Kuwait Bay Research Articles

Distribution and abundance of sardine Sardinella fimbriata (Val.) eggs in Kuwait waters of the Arabian Gulf

The distribution and abundance of Sardinella fimbriata eggs from plankton collections made in 1979–1980 and 1983 in Kuwait waters of the Arabian Gulf were studied to determine spawning areas and spawning seasons and to estimate adult stock size. Spawning occurred from April to September where surface temperatures ranged from 20.4 to 31.8°C and salinities from 30.0 to 42.0%. Egg abundances were highest in July 1980 and in April/July 1983. No eggs were found from October to March. Eggs were distributed throughout Kuwait waters, but Kuwait Bay and the area north of latitude 29°00′N appeared to be a major spawning area. Annual egg production was estimated to be 12.6 × 10 12 in 1979–1980 and 16.1 × 10 12 in 1983. Based on egg production and relative fecundity estimates, adult biomasses in Kuwait waters were estimated to be 49 000 metric tons in 1979–1980 and 63 000 metric tons in 1983.

Sedimentological characteristics of the surficial sediments of the Kuwaiti marine environment, northern Arabian Gulf

ABSTRACTThe textural characteristics, carbonate content and the coarse fraction components of the Recent bottom sediments of the marine environment off Kuwait are described and the faunal‐sediment associations discussed. The sediments were subdivided into seven textural classes, namely sand, silty sand, muddy sand, sandy silt, sandy mud, silt and mud. Most of the study area is covered with muddy sediments whereas sandy deposits are restricted to the rocky bottoms near the southern flat of Kuwait Bay, the southern coast of Kuwait and around the islands and bathymetric highs. The textural classes, carbonate contents and faunal types of the coarse fraction were used to construct a biolithofacies map of the marine bottom sediments off Kuwait, in which nine facies are identified. The sedimentological characteristics of the Recent marine bottom sediments off Kuwait reflect the interaction between autochthonous calcareous fragments mostly of biogenic origin, lime rock fragments derived from beachrocks and submerged reef flats, and allochthonous terrigenous detritus transported to the area mainly by dust storms. The Kuwaiti offshore area is generally a low energy depositional environment with little sediment transport.

Book reviews

Book Review in this article: Introduction to Geomagnetism, by W. D. Parkinson. Climatic Geomorphology, by Julius Büdel, translated by Lenore Fischer and Detlef Busche. Contributions to Sedimentology of Some Carbonate and Clastic Units of the Coastal Dinarides. Excursion Guidebook, ed. by L. J. Babić and V. Jelaska Continental Carbonate Sedimentation and Pedogenesis, by P. Freytet and J. C. Plaziat, edited by B. H. Purser Rivers—Form and Process in Alluvial Channels, by Keith Richards At the Sea's Edge: an introduction to coastal oceanography for the amateur naturalist, by William T. Fox, illustrated by Clare Walker Leslie. Changing Sea‐level Along the North Coast of Kuwait Bay, by Taiba A. Al‐Asfour. Carbonate Depositional Environments, ed. by P. A. Scholle, D. G. Bebout & C. H. Moore. Dynamic Models in Earth‐Science Instruction, by W. H. Yoxall.

Description ofCaligus kuwaitensis n.sp. (Copepoda: Siphonostomatoida) with comments onCaligus antennatus Boxshall and Gurney, 1980

Both sexes of a new species of parasitic copepod,Caligus kuwaitensis (Caligidae: Siphonostomatoida), collected from the skin ofPlotossus anguillaris in Kuwait Bay, are described in detail. The main characteristics of the female is its greatly reduced abdomen.C. kuwaitensis differs from the other known six species ofCaligus with abdomina reduced to a greater or lesser degree, in the structure and armature of its first and fourth swimming legs and in the general morphology of the posterior half of the male.

Changing Sea-Level along the North Coast of Kuwait Bay

Field investigations have been carried out to study the changes of sea level-along the north coast of Kuwait Bay. Four zones have been studied in detail viz: Kathma, Ghidhai, Mudairah and Al-Bahra. The area is characterized by the existence of several terraces which lie between the Jal-Az-Zor escarpment and the coastline which may represent stages of changes in sea-level. Three techniques have been adopted to study the terraces: 1.Levelling, 2.Radiocarbon dating of shells, and 3. Sediment analysis by particle size analysis and scanning electron microscope. The results show that there are six terraces in the area. The highest levelled point for the First terrace was obtained from Ghidhai at 92.62 m. above Kuwait Datum, while the least elevation for a fragment of the lowest terrace was 5.99 metres above Kuwait Datum, at Al-Bahra the terraces, besides having a general tendency to decrease in height from west to east, also indicate local instability and warping. Although the upper terraces can be identified as conspicuous physiographic features, it has been difficult to correlate them according to their height. Radiocarbon dating of a small number of shell samples from the Third, Fourth and Fifth terraces gave a range of ages between >42,950 years BP. and 23,300+600 years BP.; no simple correlation between height and age is observable and the possibility of shell contamination cannot be excluded. The evidence as a whole suggests that these upper terraces are not younger than Pleistocene in age. Radiocarbon dating for the extreme lowest terraces gave an age range of between 4,570+70 years BP. and 3,560160 years BP. which suggests a time of formation in the Holocene. The sediment investigations confirm the existence of three depositional environments; fluvial, Aeolian and marine. The sediment analysis results together with their gemorphological character indicate that it is possible that the upper two or three terraces originated as a result of fluviatile as well as marine action and were affected by tectonic movements. The lowest terraces are likely to be of marine origin deformed by tectonic movements.

Ecology and distribution of ostracods in Kuwait Bay

Abstract. Few ostracods live in the central part of Kuwait Bay due to the effect of ebb and flow currents in the central channel. The number increases gradually towards the nearshore areas and then decreases rapidly near the tidal flat areas due to turbidity in the northeastern zone and pollution in Sulaibikhat Bay. Different ostracod assemblages inhabit the subenvironments of the bay. The tidal-flat assemblage differs from that of the nearshore area and from the assemblage living in the restricted area in the western corner of the bay. Ostracods in the bay are mostly found living on clayey silt sediments and sandy mud.Forty-nine species belonging to 39 genera were recognised in the bay, of which 28 were found living there. The dominant living species in the bay include Hemicytheridea paiki Jain, 1978; Keijella nealei Jain, 1978; Jainella karwarensis Bhatia & Kumar, 1979; Propontocypris sp.; Chrysocythere keiji Jain, 1978; Aglaiocypris sp.; Alocopocythere reticulata indoaustralica (Hartmann, 1978); Carinocythereis batei Jain, 1978; Cytherella pulchra Brady, 1868; Hemikrithe peterseini Jain, 1978 and Neomonoceratina sp. cf. N. delicata Ishizaki & Kato, 1976.

Sedimentology and mineralogy of Kuwait Bay bottom sediments, Kuwait—Arabian Gulf

Textural and mineralogical properties of the Recent bottom sediments of Kuwait Bay, northern Arabian Gulf, were investigated. Six sediment types were identified, namely silty clay, clayey silt, sandy mud, silt, muddy sand and sand. It was found that most of the northern shelf and the central channel of the Bay are covered with muddy sediments, while sand and sandy deposits are restricted only to the southern offshore area of the bay. Based on the textural characteristics of its sediments, Kuwait Bay environment was divided into two energy zones: (a) low-energy zone, including most of the bay area; and (b) a moderate-energy zone, restricted to the southern offshore area of the bay. The detailed mineralogical investigation of the various size classes of Kuwait Bay sediments revealed that they are of polygenetic origin. Two main sources of the bay sediments were recognized, namely: (a) autochtonous materials which are derived from the degradation of recent shells of various fauna, erosion of the submerged ancient sediments and sub-Recent coastal sediments; and (b) allochtonous materials, which are derived from the onshore desert sediments by the action of the prevailing NW winds. It was also concluded that fallout from dust storms, contributes considerably to the sediment budget of the bay.

The factors controlling the distribution of carbonate content in Kuwait Bay sediments

The present study has been undertaken to determine the nature and the factors controlling the distribution of carbonate content in Kuwait Bay sediments. The carbonate content that may be deposited with Kuwait Bay sediments is attributed to the interplay of the deposits fallout from the dust storms over Kuwaiti territory, the deposits carried in suspension by the currents from Shatt Al-Arab area and to the skeletal parts of microorganisms that may be originated in the sediments. The carbonate content increases in the coarse sediments rather than in the fine sediments. The mineral components of the carbonate present are in the form of calcite, aragonite and some dolomite. Therefore, the texture of the sediments, the rate of deposition in addition to the biological interference may exert a considerable control over carbonate distribution.