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"Marine ecology Persian Gulf"
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The Growing Need for Sustainable Ecological Management of Marine Communities of the Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf is a semi-enclosed marine system surrounded by eight countries, many of which are experiencing substantial development. It is also a major center for the oil industry. The increasing array of anthropogenic disturbances may have substantial negative impacts on marine ecosystems, but this has received little attention until recently. We review the available literature on the Gulf’s marine environment and detail our recent experience in the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) to evaluate the role of anthropogenic disturbance in this marine ecosystem. Extensive coastal development may now be the single most important anthropogenic stressor. We offer suggestions for how to build awareness of environmental risks of current practices, enhance regional capacity for coastal management, and build cooperative management of this important, shared marine system. An excellent opportunity exists for one or more of the bordering countries to initiate a bold and effective, long-term, international collaboration in environmental management for the Gulf.
Journal Article
Iranian mangrove degradation in oil spill from the 1990–91 Gulf War
Mangroves are highly susceptible to oil exposure. Oil spills cause long-lasting mangrove loss, threatening their conservation and ecosystem services worldwide. This study aimed to explore the impacts of the Gulf War oil spill, which occurred between August 1990 and February 1991, on mangrove vegetation in the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea regions (Nayband, Qheshm, Bandar-Abbas, Sirik, Jask, Gabrik and Govatre mangroves). We utilized remote sensing technologies to investigate the potential changes in mangrove area and health in response to the oil spill. The analysis of historical Landsat-derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data revealed significant degradation in the Nayband, Qheshm and Bandar-Abbas mangrove, which were closest to the contamination source. Results indicated that the oil spill degrades the mangroves around 17.7 ha with poor or moderate greenness and health condition in Nayband mangrove site (Bidkhoon and Basatin). The analysis in Qheshm mangroves revealed that the oil spill had a notable effect on mangroves in Classes 2 and 3, causing them to transition into Class 1, which represents weaker mangroves in terms of health and greenness. Also, the Bandar-Abbas mangrove area experienced a significant decline across all classes around 25%, or 129 hectares. These mangroves experienced greater reductions in overall area as well as declines in vegetation health. In contrast, the mangroves along the northern coast of the Oman Sea showed no evidence of area reduction due to oil contamination. Landward mangroves in Iran, which have lower NDVI values and higher oil concentrations in the sediment, are most susceptible to being lost due to oil spills. These mangroves have revealed their resilience and ability to undergo rapid recovery within 5 years after the Gulf war because the Iranian coastal mangrove areas were largely untouched and undeveloped, which provided a favorable environment. Additionally, the high temperatures and intense solar radiation in the region created a suitable condition for the degradation of the oil, further contributing to the mangroves’ recovery. This highlights the need for improved monitoring and conservation efforts to protect mangrove habitats, which are critical for supporting coastal communities and the broader environment.
Journal Article
Causes and consequences of the 2017 coral bleaching event in the southern Persian/Arabian Gulf
Coral reefs of the Persian/Arabian Gulf were the last to succumb to the effects of the global-scale mass coral bleaching event that began in 2015. This study examines the causes and consequences of the 2017 bleaching event on eight reefs located across > 350 km of the southern basin of the Gulf. Using a combination of 5 yr (2013–2017) of reef-based temperature observations, local meteorological data and water column modeling, we show that 2017 was characterized by an extended period of mid-summer calm when winds rarely exceeded breeze conditions, reducing evaporative heat loss and inducing dramatic warming compared with non-bleaching years (2013–2016). Reef-bottom temperatures in the Gulf in 2017 were among the hottest on record, with mean daily maxima averaging 35.9 ± 0.1 °C across sites, with hourly temperatures reaching as high as 37.7 °C. Across the southern Gulf, corals spent nearly 2 months (mean 55.1 ± 3.9 d above bleaching temperatures and nearly 2 weeks above lethal temperatures (11.8 ± 2.4 d), substantially longer than in the non-bleaching years (2013–2016) and equating with 5.5 °C-weeks of thermal stress as degree heating weeks. As a result, 94.3% of corals bleached, and two-thirds of corals were lost to mortality between April and September 2017. Mortality continued after peak bleaching, and by April 2018 coral cover averaged just 7.5% across the southern basin, representing an overall loss of nearly three-quarters of coral (73%) in 1 yr. This mass mortality did not cause dramatic shifts in community composition as earlier bleaching events had removed most sensitive taxa. An exception was the already rare Acropora which were locally extirpated in summer 2017. Given the increasing frequency of mass bleaching in the Gulf and the above global rates of regional warming, the capacity for recovery and the prognosis for the future of Gulf reefs are not optimistic.
Journal Article
Significance of Avicennia Marina in the Arabian Gulf Environment: A Review
Mangroves are ecologically important and highly productive intertidal plants that thrive in saline to brackish environments in tropical and subtropical shallow-water habitats.
Avicennia marina
is the only mangrove species found in the Arabian Gulf (hereafter the ‘Gulf’) coastal region, marking the northernmost boundary of mangroves in the Indo-Pacific region. This species predominantly inhabits sandy substrate with low organic content and is recognized for its high tolerance to extreme temperature and salinity variations. It has also proved its resilience to the impact of the Gulf War oil spill. Despite these challenges, mangrove ecosystems in this region continue to provide critical ecosystem services, sustaining biodiversity, livelihood support, climate change mitigation, and recreational opportunities. However, in the past two decades Gulf mangroves have been facing significant threats, including extensive coastal development, shoreline modification by establishing marinas and ports, and climate change-associated impacts such as sea-level rise and altered precipitation patterns, which pose significant risks to this fragile ecosystem. These challenges endanger mangrove ecosystems’ structure and productivity and present immediate and long-term risks to associated species and ecosystem services. However, recent years have witnessed successful mangrove restoration projects, leading to expansion and notable ecological advantages, including increased biodiversity and improved shoreline protection. This review addresses the current knowledge gap by providing an overview of Avicennia marina distribution in the Gulf, exploring the significance of its ecosystem services, analyzing the impacts of stressors, and examining conservation and restoration efforts, with attention to nature-based and biotechnological approaches for promoting mangrove growth and conservation in the Gulf.
Journal Article
review of contemporary patterns of endemism for shallow water reef fauna in the Red Sea
AIM: The Red Sea is characterised by a unique fauna and historical periods of desiccation, hypersalinity and intermittent isolation. The origin and contemporary composition of reef‐associated taxa in this region can illuminate biogeographical principles about vicariance and the establishment (or local extirpation) of existing species. Here we aim to: (1) outline the distribution of shallow water fauna between the Red Sea and adjacent regions, (2) explore mechanisms for maintaining these distributions and (3) propose hypotheses to test these mechanisms. LOCATION: Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Arabian Gulf and Indian Ocean. METHODS: Updated checklists for scleractinian corals, fishes and non‐coral invertebrates were used to determine species richness in the Red Sea and the rest of the Arabian Peninsula and assess levels of endemism. Fine‐scale diversity and abundance of reef fishes within the Red Sea were explored using ecological survey data. RESULTS: Within the Red Sea, we recorded 346 zooxanthellate and azooxanthellate scleractinian coral species of which 19 are endemic (5.5%). Currently 635 species of polychaetes, 211 echinoderms and 79 ascidians have been documented, with endemism rates of 12.6%, 8.1% and 16.5% respectively. A preliminary compilation of 231 species of crustaceans and 137 species of molluscs include 10.0% and 6.6% endemism respectively. We documented 1071 shallow fish species, with 12.9% endemic in the entire Red Sea and 14.1% endemic in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Based on ecological survey data of endemic fishes, there were no major changes in species richness or abundance across 1100 km of Saudi Arabian coastline. MAIN CONCLUSIONS: The Red Sea biota appears resilient to major environmental fluctuations and is characterized by high rates of endemism with variable degrees of incursion into the Gulf of Aden. The nearby Omani and Arabian Gulfs also have variable environments and high levels of endemism, but these are not consistently distinct across taxa. The presence of physical barriers does not appear to explain species distributions, which are more likely determined by ecological plasticity and genetic diversity.
Journal Article