According to the National Center for Marine Sciences Research Council, the results showed a high number of microplastic pollution for surface waters of Beirut and Tyre (south), with Beirut as the most polluted capital city.

The identified bacterial contamination is a result of sewage and landfill leachate that pollute the national coastline from the northern tip at Akkar to the southern border at Naqoura.

The report noted the continued failure to treat waste before it reaches the coast, or because some refining plants are operating below their capacity.

The research reported that the Lagocephalus sceleratus fish, a highly toxic specie, invades the Lebanese coast from shallow waters up to 40 meters inland.

With tropical climate and associated with coral reefs, the fish entered the Mediterranean Sea from the western Pacific and Indian Ocean through the Suez Canal.

It is at present one of the most harmful and poisonous species, the document noted.

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