Skip to main content

Coral Reefs of the Gulf: Adaptation to Climatic Extremes in the World’s Hottest Sea

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Coral Reefs of the Gulf

Part of the book series: Coral Reefs of the World ((CORW,volume 3))

Abstract

This book treats coral reefs in the water body enclosed between Iran and the Arabian peninsula that in this book we refer to as “The Gulf”. The area is variably also known as the Persian or Arabian Gulf, or as the ROPME Inner Sea Area. The Gulf has a long research history and a compilation of present knowledge about its reefs is timely. In 16 chapters, this book guides the reader through environmental and geological determinants of reefbuilding, through the dynamics of reef corals and reef fishes, to the taxonomy of key reef organisms. Also the importance of artificial structures as novel reef substrates is discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Abuzinada AH, Krupp F (1994) The status of coastal and marine habitats two years after the Gulf War oil spill. Cour Forsch Inst Senckenberg 166:80

    Google Scholar 

  • Alsharhan AS, Kendall CGstC (2003) Holocene coastal carbonates and evaporites of the southern Arabian Gulf and their ancient analogues. Earth Sci Rev 61:191–243

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Basson PW, Murray JW (1995) Temporal variations in four species of intertidal foraminifera, Bahrain, Persian Gulf. Micropaleontology 41(1):69–76

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Basson P, Burchard JH, Hardy JT, Price A (1977) Biotopes of the western Arabian Gulf. Aramco Department of Loss Prevention and Environmental Affairs, Dhahran, 284 p

    Google Scholar 

  • Benzoni F (2006) Psammocora albopicta sp. nov., a new species of scleractinian coral from the Indo-West Pacific (Scleractinia; Siderastreidae). Zootaxa 1358:49–57

    Google Scholar 

  • Biggs HEJ (1973) The marine mollusca of the Trucial Coast, Persian Gulf. Bull Brit Mus Nat Hist Zool 24:343–421

    Google Scholar 

  • Borgensen F (1939) Marine algae from the Iranian Gulf. In: Jessen K, Sparck R (eds) Danish scientific investigations in Iran I. Einar Munksgaard, Copenhagen

    Google Scholar 

  • Bosch DT, Dance SP, Moolenbeek RG, Oliver PG (1995) Seashells of Eastern Arabia. Motivate, Dubai, 296 p

    Google Scholar 

  • Burchard JE (1979) Coral fauna of the western Persian Gulf. ARAMCO, Dhahran, 129 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Burt J, Bartholomew A, Usseglio P (2008) Recovery of corals a decade after a bleaching event in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Mar Biol 154:27–36

    Google Scholar 

  • Cherif OH, Al-Ghabdan A-N, Al-Rifaihy A (1997) Distribution of foraminifera in the Persian Gulf. Micropaleontology 43(3):253–280

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Claereboudt MR (2006) Reef corals and coral reefs of the Gulf of Oman. Historical Society of Oman, Oman, 344 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Coles SL (1988) Limitations of reef coral development in the Persian Gulf: temperature or algal competition? In: Proceedings of the 6th international coral reef symposium, vol 3. Australia, pp 211–216

    Google Scholar 

  • De Clerck O, Coppejans E (1996) Marine algae of the Jubail marine wildlife sanctuary, Saudi Arabia. In: Krupp F, Abuzinada AH, Nader IA (eds) A marine wildlife sanctuary for the Arabian Gulf. Environmental research and conservation following the 1991 Gulf War oil spill. NCWCD, Riyadh and Senckenberg Research Institute, Frankfurt a.M, pp 199–286

    Google Scholar 

  • Downing N (1985) Coral reef communities in an extreme environment: the Northwest Arabian Gulf. In: Proceedings of the 5th international coral reef congress, vol 6. Tahiti, pp 343–348

    Google Scholar 

  • Downing N, Roberts C (1993) Has the Gulf War affected coral reefs of the northwestern Gulf? Mar Pollut Bull 27:149–156

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Emery KO (1956) Sediments and water of the Persian Gulf. Bull AAPG 401:2354–2383

    Google Scholar 

  • Endlicher SL, Diesing CM (1845) Enumeratio algarum, quas ad oram Karek, sinus Persici, legit Theodorus Kotschy. Botanische Zeitung 3:268–269

    Google Scholar 

  • Evans G (1966) The recent sedimentary facies of the Persian Gulf region. Philos Trans R Soc Lond A 259(1099):291–298

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Evans G (1970) Coastal and nearshore sedimentation: a comparison of clastic and carbonate deposition. Proc Geologist Assoc Lond 81:493–508

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Evans G, Shearman DJ (1964) Recent celestite from sediments of the Trucial coast of the Persian Gulf. Nature 202(4930):385–386

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Evans G, Kendall CG, Skipwith PA (1964) Origin of the coastal flats, the sabkha, of the Trucial coast, Persian Gulf. Nature 202(4934):579–600

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Evans G, Schmidt V, Bush P, Nelson H (1969) Stratigraphy and geologic history of the sabkha, Abu Dhabi, Persian Gulf. Sedimentology 12:145–159

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fadlallah YH, Lindo RH, Lennon DJ (1992) Annual synchronous spawning event in Acropora sp. from the Persian Gulf. In: Proceedings of the 7th international coral reef symposium, abstracts, 29 p

    Google Scholar 

  • Fadlallah YH, Allen KW, Estudillo RA (1995a) Damage to shallow reef corals in the Gulf caused by periodic exposures to air during extreme low tides and low water temperatures (Tarut Bay, Eastern Saudi Arabia). In Ginsburg RN (ed) Global aspects of coral reefs: health, hazards and history. Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Coral Gables, pp 371–377

    Google Scholar 

  • Fadlallah YH, Allen KW, Estudillo RA (1995b) Mortality of shallow reef corals in the western Persian Gulf following aerial exposure in winter. Coral Reefs 14:99–107

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fischer P (1891) Liste des coquilles recueillis par F. Houssay dans le Golfe Persique. J Conch Paris 31:220–230

    Google Scholar 

  • George JD, John DM (1999) High sea temperatures along the coast of Abu Dhabi (UAE), Persian Gulf – their impact upon corals and macroalgae. Reef Encounter 25:21–23

    Google Scholar 

  • George JD, John DM (2000a) The effects of recent prolonged high seawater temperatures on the coral reefs of Abu Dhabi (UAE). In: Proceedings of the international symposium on Extent of Coral Bleaching, Riyadh, pp 28–29

    Google Scholar 

  • George JD, John DM (2000b) The coral reefs of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: past, present and future. In: Proceedings of the 2nd Arab international conference and Exhibition on Environment Biotechnology (Coastal Habitats), Abu Dhabi, 33 p

    Google Scholar 

  • Gischler E, Lomando AJ (2005) Offshore sedimentary facies of a modern carbonate ramp, Kuwait, northwestern Arabian-Persian Gulf. Facies 50:443–462

    Google Scholar 

  • Haas F (1952) Shells collected by the Peabody expedition to the near east. I. Molluscs from the Persian Gulf. Nautilus 65:114–118

    Google Scholar 

  • Hodgson G, Carpenter K (1995) Scleractinian corals of Kuwait with description of a new species. Pac Sci 49:227–246

    Google Scholar 

  • Houbolt JJHC (1957) Surface sediments of the Persian Gulf near the Qatar peninsula. Doctoral thesis, University of Utrecht, Den Haag, Mouton and Co

    Google Scholar 

  • Hsu KJ, Schneider JF (1973) Progress report on dolomitization, Abui Dhabi sabkhas, Arabian Gulf. In: Purser BH (ed) The Persian Gulf: Holocene carbonate sedimentation and diagenesis in a shallow epicontinental sea. Springer, New York, pp 409–422

    Google Scholar 

  • Illing LV, Wells AJ, Taylor JMC (1965) Penecontemporaneous dolomite in the Persian Gulf. In: Pray LC, Murray RC (eds) Dolomitization and limestone diagenesis, Special Publication 13. S.E.P.M, Tulsa, pp 89–113

    Google Scholar 

  • IPCC (2007) Contribution of working group I to the fourth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change, Cambridge University Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Issel A (1865) Catalogo dei molluschi racolti dalla missione Italiana in Persia aggiuntavi la descrizione delle specie nuove o poco note. Mem Acad Sci Torino (ser 2):387–439

    Google Scholar 

  • John DM (2005) Marine plants. In: Hellyer P, Aspinall S (eds) The ­emirates a natural history. Trident Press, Peter Vine, pp 161–167, 351–352

    Google Scholar 

  • Kinsman DJJ (1964) Reef coral tolerance of high temperature and salinities. Nature 202:1280–1282

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krupp F, Abuzinada AH, Nader IA (1996) A marine wildlife sanctuary for the Persian Gulf. Environmental research and conservation following the 1991 Gulf war oil spill. NCWCD Riyadh and Senckenbergische Naturforschende Gesellschaft, Frankfurt a.M., 511 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Kukal Z, Saadallah A (1973) Aeolian admixtures in the sediments of the northern Persian Gulf. In: Purser BH (ed) The Persian Gulf. Holocene carbonate sedimentation and diagenesis in an epicontinental sea. Springer, Berlin, pp 115–122

    Google Scholar 

  • Lees GM (1948) The physical geography of southeast Arabia. Geographical J 121:141–145, 441 p

    Google Scholar 

  • Lees GM, Falcon NL (1952) The geographical history of the Mesopotamian plains. Geographical J 118:24–39

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lutze GF, Grabert B, Seibold E (1971) Lebendbeobachtungen an Grosz-Foraminiferen (Heterostegina) aus dem Persischen Golf. “Meteor” Forsch Ergebnisse Reihe C 6:21–40

    Google Scholar 

  • Melvill JC (1897) Description of thirty-four species of marine mollusca from the Arabian Sea, Persian Gulf, and Gulf of Oman (mostly collected by F.W. Townsend Esq.). Mem Proc Manchester Lit Philos Soc 41(7):1–26

    Google Scholar 

  • Melvill JC (1898) Further investigations into the molluscan fauna of the Arabian Sea, Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, with a description of fourty species (mostly dredged by F.W. Townsend Esq.). Mem Proc Manchester Lit Philos Soc 42(4):1–36

    Google Scholar 

  • Melvill JC (1899) Notes on the Mollusca of the Arabian Sea, Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, mostly dredged by Mr. F.W. Townsend, with des­criptions of twentyseven species. Ann Mag Nat Hist (Series 7) 4:81–101

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Melvill JC (1904) Descriptions of twenty-three species of gastropoda from the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea, dredged by Mr. F.W. Townsend of the Indo-European telegraph service in 1903. Proc Malacological Soc Lond 6:51–60

    Google Scholar 

  • Melvill JC (1917) A revision of the Turridae (Pleurotomidae) occurring in the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman and North Arabian Sea as evidenced mostly through the results of dredging carried out by Mr. F.W. Townsend, 1893–1914. Proc Malacological Soc Lond 12:140–201

    Google Scholar 

  • Melvill JC (1928) The marine mollusca of the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman and North Arabian Sea as evidenced mainly through the collections of Captain F.W. Townsend, 1893–1914. – Addenda, corrigenda and emanenda. Proc Malacological Soc Lond 18:93–117

    Google Scholar 

  • Murray JW (1965a) The foraminiferida of the Persian Gulf. Part 1. Rosalina adhaerens sp. Nov Ann Mag Nat Hist (Ser 13) 8:77–79

    Google Scholar 

  • Murray JW (1965b) The foraminiferida of the Persian Gulf. 2. The Abu Dhabi region. Palaeogeogr Palaeoclimatol Palaeoecol 1:307–332

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Murray JW (1966a) The foraminiferida of the Persian Gulf. 3. The Halat al Bahrani region. Palaeogeogr Palaeoclimatol Palaeoecol 2:59–68

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Murray JW (1966b) The foraminiferida of the Persian Gulf. 4. Khor al Bazam. Palaeogeogr Palaeoclimatol Palaeoecol 2:153–169

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Murray JW (1966c) The foraminiferida of the Persian Gulf. 5. The shelf of the Trucial coast. Palaeogeogr Palaeoclimatol Palaeoecol 2:267–278

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Murray JW (1970a) The foraminiferida of the Persian Gulf. 6. Living forams in the Abu Dhabi region. J Nat Hist 4:55–67

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Murray JW (1970b) The foraminifera of the hypersaline Abu Dhabi lagoon, Persian Gulf. Lethaia 3:51–68

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Newton L (1955a) The marine algae of Kuwait. In: Dickson V (ed) The wild flowers of Kuwait and Bahrain. Allan and Unwin, London, pp 100–102

    Google Scholar 

  • Newton L (1955b) The marine algae of Bahrain. In: Dickson V (ed) The wild flowers of Kuwait and Bahrain. Allan and Unwin, London, pp 141–144

    Google Scholar 

  • Purkis SJ, Riegl B (2005) Spatial and temporal dynamics of Arabian Gulf coral assemblages quantified from remote-sensing and in situ monitoring data (Jebel Ali, Dubai, U.A.E.). Mar Ecol Prog Ser 287:99–113

    Google Scholar 

  • Purkis SJ, Riegl B, Andréfouët S (2005) Remote sensing of geomorphology and facies patterns on a modern carbonate ramp (Arabian Gulf U.A.E.) J Sedim Res 75:861–876

    Google Scholar 

  • Purser BH (1973) The Persian Gulf. Holocene carbonate sedimentation and diagenesis in a shallow epicontinental sea. Springer, Berlin, 469 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Riegl B (1999) Corals in a non-reef setting in the southern Persian Gulf (Dubai, UAE): fauna and community structure in response to recurring mass mortality. Coral Reefs 18:63–73

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Riegl B (2002) Effects of the 1996 and 1998 sea surface temperature anomalies on corals and fish in Dubai (Persian Gulf). Mar Biol 140:29–40

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Riegl B (2003) Global climate change and coral reefs: different effects in two high latitude settings (Arabian Gulf, South Africa). Coral Reefs 22:433–446

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Riegl B, Purkis SJ (2009) Model of coral population response to accelerated bleaching and mass mortality in a changing climate. Ecol Model 220:192–208

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • ROPME (1993) Final report of the scientific workshop on results of the R/V Mt. Mitchell cruise in the ROPME sea area, Kuwait, 24–28 January 1993

    Google Scholar 

  • Sale PF, Feary DA, Burt JA, Baumann AG, Cavalcante G, Drouillard K, Kjerfve B, Marquis E, Trick C, Usseglio P, van Lavieren H (2010) The growing need for sustainable ecological management of marine communities of the Persian Gulf. Ambio 40:4–17

    Google Scholar 

  • Samimi-Namin K, van Ofwegen L (2009) Some shallow water Octocorals (Coelenterata:Anthozoa) of the Persian Gulf. Zootaxa 2058:1–52

    Google Scholar 

  • Shearman DJ (1963) Recent anhydrite, gypsum, dolomite and halite from the coastal flats of the Arabian shore of the Persian Gulf. Proc Geologist Soc Lond 1607:63

    Google Scholar 

  • Sheppard CRC, Wells S (1988) Coral reefs of the world. Volume 2: Indian Ocean, Red Sea and Gulf. UNEP/IUCN, Cambridge, 389 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Sheppard CRC, Sheppard ALS (1991) Coral and coral communities of Arabia. Fauna of Saudi Arabia 12, 170 p

    Google Scholar 

  • Sheppard CRC, Price P, Roberts C (1992) Marine ecology of the Arabian region. Academic Press, London, pp 1–347

    Google Scholar 

  • Sheppard CRC, Price ARG, Roberts CM (1992) Marine ecology of the Arabian region; patterns and processes in extreme tropical environments. Academic Press, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Sheppard CRC (1993) Physical environment of the Gulf relevant to marine pollution: an overview. Mar Pollut Bull 27:3–8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sheppard CRC, Loughland R (2002) Coral mortality in response to increasing temperature in the southern Arabian Gulf. Aquat Ecosyst Health Manag 5:395–402

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sheppard C, Al-Husiani M, Al-Jamali F, Al-Yamani F, Baldwin R, Bishop J, Benzoni F, Dutrieux E, Dulvy Nicholas K, Durvasula SRV, Jones DA, Loughland R, Medio D, Nithyanandan M, Pillingm GM, Polikarpov I, Price ARG, Purkis S, Riegl Bd, Saburova M, Samimi-Namin K, Taylor O, Wilson S, Zainal K (2010) The Gulf: a young sea in decline. Mar Pollut Bull 60:13–38

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith EA (1872) Remarks on several species of Bullidae, with descriptions of some hitherto undescribed forms, and of a new species of Planaxis. Ann Mag Nat Hist (Series 4) 9:344–355

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor JCM, Illing LV (1969) Holocene intertidal calcium carbonate cementation, Qatar, Persian Gulf. Sedimentology 12:69–107

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Veron JEN (2000) Corals of the world, 3 vols. Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, pp 463, 429, 490

    Google Scholar 

  • von Martens E (1874) Ueber vorderasiatische Conchylien nach den Sammlungen des Prof. Haussknecht. Cassel, 129 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Wallace CC (1999) Staghorn corals of the world. A revision of the genus Acropora. CSIRO Publications, Collingwood, 421 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Wells AJ (1962) Recent dolomite in the Persian Gulf. Nature 194(4825):274–275

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bernhard M. Riegl .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2012 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Riegl, B.M., Purkis, S.J. (2012). Coral Reefs of the Gulf: Adaptation to Climatic Extremes in the World’s Hottest Sea. In: Riegl, B., Purkis, S. (eds) Coral Reefs of the Gulf. Coral Reefs of the World, vol 3. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-3008-3_1

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics