Water quality of the East Hammar marsh after restoration was assessed by using the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment Water Quality Index (CCME WQI).The model was applied in two approaches based on the historical data and the CCME aquatic life guidelines as objectives. Variables included in the index calculation were Water Temperature, Dissolved Oxygen, Salinity, pH value, Total Nitrogen, Ammonia, Nitrate, Phosphorus and Sodium. The CCME WQI analysis in both approaches reflected that water quality of the East Hammar marsh is rated as poor based on 2005-2006 data, meaning that the conditions of the marsh are often depart from natural or desirable levels particularly in respect to sodium and nitrogenous compounds; it simply has not recovered yet. The results reflect that the marsh area is still far from the current guideline criteria and, too far from restoration

Indices of Biological Integrity (IBIs) are being increasingly used as useful and direct tools for assessing general health of aquatic ecosystems. Although such ecosystems in Iraq, especially the southern marshes, underwent severe alterations during the last two decades, including extensive desiccation in the 1990s, such tools are largely lacking. Phytoplankton Index of Biological Integrity (P-IBI) was developed from data collected seasonally from 2005 up to 2007 in different sites of the southern marshes of Iraq to evaluate the trend of these ecosystems based on phytoplankton data. Ten metrics were selected for measuring P-IBI for the first time in Iraq as a proposed project from Nature Iraq and Twin Rivers Institute, American University of Iraq-Sulaimani. Although generally fluctuated both spatially and temporally, mean P-IBI scores showed better conditions in Al Hawizeh marsh (Good) as compared to the Central and West & East Al Hammar marshes (Fair to Good). However, the results generally indicated evidence of improvement at the Central and West & East Al Hammar marshes, whereas no recovery of the status of water was evident throughout the data obtained at Al Hawizeh marsh. Values were generally higher in winter. These observations clearly reflect the relative stability of the Hawizeh marsh ecosystem which was not subject to the desiccation process in the 1990s, while the severely dried systems of the Central and Hammar marshes are showing positive responses to the restoration efforts that were started after 2003. Among the ten metrics comprising the index, relative abundance of diatoms had the most prominent effect on the P-IBI value in the three marshes. Metrics such as chlorophyll- a concentration and relative abundance of Cyanophyta and Chlorophyta also played a significant role in determining the index value. Continuous monitoring based on the selection of the most suitable metrics is recommended

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A comparative study was performed on the Shatt Al-Arab River as a running water environment and a fishpond as a stagnant locality to investigate the distribution and abundance of attached algae. Samples were collected on monthly basis from November 2011 to October 2012. Two stations were selected in the Shatt Al-Arab River and just one in the lentic environment as it represents a thoroughly mixed water. Several ecological factors were analyzed and monthly variations were detected in all conditions, but a notable rise in water temperature and salinity was detected during the warmer period of year. Percentage composition of algae was calculated in the three investigated stations. Diatoms were dominant, followed by blue-green algae in the Shatt Al-Arab, but green algae in the pond. Three main algal taxa were encountered namely, Cyanophyceae, Chlorophyceae and Bacillariophyceae. The latter was represented by more species.

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