Moroccan Atlantic Marine Research State of the Art: A Review Analysis

The aim of this study was to explore the research trends and the evolution of publication literature covering the scientific work published in the the Moroccan Atlantic coast during the period 1941–2018. We presented the findings of a study which provides a systematic analysis of the content of 9 books, 10 reviews, 28 conference papers, 67 reports, 73 theses, 85 bulletins, and 571 research articles published in 244 different scientific journals. From each study, seven elements are determined: (1) Author(s); (2) year of publication; (3) discipline of study; (4) title; (5) document type (journal articles, reports…); (6) source (journal title); and (7) keywords. The majority of these publications have a hydrobiological focus (17.42%), more concentrated in the northern coast (54.24%). A phenomenal advancement in the literature has been observed during the last seven decades, characterized by an increase in the publications’ number, a diversification of the study fields, a wide geographical extension, improved quality, and extensive topical coverage. Some guidelines for potential future research are provided.