After the ‘Cement Plant sampling’ of the 16^th, we headed to the King Fahd Industrial Port of Yanbu with the aim of sampling any environmental pressures that may be associated with the port.  Sampling needed to be postponed until the necessary permission for port entry could be procured.  Again, the heroic (and late night) efforts of Yasser Abualnaja, Taha Boksmati, Captain Kanakaris saved the day (night actually), and our sampling commenced at a little after 3 AM.

The sampling area (King Fahd Industrial Port) and sampling locations of today’s survey.

Over the course of the morning, during which the skies over Saudi Arabia were uncharacteristically overcast, the HCMR/NCEC team managed to acquire water and sediment samples (as well as CTD and velocity profiles) from seven sites distributed along and across the port area.

The mid-morning marked the first delivery of water samples to our partners-in-analysis, ALS Arabia, who will conduct microbial analysis on the samples. The mode of delivery was via the Aegaeo’s zodiac, with NCEC’s Taha Boksmati, entrusted with the responsibility.  We now off, in rough seas, bound for the next sampling area near Jeddah.

Taha Boksmati of NCEC returning the the Aegaeo after delivering samples to ALS Arabia at a Coast Guard Station in the Port of Yanbu.  Flanking Taha are Vassilis Stasinos (at the stern) and Vassilis Bampas (at the bow).