ABSTRACT
Lake Maryut is a shallow, closed lake, located on the Mediterranean coast of Egypt. The lake is fed by the Rosetta branch of the River Nile and serves several important functions for the adjacent city of Alexandria, namely, fisheries production, water supply for irrigation, navigation routes to the River Nile, receiving body for industrial and domestic waste, and other human activities such as farming. Currently, the lake receives pollution from a number of different sources and is highly eutrophic. The lake area is dominated by vegetation, principally Phragmites australis and Eichornia crassipes, which, if left unmanaged, impacts upon the fisheries production capability of the lake. A significant population in the surrounding area rely directly on the lake as a source of income and food. Currently, the management of the lake is controlled by several authorities. If the lake is to continue to provide the services it currently supports, while allowing the desired level of economic and urban development, environmental intervention is required to improve the water quality. This entry details the analysis of the current ecological state of Lake Maryut and proposes actions for the integrated environmental management of the lake.
