Coral reefs at Sir Bu Nair Island: An offshore refuge of Acropora in the southern Arabian Gulf

Bejarano, Ivonne; ORENES-SALAZAR, VICTOR; Bento, Rita; García‐Charton, José Antonio; Mateos-Molina, Daniel

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113570

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 71 publications

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“…The relatively close location of Sir Bu Nair to the Strait of Hormuz and the presence of E. coeruleopunctatus in the Gulf of Oman suggests a key steppingstone role of Sir Bu Nair that allows some fish to connect between these two subregions of the western Indian Ocean marine province despite their distinct oceanography, environment, and biology. This hypothesis has been previously suggested for coral species (Bento et al 2022) based on the prevalent oceanographic processes at Sir Bu Nair associated with the larger-scale cyclonic circulation flowing from north Qatar towards the Straits of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman (Cavalcante et al 2016(Cavalcante et al , 2020Campos et al 2020). Therefore, Sir Bu Nair could be playing an important ecological role in the region, potentially serving as a biogeographical stepping stone in this long-range connectivity between the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Gulf.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 70%

“…Coastal development and recurrent coral bleaching and disease events have reduced suitable habitats for coral-dependent fishes throughout the majority of the region (Sale et al 2011;Riegl and Purkis 2015;Buchanan et al 2016;Riegl et al 2018). Sir Bu Nair island is a priority area for biodiversity in the UAE (Ben Lamine et al 2021), hosting a healthy and structurally complex coral habitat, including the last remaining Acropora dominated reefs in the southern Arabian Gulf (Mateos-Molina et al 2020Bejarano et al 2022). Therefore, considering the loss of coral reef habitats and the intense fisheries activity in the Gulf, the presence of E. coeruleopunctatus in Sir Bu Nair waters could be a signal of the potential role that Sir Bu Nair Marine Protected Area could be playing as refugia for this commercial fish species.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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First records of Epinephelus coeruleopunctatus (Bloch, 1790), Whitespotted Grouper, (Teleostei, Epinephelidae) in the southern Arabian Gulf

Mateos-Molina¹,

Bejarano²,

Craig³

2022

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Two individuals of Epinephelus coeruleopunctatus (Bloch, 1790), Whitespotted Grouper, were recorded in an offshore marine protected area of the United Arab Emirates on the Arabian Gulf coast at depths of 5 m and 10 m. These are the first records of the species in the southern Arabian Gulf, and they add this species to the few groupers that inhabit one of the most extreme environmental waters of the world.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 70%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

First records of Epinephelus coeruleopunctatus (Bloch, 1790), Whitespotted Grouper, (Teleostei, Epinephelidae) in the southern Arabian Gulf

Mateos-Molina¹,

Bejarano²,

Craig³

2022

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“…Coral growth is best observed on offshore shoals, and fringing reefs are present along the mainland shoreline (Naser, 2014). These are extensively studied for thermal adaptations due to their tolerance to harsh environmental conditions (Riegl et al, 2011;Bejarano et al, 2022). The Gulf (Figure 2) represents a highly vulnerable ecosystem challenged by a myriad of local and global factors that threaten to destroy biodiversity, potentially leading to ecological destruction.…”

Section: Status Of the Arabian Gulf Ecosystem And The Need For Biomon...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Advancing ecological assessment of the Arabian Gulf through eDNA metabarcoding: opportunities, prospects, and challenges

Joydas,

Manokaran,

Gopi

et al. 2024

Front. Mar. Sci.

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The Arabian Gulf (hereafter ‘the Gulf’) is renowned for its unique ecological characteristics and distinct marine life. It offers a diverse range of ecosystems that have adapted to the impacts posed by natural stress and human activities. Regular biomonitoring and diversity assessments are necessary to document the health of the Gulf ecosystem and to implement appropriate measures for effective conservation and management. Recently, environmental DNA (eDNA), a total pool of DNA isolated from environmental samples, has emerged as a highly effective tool for ecological studies. This review explores the opportunities, prospects, and challenges associated with employing eDNA metabarcoding in the ecological assessment and biomonitoring of the Gulf. It provides an overview of the status of the Gulf ecosystem and discusses the potential applications of eDNA metabarcoding in assessing biodiversity, monitoring invasive species, and evaluating ecosystem health. Additionally, the investigation addresses the challenges inherent in implementing this technique, considering environmental complexities, methodological intricacies, and data interpretation. Overall, this review emphasizes the immense potential of eDNA metabarcoding in advancing ecological assessment in the Gulf and calls for further research and collaboration to harness its benefits in this unique marine ecosystem.

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Seaweeds of the Emirates

John

2023

A Natural History of the Emirates

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Seaweeds, Cyanobacteria, seagrasses and mangroves are the principal inshore primary producers in the southern basin of the Arabian Gulf. Of these the seaweeds are by far the most diverse with about 120 species recorded from those Emirates bordering the region. Little is still known of the seaweed floras of the two Emirates within the Gulf of Oman (Fujairah, Sharjah). Briefly discussed are the very extensive cyanobacterial mats association with inshore sedimentary environments. Described are the bands of seaweeds, cyanobacteria and sessile animals that are a feature of the intertidal of rocky shores. Much consideration is given to the striking forest-like community that develops seasonally on shallow and often seaward sloping rocky platforms. Large foliose brown seaweeds are the canopy dominants of this community that develops rapidly over the months of lowest sea temperature (‘winter’). Many of these seaweeds decay and are lost during the early summer resulting in a striking transformation of the seascape when the understory of smaller mat/turf-forming and crustose coralline seaweeds becomes evident. Since the late 1990s there has been a ‘phase shift’ with seaweeds replacing stony corals as the spatial dominants on many rocky platforms. The ecological significance of the large biomass of dead and decaying seaweed produced in early summer is discussed. Briefly mentioned are seaweeds as providers of ecosystem services.

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Coral reefs at Sir Bu Nair Island: An offshore refuge of Acropora in the southern Arabian Gulf

Cited by 5 publications

References 71 publications

First records of Epinephelus coeruleopunctatus (Bloch, 1790), Whitespotted Grouper, (Teleostei, Epinephelidae) in the southern Arabian Gulf

First records of Epinephelus coeruleopunctatus (Bloch, 1790), Whitespotted Grouper, (Teleostei, Epinephelidae) in the southern Arabian Gulf

Advancing ecological assessment of the Arabian Gulf through eDNA metabarcoding: opportunities, prospects, and challenges

Seaweeds of the Emirates

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