The worldwide issue of surface water contamination by heavy metals is a matter of great concern, as it has the potential to affect human health. This study intended to compute heavy metal contamination and human health risks in surface water using the following pollution indices: heavy metal pollution index (HPI), contamination index (CI), metal index (MI), ecological risk index (ERI), human health risk and statistical analysis. For this purpose, eleven water samples were gathered and analyzed by ICP-AES for trace metals such as Pb, As, Zn, Cd, Cu, and Ni. The results showed that heavy metal concentrations varied significantly throughout the study area, with Pb, As, and Cd levels exceeding the WHO limits for drinking purposes. Pollution indices indicated low to high water contamination, with HPI results ranging from 16.41 to 862.18 and from 12.76 to 774.03, above the critical value of 100, requiring serious interventions to reduce heavy metal pollution. MI results range from 0.90 to 20.92 and from 0.70 to 18.41 and CI values range from 0.34 to 20.38 and from 0.15 to 17.86 in the dry and wet periods, respectively, with different contamination levels observed throughout the study area; ERI showed low to considerable ecological risk. Nonetheless, the non-carcinogenic risk, THI < 1, indicates low health risks, while the carcinogenic risk for As and Cd was significantly higher than the negligible threshold of 10⁻⁶, suggesting tolerable health risks. However, managing the contaminated area and minimizing the metal concentrations and predominant routes through which metals impact human health should be priorities for long-term development and to establish a favorable environment.

Climate change has a significant impact on regional and species levels, leading to a significant drop in biomass in the Southern Alboran Sea (SAS). Hence, research should be focused on determining the regional impact of environmental fluctuations on major marine species. The European sardine (Sardina Pilchardus) plays an important role in marine ecology and contributes significantly to the region's economy. The present study revealed the monthly fluctuations of sardine fishery on the Moroccan coast of the Southern Alboran Sea during the period 2009-2021, its relationship with four oceanographic variables (SST, SLA, Phy, and Zoo), and future predictions using two representative concentration pathways (RCPs) scenarios (2.6 and 8.5) for the period 2022-2100. Generalized additive models (GAMs) were built to investigate the links between environmental factors and the species' landing per unit effort (LPUE) and relative effort, and hence analyze the possible consequences of climate change. The GAM model could account for 71.4% and 61.2% of the variance in the LPUE and effort, respectively. Under the RCP 2.6 and RCP 8.5 scenarios, the expected LPUE and effort of the European sardine showed different patterns. In addition, the predicted future potential landing for the period 2022-2100 shows a reduction. According to the study, fishing pressure must be kept at a low and healthy level to maintain a long-term sustainable fishery and mitigate the impact of climate change on the European sardines.