Red Sea Population Research Articles

Phylogenetic Relationship of Diadema: Emphasis on The Two Distinct Clades of D. Setosum With The Inclusion of Long Spine Black Sea Urchin From Malaysian Borneo

Diadema urchins (family Diadematidae) are ecologically important bioindicators of coral reef ecosystems and seagrass beds. Diadema urchins which are widely distributed and broadcast spawners, have been frequently utilized as model invertebrate species for zoogeography research of the Indo-West Pacific region. So far, Malaysian Borneo, located at the geographic center of Maritime Southeast Asia, has been under-sampled. This study aims to fill this sampling gap and provide the first record of Diadema setosum from Malaysian Borneo using genetic diagnostics to conclusively establish the clade-level identity of the species. According to Cytochrome Oxidase I gene analysis, Diadema is monophyletic. Seven species of Diadema namely Diadema palmeri, Diadema clarki, Diadema mexicanum, Diadema antillarum, Diadema paucispinum, Diadema africanum, and Diadema savignyi, formed their subclades with strong bootstrap values, demonstrating interspecific variation. The findings of this study provide further evidence for the presence of two distinct monophyletic clades, with all D. setosum individuals forming a monophyletic clade that later split into two distinct subclades, dividing Red Sea population (D. setosum-b) and Indo-West Pacific populations (D. setosum-a), supported by a significant genetic divergence value ranging from 6.3% to 9.1%. This study also revealed notable levels of nucleotide and population subdivision between the D. setosum from the Indo-West Pacific and the Red Sea populations (Nst = 0.891; Fst = 0.886) with a low number of migrants per generation (Nm = 0.065). This may suggest geographic isolation due to ecological factors preventing each other from surviving in the territory of the other, or that the two clades of D. setosum were a separate species. Additional morphological and molecular analysis is required in the future to ascertain the level of divergence and further resolve the taxonomic confusion within the genus Diadema.

Successful colonization of the Red Sea Yellowspotted Puffer, Torquigener flavimaculosus in the Mediterranean without a genetic bottleneck

The Yellowspotted Puffer Torquigener flavimaculosus (Hardy & Randall, 1983) invaded the Mediterranean from the Red Sea via the Suez Canal. In the present study, we analyzed two mitochondrial loci, the cytochrome c oxidase 1 (COI) and the control region (D-loop), from the Mediterranean and the Red Sea populations. Both the COI and the D-loop showed no decrease of genetic variability in the Mediterranean population compared to the source population from the Red Sea. When comparing the genetic variability to two other species of the Tetraodontidae family (Takifugu rubripes and Takifugu obscurus), the mean divergence within the T. flavimaculosus is almost twice as large. T. flavimaculosus has two distinct genetic groups, similarly represented both in the Red Sea and in the Mediterranean, with similar coefficients of differentiation in COI, in D-loop, and, not surprisingly, in the two genes combined. This suggests that T. flavimaculosus has most likely established a sustainable population in the Suez Canal, that has gradually dispersed northward and eventually entered the Mediterranean with a large number of individuals, carrying a great deal of its genetic variability.

Phylogeography of the intertidal barnacle Chthamalus barnesi in the northwestern Indian Ocean

The phylogeography of intertidal invertebrates in the northwestern Indian Ocean is poorly known due to difficulties in crossing diverse political regions for sampling. This study, based on mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) and nuclear sodium-potassium ATPase alpha-subunit (NaK) sequences, is the first assessment of the phylogeography of the intertidal barnacle Chthamalus barnesi in the Indian Ocean and includes all peripheral seas of the northwestern region. Our phylogenetic analyses defined 1 monophyletic clade, suggesting that C. barnesi does not comprise any cryptic species. Phylogeographic analyses showed no clear differentiation among populations of C. barnesi, except in the Red Sea. This isolated population apparently did not leave the Red Sea during post-Pleistocene glaciation. High ΦST values between the Red Sea and other populations is further indication of isolation. Low values of ΦST among the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman and the northeastern Arabian Sea indicate gene flow among these populations. Analysis of molecular variance revealed no significant genetic differentiation among these 3 areas. Phylogeographic analyses suggested that there may be 2 major populations (Red Sea and northwestern Indian Ocean) of C. barnesi in the Indian Ocean resulting from interactions between the Pleistocene glaciation and present-day ocean currents. Among these populations, the Persian Gulf seems to have a higher probability of being the ancestral population. After the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf has the highest genetic diversity of the cox1 gene. This evidence suggests that the Arabian Sea population may have originated from the expansion of the Persian Gulf population after the Pleistocene glaciation.

Phylogeography of a commercially important reef fish, Lutjanus ehrenbergii, from the coastal waters of the Arabian Peninsula

Abstract The coastal waters of the Arabian Peninsula include a heterogeneous marine region comprising the Persian/Arabian Gulf and Sea of Oman at its northeastern boundary and the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Red Sea at its southern and western boundary. The environment within this region shifts from highly variable coral cover and extreme temperatures within the Persian/Arabian Gulf to sparse coral cover, lower summer temperatures, and nutrient-rich upwelling within the Sea of Oman. Within the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea there is high coral cover and warm, stable conditions. We tested for barriers to pelagic dispersal across this peninsula for the commercially important blackspot snapper Lutjanus ehrenbergii using mitochondrial DNA sequences. We found scant evidence for population genetic differences when comparing within northern and southern sections, but instead found strong evidence of genetic differentiation between northern and southern sections, with the Persian/Arabian Gulf and Sea of Oman populations being highly differentiated from the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea populations. Low levels of haplotype sharing between the Persian/Arabian Gulf – Sea of Oman and the Gulf of Aden – Red Sea probably reflect scenarios of historical colonization into these peripheral bodies of water, or the presence of a contemporary ecological barrier preventing further genetic exchange.

Using ISSR markers to detect genetic variation for marine turtles populations in Egypt loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green turtles (Chelonia mydas)

In Egypt, along the Mediterranean coast, the loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green (Chelonia mydas) come during nesting season to lay their eggs or for food with a rare occurrence for the leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea). In the Egyptian Red Sea there are five species that come to visit, the most common to observe are hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) and green (Chelonia mydas). The goal of this study is to conduct some genetic and ecological analyses a) to generate new markers that include other segments of marine turtles’ genome, as a tool to investigate new areas of variation/polymorphism between, among, and within populations and individuals; b) determine genetic diversity between and within the Mediterranean and the Red Sea populations using (individuals from the same and different habitats using ISSR); and c) determine allele frequency. At the ecological level, this study aims to assess sea turtles' habitat and population distribution among different habitats in Egypt. Throughout the duration of this study, it was noted that there was a decrease in nesting areas attributable to the loss and fragmentation of habitats. Although there are some areas with no significant nesting prosperities it considered significant areas for foraging and highly important as migratory corridors, especially in the Mediterranean. The massive urbanization and unplanned touristic developments affect sea turtle habitat over the Egyptian Mediterranean coast. The Mediterranean coast showed demographic changes in the coastal regions. On the other hand, areas could still be valued with significant nesting areas for sea turtles, but an intense and regular monitoring programme should be established. The Red Sea needs a regular monitoring programme for better management conservation measures to be adopted. The polymorphism percentage resulting from ISSR marker was 45 and 36 for both loggerhead and green turtle populations in the Mediterranean, respectively; and 69 for the green turtle populations in the Red Sea.

Invasion success of a Lessepsian symbiont-bearing foraminifera linked to high dispersal ability, preadaptation and suppression of sexual reproduction

Among the most successful Lessepsian invaders is the symbiont-bearing benthic foraminifera Amphistegina lobifera. In its newly conquered habitat, this prolific calcifier and ecosystem engineer is exposed to environmental conditions that exceed the range of its native habitat. To disentangle which processes facilitated the invasion success of A. lobifera into the Mediterranean Sea we analyzed a ~ 1400 bp sequence fragment covering the SSU and ITS gene markers to compare the populations from its native regions and along the invasion gradient. The genetic variability was studied at four levels: intra-genomic, population, regional and geographical. We observed that the invasion is not associated with genetic differentiation, but the invasive populations show a distinct suppression of intra-genomic variability among the multiple copies of the rRNA gene. A reduced genetic diversity compared to the Indopacific is observed already in the Red Sea populations and their high dispersal potential into the Mediterranean appears consistent with a bridgehead effect resulting from the postglacial expansion from the Indian Ocean into the Red Sea. We conclude that the genetic structure of the invasive populations reflects two processes: high dispersal ability of the Red Sea source population pre-adapted to Mediterranean conditions and a likely suppression of sexual reproduction in the invader. This discovery provides a new perspective on the cost of invasion in marine protists: The success of the invasive A. lobifera in the Mediterranean Sea comes at the cost of abandonment of sexual reproduction.

Superior growth traits of invaded (Caribbean) versus native (Red sea) populations of the seagrass Halophila stipulacea.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10530-023-03045-z.

How many valid Pleurosicya (Teleostei: Gobiidae) species are known from the Red Sea?

Four species of the gobiid genus Pleurosicya are reported from the Red Sea: P. bilobata, P. mossambica, P. plicata, and P. prognatha. Pleurosicya bilobata is reported as a new record for the Red Sea based on underwater photographs taken from a seagrass area at Dahab, Egypt, Gulf of Aqaba. A previous Red Sea record of P. micheli, a species occurring from Indonesia to French Polynesia, is based on a misidentification of P. mossambica and can be excluded as the Red Sea species. Phylogenetic COI barcode analysis showed that the genetic distance between Red Sea population and Western Indian Ocean specimens of P. mossambica is low, confirming the synonymy of P. sinaia, described from the Red Sea, with P. mossambica. Furthermore, phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that specimens from the western Pacific under the name P. mossambica are genetically distinct and may represent an undescribed species. Brief descriptions accompanied with underwater photographs are provided for four species of Pleurosicya from the Red Sea.

Disparate population and holobiont structure of pocilloporid corals across the Red Sea gradient demonstrate species-specific evolutionary trajectories.

Global habitat degradation heightens the need to better understand patterns of genetic connectivity and diversity of marine biota across geographical ranges to guide conservation efforts. Corals across the Red Sea are subject to pronounced environmental differences, but studies so far suggest that animal populations are largely connected, excepting evidence for a genetic break between the northern-central and southern regions. Here, we investigated population structure and holobiont assemblage of two common pocilloporid corals, Pocillopora verrucosa and Stylophora pistillata, across the Red Sea. We found little evidence for population differentiation in P. verrucosa, except for the southernmost site. Conversely, S. pistillata exhibited a complex population structure with evidence for within-reef and regional genetic differentiation, in line with differences in their reproductive mode (P. verrucosa is a broadcast spawner and S. pistillata is a brooder). Analysis for genomic loci under positive selection identified 85 sites (18 of which were in coding sequences) that distinguished the southern P. verrucosa population from the remainder of the Red Sea population. By comparison, we found 128 loci (24 of which were residing in coding sequences) in S. pistillata with evidence for local adaptation at various sites. Functional annotation of the underlying proteins revealed putative roles in the response to stress, lipid metabolism, transport, cytoskeletal rearrangement, and ciliary function (among others). Microbial assemblages of both coral species showed pervasive association with microalgal symbionts from the genus Symbiodinium (former clade A) and bacteria from the genus Endozoicomonas that exhibited significant differences according to host genotype and environment. The disparity of population genetic and holobiont assemblage patterns even between closely related species (family Pocilloporidae) highlights the need for multispecies investigations to better understand the role of the environment in shaping evolutionary trajectories. It further emphasizes the importance of networks of reef reserves to achieve conservation of genetic variants critical to the future survival of coral ecosystems.

Empirically derived thermal thresholds of four coral species along the Red Sea using a portable and standardized experimental approach

AbstractGlobal warming is causing an unprecedented loss of species and habitats worldwide. This is particularly apparent for tropical coral reefs, with an increasing number of reefs experiencing mass bleaching and mortality on an annual basis. As such, there is a growing need for a standardized experimental approach to rapidly assess the thermal limits of corals and predict the survival of coral species across reefs and regions. Using a portable experimental system, the Coral Bleaching Automated Stress System (CBASS), we conducted standardized 18 h acute thermal stress assays to quantitively determine the upper thermal limits of four coral species across the length of the Red Sea coastline, from the Gulf of Aqaba (GoA) to Djibouti (~ 2100 km). We measured dark-acclimated photosynthetic efficiency (Fv/Fm), algal symbiont density, chlorophyll a, and visual bleaching intensity following heat stress. Fv/Fm was the most precise response variable assessed, advancing the Fv/Fm effective dose 50 (ED50, i.e., the temperature at which 50% of the initial Fv/Fm is measured) as an empirically derived proxy for thermal tolerance. ED50 thermal thresholds from the central/southern Red Sea and Djibouti populations were consistently higher for Acropora hemprichii, Pocillopora verrucosa, and Stylophora pistillata (0.1–1.8 °C above GoA corals, respectively), in line with prevailing warmer maximum monthly means (MMMs), though were lower than GoA corals relative to site MMMs (1.5–3.0 °C). P. verrucosa had the lowest thresholds overall. Despite coming from the hottest site, thresholds were lowest for Porites lobata in the southern Red Sea, suggesting long-term physiological damage or ongoing recovery from a severe, prior bleaching event. Altogether, the CBASS resolved historical, taxonomic, and possibly recent environmental drivers of variation in coral thermal thresholds, highlighting the potential for a standardized, short-term thermal assay as a universal approach for assessing ecological and evolutionary variation in the upper thermal limits of corals.

Genetic polymorphism between and within Mediterranean and Red Sea populations of the green turtle (Chelonia mydas) as revealed by sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP)

Genetic polymorphism between and within Mediterranean and Red Sea populations of the green turtle (Chelonia mydas) as revealed by sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP)

Right out of the gate: the genomics of Lessepsian invaders in the vicinity of the Suez Canal

Marine organisms that enter the Mediterranean from the Red Sea via the Suez Canal are known as Lessepsian bioinvaders. In general, genetic studies of Lessepsian fishes have shown little structure between Red Sea and Mediterranean populations. Yet notable exceptions suggest the importance of life-history factors that may influence patterns of spatial genetic variation. In this study, by sampling two invasive fishes with different life histories (the rabbitfish Siganus rivulatus and the filefish Stephanolepis diaspros), we looked at evidence of population structure and selection at the boundary between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean (the Suez Canal), using thousands of molecular markers. Results illustrate two divergent patterns of genetic patterns, with little genetic structure in S. rivulatus and strong population structure in S. diaspros, even at such small spatial scale. We discuss differences in ecological characteristics between the two species to account for such differences. In addition, we report that in the face of both high (S. rivulatus) and low (S. diaspros) gene flow, loci under selection were uncovered, and some protein coding genes were identified as being involved with osmoregulation, which seems to be an important feature of individuals crossing the salinity-variable Suez Canal. The presence of genes under selection in populations near the Suez Canal supports the idea that selection may be active and essential for successful invasions right out of the gate.

Revision of the genus Mustelus (Carcharhiniformes: Triakidae) in the northern Indian Ocean, with description of a new species and a discussion on the validity of M. walkeri and M. ravidus

The species of Mustelus Linck, 1790 occurring in the northern Indian Ocean are revised and a new species, Mustelus andamanensis sp. nov., is formally described. Previously considered to be conspecific with M. mosis Hemprich & Ehrenberg, 1899, the new species is currently only known from the Andaman Sea. The Red Sea and Arabian Sea populations of Mustelus mosis differ in vertebral counts and degree of coverage of buccopharyngeal denticles in the mouth, but these characters alone are not considered strong enough evidence to separate into two species. Mustelus andamanensis sp. nov. is genetically (based on NADH2 sequences) closest to M. mosis but differs in having a subdivided palatoquadrate (vs. palatoquadrate not divided). The new species is morphologically closest to M. widodoi White & Last, 2006, but differs in several morphological characters and on a molecular level. Mustelus stevensi White & Last, 2008 is confirmed from the northern Indian Ocean for the first time based on a single specimen taken off southeastern Myanmar. Mustelus walkeri White & Last, 2008 is found to be a junior synonym of M. antarcticus Gunther, 1870. The use of buccopharyngeal patterns and vertebral counts in isolation from other morphological differences and molecular data in this genus is also discussed.

Projected Rapid Habitat Expansion of Tropical Seagrass Species in the Mediterranean Sea as Climate Change Progresses.

During the last 150 years, the tropical seagrass species Halophila stipulacea has established itself in the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea. More recently (2018), Halophila decipiens was observed for the first time in the eastern Mediterranean, and was described as the second non-native seagrass species in the Mediterranean Sea. We implemented a species distribution model (SDM) approach to (1) hindcast the habitat suitability of H. stipulacea over the last 100 years in the Mediterranean basin, and (2) to model the increase in the potential habitat suitability of H. stipulacea and H. decipiens during the current century under two very different climate scenarios, RCP 2.6 (lowest carbon emission scenario) and RCP 8.5 (highest carbon emission scenario). In addition, a principal component analysis (PCA) and k-means cluster based on temperature and salinity drivers were applied to visualize the distance and relatedness between the native and invasive H. stipulacea and H. decipiens populations. Results from this PCA suggest that the H. stipulacea populations of the Mediterranean and Red Sea are likely to be similar. In contrast, H. decipiens from the Mediterranean is more related to the Atlantic populations rather than to the Red Sea populations. The hindcast model suggests that the expansion of H. stipulacea was related to the increases in seawater temperatures in the Mediterranean over the last 100 years. The SDMs predict that more suitable habitat will become available for both tropical species during this century. The habitat suitability for H. stipulacea will keep expanding westward and northward as the Mediterranean continues to become saltier and warmer. In comparison, the SDMs built for H. decipiens forecast a restricted habitat suitability in the south-eastern Mediterranean Sea at the present environmental conditions and predicts a progressive expansion with a potential increase in habitat suitability along 85% of the Mediterranean coastline. The predicted rapid expansion of non-native seagrass species could alter the Mediterranean’s seagrass community and may entail massive impacts on associated ecosystem functions and services, impacts that have severe socio-economic consequences.

Population genetics of the brooding coral Seriatopora hystrix reveals patterns of strong genetic differentiation in the Western Indian Ocean.

Coral reefs provide essential goods and services but are degrading at an alarming rate due to local and global anthropogenic stressors. The main limitation that prevents the implementation of adequate conservation measures is that connectivity and genetic structure of populations are poorly known. Here, the genetic diversity and connectivity of the brooding scleractinian coral Seriatopora hystrix were assessed at two scales by genotyping ten microsatellite markers for 356 individual colonies. S. hystrix showed high differentiation, both at large scale between the Red Sea and the Western Indian Ocean (WIO), and at smaller scale along the coast of East Africa. As such high levels of differentiation might indicate the presence of more than one species, a haploweb analysis was conducted with the nuclear marker ITS2, confirming that the Red Sea populations are genetically distinct from the WIO ones. Based on microsatellite analyses three groups could be distinguished within the WIO: (1) northern Madagascar, (2) south-west Madagascar together with one site in northern Mozambique (Nacala) and (3) all other sites in northern Mozambique, Tanzania and Kenya. These patterns of restricted connectivity could be explained by the short pelagic larval duration of S. hystrix, and/or by oceanographic factors, such as eddies in the Mozambique Channel (causing larval retention in northern Madagascar but facilitating dispersal from northern Mozambique towards south-west Madagascar). This study provides an additional line of evidence supporting the conservation priority status of the Northern Mozambique Channel and should inform coral reef management decisions in the region.

Anti-Lessepsian migration rectified: the Comber Serranus cabrilla (L. 1758) existed in the Red Sea prior to the Suez Canal opening

Since the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, a plethora of Red Sea fishes have entered the Mediterranean Sea (Lessepsian migration). The Comber Serranus cabrilla is considered to have moved in the opposite direction as anti-Lessepsian migrant and has an established population in the northern Red Sea. Mitochondrial (COI) and nuclear DNA from 49 individuals from Red Sea (Gulf of Suez) and Mediterranean populations (Cyprus, Egypt and Lebanon), as well as GenBank sequences from other Mediterranean and Atlantic populations were analyzed to study phylogenetic relationships. COI sequencing resulted in a phylogenetic tree that isolated the Red Sea population from all Mediterranean and Atlantic populations. Furthermore, sequence divergence within the Red Sea population was significantly lower than in Atlantic and Mediterranean populations. Moreover, none of the Mediterranean haplotypes were present in the Red Sea. SNPs and MIG-seq analyses of nuclear DNA confirmed that the Red Sea population is genetically different from the Mediterranean populations. A rough estimate of divergence time suggested that Mediterranean and Red Sea populations separated 194,055 years ago, at the latest. Serranus cabrilla must, therefore, have existed in the Red Sea prior to the opening of the Suez Canal and can no longer be considered as an anti-Lessepsian migrant.

Genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships of threadfin breams (Nemipterus spp.) from the Red Sea and eastern Mediterranean Sea.

The present work utilized partial sequences of cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) to study Red Sea populations of threadfin breams (Nemipteridae), and compare their genetic diversity to that of Mediterranean Sea (Nemipterus randalli only) and Indo-Pacific populations. A Maximum Likelihood tree separated four fish species - N. randalli, N. japonicus, N. bipunctatus, and N. zysron - into four clades. Haplotype analyses revealed a strong case of the founder effect for the Lessepsian migrant N. randalli: Three haplotypes represented all sampled geographical ranges in the Mediterranean Sea and only one haplotype was shared with a Red Sea individual, presenting evidence that the colonizing population was founded by a small number of migrants. The Red Sea population of N. japonicus shared haplotypes with Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean populations, but South China Sea populations remained fully isolated. The haplotype networks of N. randalli and N. bipunctatus also revealed haplotype sharing between Red Sea and Indian Ocean populations. For N. zysron, one haplotype was shared between Indonesia and the Persian Gulf. We discuss the impact of continued usage of public database sequences of initially misidentified organisms and provide recommendations for avoiding distribution of sequences with incorrect scientific names.

Molecular and morphological signatures for extreme environmental adaptability of the invasive mussel Brachidontes pharaonis (Fischer, 1870)

Brachidontes pharaonis (Bivalvia:Mytilidae) is one of the most successful Lessepsian migrants. Its extensive populations’ expansion and phenotypic plasticity might reshape the Mediterranean biodiversity. Individuals of B. pharaonis were collected from various sites in the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea in Egypt. Species-specific primers for Cytochrome Oxidase Subunit 1 gene were designed. They were applied for analysis of mussel's population genetics and assessment of its aquatic environmental DNA (eDNA) abundance. Morphological, allometric and morphometric characteristics were also described. The newly designed primers could efficiently detect the species presence, abundance, and genetic diversity. The Northern Red Sea and north-westward populations exhibited higher nucleotide diversities than southwards. Phylogeny and principal coordinates’ analysis (PCoA) detected three geographical categories for B. pharaonis: one of the Indian Ocean, other of the Middle Red Sea and southwards, and the other extends from the Northern Red Sea to the westernmost part of the Mediterranean. Intraspecific differences in the shell shape, colour, and biometrics were noted. The shells were significantly smaller and lighter in rocky habitats than in sandy ones. The morphometric indices and allometry were significantly different between rocky and sandy environments. In general, B. pharaonis genetic and morphological features appeared to contribute much to the species success in versatile habitats.

Asymmetron lucayanum: How many species are valid?

The cephalochordates amphioxus or lancelets are benthic marine animals representing the earliest divergent evolutionary lineage within chordates. Although amphioxus are present in most of the world’s tropical and temperate oceans, only about thirty different species grouped into three different genera, Branchiostoma, Epigonichthys and Asymmetron have been described. In the genus Asymmetron, only two species have been characterized, although for one of them, A. lucayanum, several cryptic lineages exist. In this work we have sequenced and analyzed the mitogenome of an A. lucayanum population previously described in the Red Sea. The phylogenetic study using this complete mitogenome as well as the analysis of COI gene sequences of several individuals of this Red Sea population show that the Red Sea population is a new cryptic species. We propose to call this new species Asymmetron rubrum.

Гнездовой статус скопы в Египте (на Красном море) с 2012 по 2018 годы

A new series of Osprey surveys started in early June 2012 and ended in July 2018. The main goal was to survey the local resident breeding Ospreys Pandion haliaetus haliaetus. I also visited the three wintering areas Malaha, Aswan and Lake Nasser. We found breeding and nesting Ospreys in most of the visited Islands at the Red Sea, with nests placed mostly on sand dunes but also on roof tops. A total of only 40 pairs were confirmed breeding in the Red Sea and South Sinai provinces and 16 non-local Osprey were observed at the wintering sites which make Egypt important as a stopover area for Osprey during Spring and Autumn migration. The breeding season of the Osprey in the Red Sea starts from the first week of December in the south of Egypt to the first week of January in the north of Egypt. Osprey’s diet consists entirely of fish and their mainly forage at reef flats and reef edges . Birds from the resident Red Sea population tends to be distinctly smaller and lighter in plumage than birds from the European population. The main threat to the breeding population is human disturbance on the Red Sea coasts and islands. A further artificial nests project at Red Sea Coast is highly recommended to replace the lost nests because of tourism development and increase the Egyptian population to the previous level.