A master's thesis in the Department of Ecology at the College of Science, University of Basra, investigated the environmental factors affecting the growth rates and survival percentage of gray mangrove trees (Avicennia marina) planted along the Shatt al-Arab waterway.

The thesis, submitted by student Ali Abbas Fadhil, aimed to evaluate the impact of the physical and chemical properties of the water and soil of the Shatt al-Arab and Khor al-Zubair on the success of gray mangrove cultivation as an environmental indicator for coastal ecosystem restoration.

The thesis included an environmental and statistical analysis of the factors affecting growth and survival rates.

It recommended eliminating sources of pollution along the Shatt al-Arab and Khor al-Zubair waterways and expanding mangrove cultivation in the southern part of the Shatt al-Arab in the Faw region to support biodiversity and protect the coastal environment.