Human Impacts on Marine Biodiversity: Macrobenthos in Bahrain, Arabian Gulf

Naser, Humood A.

doi:10.5772/23046

Cited by 26 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 67 publications

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“…The impact of these activities on the marine environment was assessed briefly (e.g., Agah et al. , ; Naser , ). However, no studies have been conducted till now on the influence exerted by the oil‐industrial activities on the structure and composition of the terrestrial habitats in the eastern side of Saudi Arabia, particularly on the natural vegetation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The ethnobotanical importance and conservation value of native plants in eastern Arabian Peninsula

2017

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The eastern coastal area of the Arabian Peninsula is subject to overgrazing, agricultural activities, oil pollution and urban encroachments. These activities cause habitat destruction and may have changed species composition. The current study aimed at assessing conservation and ethnobotanical importance of plants and how they are affected by environmental threats. The natural vegetation composition was studied and the ethnobotanical relative importance (RI) index and the species conservation index (SCI) were calculated. The results showed that native plants provide many ecological and socioeconomic services, including the provisioning of food, medicine, and energy. The native species (>77%) were reported to potentially be used for more than 170 therapeutic applications and for curing various human ailments. The medicinal plants (15%) attained RI value >50% reflecting high versatility and importance in local pharmacopeia. The number of threats to species showed significant positive association with SCI index and insignificant positive association with RI index. The study indicated that the current human activities may have negatively impacted provisioning of ecosystem services especially those offered by native plants. The ability of the natural ecosystems to sustainably provide services will be enhanced by adoption of land management practices that restore species and reduce pressure on native plants.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The ethnobotanical importance and conservation value of native plants in eastern Arabian Peninsula

2017

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“…Despite such harsh environmental conditions, the Gulf hosts a wide range of marine ecosystems such as mangrove swamps, seagrass beds, and coral reefs, providing valuable ecosystem services to neighboring countries. These ecosystems host an assorted marine biodiversity as they form shelter, feeding, and nursery grounds for a variety of marine organisms [5,6]. Thus, they play a significant role in the overall productivity of marine resources in the Arabian Gulf [7].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of Satellite Retrievals of Chlorophyll-a in the Arabian Gulf

et al. 2017

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Abstract:The Arabian Gulf is a highly turbid, shallow sedimentary basin whose coastal areas have been classified as optically complex Case II waters (where ocean colour sensors have been proved to be unreliable). Yet, there is no such study assessing the performance and quality of satellite ocean-colour datasets in relation to ground truth data in the Gulf. Here, using a unique set of in situ Chlorophyll-a measurements (Chl-a; an index of phytoplankton biomass), collected from 24 locations in four transects in the central Gulf over six recent research cruises (2015-2016), we evaluated the performance of VIIRS and other merged satellite datasets, for the first time in the region. A highly significant relationship was found (r = 0.795, p < 0.001), though a clear overestimation in satellite-derived Chl-a concentrations is evident. Regardless of this constant overestimation, the remotely sensed Chl-a observations illustrated adequately the seasonal cycles. Due to the optically complex environment, the first optical depth was calculated to be on average 6-10 m depth, and thus the satellite signal is not capturing the deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM at~25 m). Overall, the ocean colour sensors' performance was comparable to other Case II waters in other regions, supporting the use of satellite ocean colour in the Gulf. Yet, the development of a regional-tuned algorithm is needed to account for the unique environmental conditions of the Gulf, and ultimately provide a better estimation of surface Chl-a in the region.

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“…secondary or tertiary) (Sheppard et al 2010), large quantities of domestic effluents are discharged to coastal and marine environments in the Arabian Gulf. These effluents are characterized by high-suspended solids and high loads of nutrients such as ammonia, nitrates and phosphates (Naser, 2011a). Sewage effluents are generally accompanied by biological and chemical pollutants, including pathogen microorganisms and heavy metals (Shatti and Abdullah, 1999).…”

Section: Sewage Dischargesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Despite these harsh environmental conditions, the Arabian Gulf supports a range of coastal and marine ecosystems such as mangrove swamps, seagrass beds, coral reefs, and mud and sand flats (Naser, 2011a). These ecosystems contribute to the maintenance of genetic and biological diversity in the marine environment and provide valuable ecological and economic functions as they form feeding and nursery grounds for a variety of commercially important marine organisms.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Marine Ecosystem Diversity in the Arabian Gulf: Threats and Conservation

Naser¹

2014

Biodiversity - The Dynamic Balance of the Planet

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Human Impacts on Marine Biodiversity: Macrobenthos in Bahrain, Arabian Gulf

Cited by 26 publications

References 67 publications

The ethnobotanical importance and conservation value of native plants in eastern Arabian Peninsula

The ethnobotanical importance and conservation value of native plants in eastern Arabian Peninsula

Evaluation of Satellite Retrievals of Chlorophyll-a in the Arabian Gulf

Marine Ecosystem Diversity in the Arabian Gulf: Threats and Conservation

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