Abhatoo - Centre Nationale de Documentation

The coastline today is a complex, very diversified space, with profound changes and perpetual transformations. With a coastline of approximately 3500 km, developing on two Atlantic and Mediterranean maritime facades, the Moroccan coastline occupies a privileged place at the level of the entire coastline of the African continent. The wealth, associated with the strategic space that represents the littoral, made of this last one a major space of development of the country in terms of urbanization, industrial zones and tourist equipments.
The quality of bathing water is a criterion increasingly demanded by the general public for the choice of its holiday resorts. The authorities watch over the Moroccan beaches and take all necessary measures to fight against their pollution.The direct and recognized consequence of this activity is the quality of the marine environment, which is the receptacle for all industrial, agricultural and urban nuisances.
The Main objective of our present study is to make a diagnosis of the state of health of the principal beaches of our region of Rabat-Sale and Kenitra. Our sampling focused on 8 beaches of Kenitra Mehdia, Nations, Rabat-Sale, Harhoura, Témara, Golden Sand, Val D'or and finally the beach of Skhirate Amphitrite. Bacteriological analyzes were conducted to identify the microorganisms that are indicative of faecal pollution including faecal coliforms and faecal streptococci and their enumeration by the filter membrane method on nutrient media Tergitol7 Agar, Litsky, Slanetz & Bartley.
In addition to microbiological sampling of water, the air temperature was measured "in situ" using a mercury thermometer, the temperature of the water using a pH meter, the pH of the water using a portable pH meter, the tide (high or low) and finally the estimate of the summer population.
The Main results obtained made it possible to classify the beaches in 3 categories according to the Moroccan standard for monitoring bathing water quality NM 03.7.200. The beaches of the Nations, Harhoura and Val D'or are classified A. The beaches of Mehdia, Temara, Golden Sand and Skhirat with medium quality waters are classified B. Only the beach of Rabat-Sale is very polluted and classified in category C.