Abstract
This study is trying to assess the types and frequencies of occurrence of coral diseases. Are these diseases due to the impacts of global warming or tourism on coral reefs alongthe Red Sea coast off Hurghada? Resultsindicated that there is a high disease prevalence (46 %) with the presence of fourcoral diseases/ syndromes; White Syndrome (21.6%), Bleaching (16.2 %), BlackBand Disease (8.2%) and overgrowth of sponge were near the sampling transects. Dataof the Coral Reef Watch about the Sea Surface Temperature (SST) anomaly producedby National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) indicated that there was 1°C increase in SST in 2009 and 1.5°Cincrease in 2010 in the northern Red Searegion. The increased prevalence of coral diseases in the Red Sea coast off Hurghada might be attributed to sea surface temperature(SST) anomaly due to global warming. Itmight be also due to activities associated with tourism such as exaggerated coastaldevelopment through construction of hotels and increased sewage run off and unregulatedrecreational activities such as SCUBA diving, snorkeling, and reef walking. Coralreefs must be considered and incorporated into management plans. To conservethese valuable marine resources, we have to adopt the sustainability concept ofecotourism instead of mass and random tourism activities.
Highlights
It is a well-known fact that the sea covers three-quarters of the earth
The present study aims to assess the impacts of global warming and tourism on the types and frequencies of occurrence of coral diseases/ syndromes in Coral reefs along the Red Sea coast off Hurghada, Egypt
Signs corresponding to three coral diseases were detected in the sampling transects; white syndrome (WS), Black Band Disease (BBD), and Bleaching (BL)
Summary
It is a well-known fact that the sea covers three-quarters of the earth. If a third dimension is added-the sea-bed, with its canyons and slopes-the sea comprises an even greater proportion of the surface of the earth (Gray and Elliott, 2009). The Red Sea is one of the most important repositories of marine biodiversity in the world. It has an extraordinary range of biological diversity and endemism. The Red Sea is the habitat of over 1,000 invertebrate species, more than 1200 species of fishes, and 200 soft and hard corals. It is the world's northernmost tropical sea (Lieske and Myers, 2004)
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