Moroccan Mediterranean coast is tending to become overused due to urbanization, industrial, fishing and leisure activities; thus, the sea is the final receptacle for nuisances developed. Ecological assessment of aquatic systems using biological indicators has been frequently used to assess water quality. Benthic populations are good indicators of the state of their environment because of their sedentary lifestyle and the diversity of their quick responses to different sources of disturbance. Biological tests on sea urchins are widely used to assess contaminants in sediment and effects on health status. Their sensitivity is manifested by disturbances in the reproductive cycle, fertility and larval development. The main objective of this study is to contribute to the evaluation of quality of West Moroccan Mediterranean coast by studying benthic population’s organization and calculation of biological indices first, then studying sediment toxicity using embryotoxicity bioassay on sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus. Results of the evaluation of the environment impact and toxicity of sediments of West Moroccan Mediterranean coast showed that with the exception of a few stations which are of good quality, the ecological status and the quality of the sediments tested range from moderate to poor.
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