Current biodiversity and ecological status of scleractinian corals of Sharm Obhur, Jeddah, Saudi Arabian coast of the Red Sea

Abstract

The Sharm Obhur reefs have predominantly been populated by soft corals. Notably, the highest soft coral percentages were observed in the central region of the creek at Site 9 and Site 6, where anthropogenic activities are higher. Among the scleractinian corals, more non-acroporid corals such as Porites and Goniastrea were found at all study sites and were commonly observed in the creek entrance area. More acroporid corals were found at Site 7. The sedimentation rate of Sharm Obhur strongly influences the reef ecosystem. Site 9 continuously receives murky water from stormwater drainage channels and has the highest sedimentation rate in the creek, which kills most of the corals in the vicinity. Similarly, the dead end of Sharm Obhur (Site 8) also receives drainage water from the Wadi Al Kura channel, which makes this the second highest sedimentation zone of the creek. Although anthropogenic disturbances are higher in the creek, the diversity of the scleractinian corals is found to be remarkable. In this pilot study, 13 families, 34 genera and 66 species of scleractinian corals were identified.