected with cigarette butts (14.62%) and plastic caps/lids drinks (10.93%) being the most common. Our survey of eleven beaches revealed 7395 cigarette butts, giving an average density of 0.06/m2 comparable to other countries in the Mediterranean. The analysis of the results shows significant differences in the abundance cigarette butts according to the beach typology, seasonality, sediment type, and number of beach users. Moreover, the study discovered a decrease in beach pollution during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, resulting in less litter collected compared to pre- and post-pandemic periods. The Cigarette Butt Pollution Index was categorized as very low pollution in M’diq and Kaa Asrass, low pollution in Ksar Sghir, Fnideq, Amsa, Oued Laou, significant pollution in Martil and Nador and sever pollution in Saidia and Sababia. The CBPI was higher during summer and winter, significantly associated with the density levels of beach users. The study recommends immediate action by the local administration to prevent the potential pollution of groundwater and sand by toxic substances leached from cigarette butts.

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