Background: This study purposed to assess the health risks of heavy metals including nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), mercury (Hg), and lead (Pb) in three widely-consumed fish from the coast of Bandar Abbas (Persian Gulf) and to determine the maximum amounts allowed for consumption according to the degree of contamination. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the summer and fall of 2013. Thunnus tonggol and Liza klunzingeri were selected from the Bandar Abbas market, and Pleuronectiformes were caught from the sea. Heavy metal concentrations were determined by atomic absorption. Risk assessment and allowable consumption levels were determined according to methods provided by the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). Results: The highest average levels of Ni and Cr in Thunnus tonggol were 0.059 and 0.234 (µg/g dry weight), respectively. The highest average level of Hg in Pleuronectiformes was 0.095 (µg/g dry weight), and the highest average level of Pb in Liza klunzingeri was 0.006 (µg/g dry weight). The target hazard quotient (THQ) for all analyses of metals in the studied species and the hazard index (HI) were less than 1 for all three species. Conclusion: The results showed that despite Ni, Cr, Hg, and Pb pollution, the consumption of up to 4 (kg/d) of Thunnus tonggol by adults and up to 2.2 (kg/d) by children does not cause health problems in terms of the tested heavy metals. For Liza klunzingeri, these levels are 7.32 and 4.02 (kg/d), respectively.

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The effective conservation of coastal ecosystems including soft bottoms around coral reefs of Larak Island, Persian Gulf, is requiring basis data on community structure at different relevant spatial scales. In this regard, the diversity and the abundance of the macrobenthic communities in soft bottoms around coral reefs of this area were described in relation to different environmental factors. A seasonal sampling was conducted at two stations located in the east and west of Larak Island, respectively, during 4 seasons, from spring to winter 2012. A total of 20 species which belong to 20 genera and 14 families were identified. The macrobenthic density showed significant differences among seasons. The Shannon-Wiener index ranged from 2.07 to 2.89 indicating a moderate diversity in both stations. The maximum diversity of macrobenthic organisms was observed during spring. A non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) analysis showed a large overlap in the macrobenthic community structure between the two stations. A principal component analysis (PCA) analysis indicated that the main environmental factors controlling macrobenthic density were phosphate, dissolved oxygen and total organic matter (TOM). Our results indicated that coral macrobenthic communities in Larak Island were characterized by low density and uniform distribution of species.

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