Submit a Revision

*your email :**
page name* : such as "Introduction", "Conclusion"..etc
<p> Lake Urmia (or Orumiyeh), is one of the largest permanent hypersaline lakes in the world and resembles the Great Salt Lake in the western USA in many respects of morphology, chemistry and sediments <a></a>[<a href="http://www.salinesystems.org/content/3/1/5#B1">1</a>]. Despite this, and its several values, including conservation, little literature has been published on the lake and its biota </p> <p> <a></a><a></a><a></a><a></a><a></a><a></a>[<a href="http://www.salinesystems.org/content/3/1/5#B2">2</a>-<a href="http://www.salinesystems.org/content/3/1/5#B7">7</a>]. The aim of the present paper is to provide a brief review based on previous and recent literature on various aspects of Urmia Lake with particular emphasis on conservation and management. Although we cannot provide an all inclusive coverage here, we hope that it will be sufficient to introduce this remarkable lake to the general reader. </p> <p> Urmia lake can be characterized as oligotrophic in terms of phytoplankton production in the range of 0.5–0.8 <span>μ</span>g/l <a></a>[<a href="http://www.salinesystems.org/content/3/1/5#B6">6</a>], with lower values compared to Great Salt Lake (0.5–3.5 <span>μ</span>g/l) <a></a>[<a href="http://www.salinesystems.org/content/3/1/5#B8">8</a>]. The predominance of the Na<sup>+ </sup>and Cl<sup>- </sup>ions illustrates the thalassohaline character of Urmia lake <a></a>[<a href="http://www.salinesystems.org/content/3/1/5#B9">9</a>]. Therefore, Urmia Lake is an oligotrophic lake of thalassohaline origin <a></a>[<a href="http://www.salinesystems.org/content/3/1/5#B10">10</a>] located in northwestern Iran at an altitude of 1250 m above sea level <a></a>[<a href="http://www.salinesystems.org/content/3/1/5#B6">6</a>]. The total surface area ranges between 4750 km<sup>2 </sup>and 6100 km<sup>2 </sup><a></a>[<a href="http://www.salinesystems.org/content/3/1/5#B11">11</a>] depending on evaporation and water influx. The catchment area of the lake contains 21 permanent and ephemeral streams together with 39 episodic rivers, flowing through agricultural, urban and/or industrial areas that drain into this terminal lake, mostly without waste water treatment <a></a>[<a href="http://www.salinesystems.org/content/3/1/5#B12">12</a>]. The maximum length and width of the lake are 128–140 km and 50 km, respectively <a></a><a></a>[<a href="http://www.salinesystems.org/content/3/1/5#B11">11</a>,<a href="http://www.salinesystems.org/content/3/1/5#B13">13</a>]. The average and maximum depths are 6 m and 16 m, respectively <a></a>[<a href="http://www.salinesystems.org/content/3/1/5#B14">14</a>]. The lake is divided into north and south parts separated by a causeway <a></a>[<a href="http://www.salinesystems.org/content/3/1/5#B15">15</a>], which has a gap that allows for a limited exchange of water between the two arms <a></a>[<a href="http://www.salinesystems.org/content/3/1/5#B14">14</a>]. </p> <p> Considering the role of <em>Artemia </em>in Urmia Lake, the Iranian Fisheries Research Organization (IFRO) established the <em>Artemia </em>Research Center in Urmia in 2000. On the basis of the vital role of <em>Artemia </em>as a live food in aquaculture, this center operates through various departments including Hydrochemistry, Stock Assessment, Culturing of Artemia and Algae species, Aquatic Diseases Hygiene. Researches about various aspects of <em>Artemia </em>in Urmia Lake are important research activities carried out at this center that has been nominated by FAO (Food Agriculture Organization) as a reference center for <em>Artemia </em>in central and west Asia. In addition, the <em>Artemia </em>& Aquatic Animals Research Center at Urmia University conducts various research projects on <em>Artemia </em>in collaboration with IFRO (Iranian Fisheries Research Organization). The IFRO <em>Artemia </em>Research Center seeks to achieve useful results in both basic and applied research on <em>Artemia </em>as a live-food organism for aquaculture. </p>
Confirmation code: Enter the code exactly as it appears. All letters are case insensitive, there is no zero.