Endemic macrofauna of the Sulaibikhat Bay salt marsh and mudflat habitats, Kuwait: status and need for conservation

Abstract

A recent quantitative survey, of the last pristine section of salt marsh in Sulaibikhat Bay, reveals the presence of at least three brachyuran genera endemic to the Gulf, Nasima dotilliformis Manninngis arabicum, and Leptochryseus kuwaitense , the last of which appears to be restricted to Kuwait. Comparison of the salt marsh in Sulaibikhat Bay with a similar site, which has been subjected to infill and also receives sewage effluent, shows that the impacts are positively correlated with a reduction in biodiversity. Quantitative data on macrofauna distribution and abundance indicate that such pristine habitats support an extremely rich biodiversity, which is linked to commercial fisheries, and that urgent action is required to prevent further loss of these habitats.