Sinai Coast Research Articles

Does a Suitable Habitat Guarantee Successful Colonization?

Among nine rocky intertidal cerithiid species of the Sinai coast of the Red Sea, only Cerithium scabridum has managed to traverse the length of the Suez Canal, as well as to colonize the Mediterranean. By comparing the degree of overlap, between the colonizer and each of the non-colonizing species, in the ranges of habitat space along the axes of several abiotic environmental gradients relevant to cerithiids, it was found that one of the non-colonizing species, C. caeruleum, is definitely capable of both immigrating successfully through the Canal, and of finding a suitable habitat in the Mediterranean. Yet, although C. caeruleum did invade parts of the Suez Canal, it did not colonize the Mediterranean. Hence, the availability of a suitable habitat in an area open for colonization need not necessarily guarantee its successful colonization.

OFFSHORE ARTIFICIAL STRUCTURES AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON THE ISRAEL AND SINAI MEDITERRANEAN BEACHES

The Israel Mediterranean shore forms a gentle curve from an almost easterly direction in north Sinai to an almost northerly direction in Israel. This shore forms the southeastern corner of the Levantine Basin which itself forms the extreme eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea. The length of the Israel shoreline from Rosh Haniqra near the Lebanese border to northern Sinai in the south is about 230 km, while the Sinai coast from Rafah to Port Said (Fig.1), is almost 200 km long. The coastline region consists largely of Quaternary carbonate cemented quartz sandstone, known by local name "kurkar". Recent faulting is responsible for the shape and, to a certain extent, for the morphology of large parts of the central coastline, which is characterized by kurkar cliffs (Neev et. al_. , 1973 it 1978).Wide sandy beaches are found in the southern parts, while an abraded rocky platforms occur mainly in the central and northern parts, where the beaches are narrow having kurkar cliffs at their backshor.e side. Four different morphological sections can be found in the Israel Mediterranean shore, (Nir, 1982). These differ in their beach and inland morphology on one hand, and in their sedimentological properties on the other. The four different sections from north to south are: 1) Rosh Haniqra to Akko. A sedimentological1y isolated region, bounded on both the south and north. Beach sediments are mostly of local calcareous material of marine origin. Akko promontory is the most northern limit of Nile derived sands and plays as the recent edge of the Nile sedimentary cell (Nir, 1980). 2) Haifa Bay. Wide sandy beaches, bounded on the north by the Akko promontory, and by the Carmel "nose" on the south. 3) Mount Carmel coastal plain, is sedimentologically somewhat isolated region with relatively narrow beaches and small kurkar cliffs. Sediments consist of both local and imported components. 4) The kurkar cliffs and sandy beaches from Caesarea to Rafah. Beaches of differing width having quite uniform petrographic components, mostly quartz grains originating from the Nile river and transported along the Sinai beaches to the Israeli beaches. Some of the present beach components are derivated from the abraded kurkar cliff.

Bronze arrowheads containing magnesium from the fifth century B.C.E.

Bronze artifacts from the North Sinai Coast and the Nile Delta dating from the late Bronze Age have been investigated. All arrowheads from a specific Sinai Coast site contained appreciable amounts of magnesium, while in other artifacts from the same site, as well as in arrowheads from the delta region, no magnesium was found. Magnesium-bearing bronzes were, and are even today, most uncommon alloys. The practice by which the magnesium was introduced into the bronze is not known.

Claims Settlement Agreements

On December 18, 1980, the Department of State announced that the United States Government had accepted the proposal by the Government of Israel to pay $6 million in three annual installments of $2 million each, beginning on January 15, 1981, as final settlement of U.S. claims arising out of an unprovoked attack upon the Liberty on June 8, 1967, by Israeli aircraft and motor torpedo boats in international waters in the eastern Mediterranean. The attack occurred while the ship was some 20 miles off the Sinai coast during the Six-Day War.

Recent observations of currents from moorings in the Egyptian Mediterranean waters off the Sinai Coast

Abstract Current measurements collected from two moorings of Aanderaa current meters, mounted within 25 km off the coast of Sinai in a total water depth of about 20 m, have been used to investigate the nature of the near-surface and near-bottom currents in this region of the southeastern Mediterranean. Simultaneously obtained hydrographic and wind observations were correlated to the current data. Preliminary analysis of current components indicated that mean currents near the surface were fluctuating in the range 2–17 cm/sec, and current directions varied from northeasterly to southeasterly over the period of observations. Near-bottom currents were generally weaker and fluctuating within a smaller amplitude (2–12 cm/sec). However, their nature may be similar to or quite different from the near-surface currents, and accordingly the effect of water stratification on the current structure is examined.

AUTUMN MIGRATION OF QUAIL COTURNIX COTURNIX AT THE NORTH COAST OF THE SINAI PENINSULA

SummaryAutumn migration of Quail was studied on the northern coast of Sinai in 1972 and 1973. Arab Quail nets were used to catch totals of 4863 and 1823 in the two years, respectively. Of 1761 Quail ringed in 1973, 0–4% have been recovered from the extensive area predicted by earlier ringing results.Quail started to enter nets 10 min after first light, and continued to do so until 0800–0900 h, local time. The quantity netted per day varied greatly, producing waves of migration which were inversely correlated with the barometric pressure over Europe prior to the arrival of each wave. Each of the arriving waves was apparently a discrete (group of) populations) from one area. The very close similarities in the arrival dates of each wave for both the 1972 and 1973 passages has been interpreted as showing that the timing of autumn migration in Quail is mainly dependent on exteroreceptive time–setters and/or biological clocks.Sex and age ratios of each day's catch varied greatly and were related to the rise and fall in numbers of Quail arriving each day. The approximate sex and age ratios for all Quail crossing the coast after dawn during the 1973 passage was 58% male, 75% young, and 7–2 young per adult female.The 26 Quail analysed for fat and water content were definitely not suffering from dehydration, but many of them would not have been able to reach their wintering grounds without additional food. The ‘average’ Quail had 75% of the fat reserves required, while less than 20% of the Quail had the required amount.The daily temporal pattern of netting suggests that a proportion of the Quail cross the coast before dawn and alight at dawn well dispersed within the Sinai desert. This, together with the observed inverse correlation between the amount of fat at arrival and the time of netting, suggest that it is the Quail in poorer physiological condition that arrive later in the day, and that these may stand smaller chances of completing their autumn migration even if not netted by man.More than three times the number of Quail were caught per metre net in 1972 than 1973 (2–43 Quail/metre net/season and 0–73 Quail/metre net/season, respectively. This decline cannot be attributed to hunting. Rough quantitative data during the years 1900–1959 shows that the abundance of Quail in any year was not dependent on abundance in the preceding year. On the other hand, fluctuations in Quail abundance were associated with long–term climatic changes, i.e., netting success in Egypt was negatively associated with rainfall in the Sahel, and shooting in Luxembourg was positively correlated with temperatures in Germany.

An investigation of bronze artifacts from the North Sinai Coast and the Nile Delta region

The results of a preliminary study on three bronze archaeological objects from different sites on the North Sinai Coast and the Nile Delta region are presented. This area, and in particular the North Sinai, which was the most important landbridge linking Egypt and Ancient Israel, is of considerable interest in the study of bronze technology in ancient times. The investigation made use of metallography, microhardness testing, and SEM analysis. The three artifacts were found to be of different chemical composition, microstructure, and manufacturing process. Preliminary results support archaeological evidence that this region enjoyed a high level of bronze technology.

Quantitative aspects of seagrass communities, particularly of those dominated by Halophila stipulacea, in Sinai (Northern Red Sea)

Seagrass communities of the Sinai coast may be divided into three groups according to their dry weight biomass. Thalassodendron ciliatum communities compose the first group reaching over 100 kg dry wt. m −2. Communities dominated by Thalassia hemprichii, Cymodocea rotundata, Syringodium isoetifolium, Halophila stipulacea and all submerged and some intertidal communities dominated by Halodule uninervis compose the second group, in which biomass ranges from a few hundred grams to several kg dry wt. m −2. The third group includes all communities dominated by Halophila ovalis, some intertidal communities of Halodule univervis and seeding communities of Halophila stipulacea. The most productive communities of H. stipulacea are those of shallow waters, but not the intertidal ones. The share of leaves in these communities increases with depth down to about 10 m, as compared with the subterranean parts, whereas leaf size continues to increase down to about 20 m. As vegetation density decreases below 10 m, the photosynthesizing area of the community also decreases below this depth, despite an increase in individual leaf area. Halodule uninervis communities show an even more pronounced increase of biomass from the intertidal belt downwards, within the limited depth range they occupy.

May Israel as a Belligerent Occupant Lawfully Exploit Previously Unexploited Oil Resources of the Gulf of Suez?

Since shortly after the 1967 Middle East war, Israel has sought to reduce its dependence on imported oil by exploiting the resources of captured Egyptian territory. Until recently attention was centered on the Sinai’s Abu Rhodeis fields, which in 1974 were reported to be meeting 55 percent of Israel’s needs. In 1975, however, these fields were returned to Egypt as part of the second Egypt-Israel Disengagement Agreement. Previously unexploited areas of the eastern Gulf of Suez then became the subject of Israeli efforts, and by the fall of 1976 exploratory drilling was in progress off the Sinai coast. On November 25, 1977, Israel announced that this drilling had resulted in a commercial strike, and on March 29, 1978, it was reported that commercial production had begun. The question whether Israel may rightfully exploit the oil resources of the Gulf thus came sharply into focus.

Microsporidian infection in the cyst wall of Trematode metacercariae encysted in fish.

Microsporidian infection is reported in Liza ramada (Risso), Mugilidae, from Bardawil Lagoon, Mediterranean coast of Sinai, in the fibroblasts of the metacercarial capsule of Heterophyes heterophyes (Siebold). Infection of the metacercarial cyst resulted in an hypertrophy of the cyst wall and degeneration and eventual death of the encapsulated metacercaria.

An investigation of ancient metal objects from the North Sinai coast

Materials analysis has been performed on two archaelogical copper-bronze objects from the North Sinai coast. This area is of considerable importance in the study of bronze technology. The investigation made use of conventional metallography, nondispersive analysis of composition, and electron microprobe analysis. Preliminary results support archaeological evidence that the North Sinai region enjoyed a high level of bronze technology.

Geochemistry and mineralogy of a recent sabkha along the coast of Sinai, Gulf of Suez

Most efforts in the study of sea-marginal sabkhas have concentrated on the Persian Gulf, but little is known about the sediments and mineralogy of sabkhas marginal to other seas. The purpose of this paper was to present some geochemical and mineralogical observations in a recent sabkha on the coast of Sinai along the Gulf of Suez. The sabkha is composed of coarse clastic sediments with marine-derived groundwater at depth of about 1 m. The general morphology, climate and water salinity of the Gulf of Suez resemble those of the Persian Gulf, despite the fact that the content of authigenic evaporites in this sabkha is more sparse. The evaporite minerals accumulated only in the upper 30–40 cm of the sabkha, below that and down to the groundwater table, there is no accumulation of evaporites. Laterally, the salinity of the groundwater in the sabkha and the concentration of evaporites in the sediments above it increase constantly with distance from the shore. In contrast to the Persian Gulf where anhydrite is a major evaporite mineral, in Belayim gypsum is the only calcium sulphate mineral in the recent sabkha. Anhydrite is found only in an old elevated sabkha where it recrystallized from gypsum. The gypsum occurs as interstitial crystal concentrations or lithified horizons almost exclusively at the depth of 20–40 cm below the sabkha surface. Above that, in the uppermost horizons, there is in situ accumulation of interstitial halite crystals. The total concentrations of gypsum and halite are almost equal in this sabkha. The sea water recharge in El Belayim is almost exclusively by seepage through the sabkha sediments and not by flooding. The groundwater under this sabkha is only slightly more saline than the Gulf water, thus, not heavy enough for extensive downward refluxing. The major hydrodynamic process must be upward migration of the brines from the groundwater, precipitating on the way gypsum and later halite with some magnesite. Since the sediments of the sabkha are too coarse to support extensive capillary movement, the brines must, therefore, migrate upwards due to ‘evaporative pumping’.

Ecology of the metahaline pool of Di Zahav, Gulf of Elat, with notes on the siphonocladacea and the typology of near-shore marine pools

The hydrobiology of a metahaline near-shore pool, at Di Zahav on the Sinai coast of the Red Sea, has been studied. Salinity of the pool fluctuates between 45 and 60‰, and winter temperatures are as low as 10°C. The shore consists partly of beach rock, some of it still in statu nascendi. Serpulid reef-boulders also occur, covered with typical marine species. Three siphonocladacean green algae (Siphonocladus rigidus, Dictyosphaeria cavernosa, and Valonia utricularis), form abundant crusts on the boulders. Several peculiar faunal elements are discussed. Traits in common with the Suez Canal biota are discerned. A typology for the nearshore pools of Sinai is proposed.

Carbon and oxygen isotopes in epigenetic hydrothermal rocks from Hamam-el-Farun, Sinai

Rock samples from an Eocene cliff above the thermal spring of Hamam-el-Farun (west coast of Sinai) show various degrees of dolomitization and calcitization 18 O 16 O and 13 C 12 C ratios indicate that dolomite and secondary calcite precipitated from hot brines.

Occurrence of juvenileSciaena cirrosa (L.) (Family Sciaenidae) at northern Sinai coast

Occurrence of juvenileSciaena cirrosa (L.) (Family Sciaenidae) at northern Sinai coast

FORMATION WATERS, HOT SPRINGS AND MINERALIZATION PHENOMENA ALONG THE EASTERN SHORE OF THE GULF OF SUEZ

Abstract The chemical composition of formation waters tapped in oil wells and emerging as hot springs along the Suez coast of Sinai was examined. A scheme is proposed for the geochemical evolution of these waters and their relation to the geological history of the area. The thermal regime in the investigated area is characterized by high gradient foci located in the immediate proximity of major faults. Fe—mineralization, dolomitization and concentrations of heavy metals were observed on the eastern shore of the Gulf of Suez. The Suez formation waters have equivalent ionic ratios similar to those of the hot brines found in the three Deeps of the Red Sea (Degens and Ross, 1969). The thermal and mineralization phenomena also show a resemblance to those of the Deeps.

Limnology of the heliothermal Solar Lake on the coast of Sinai (Gulf of Elat)

Limnology of the heliothermal Solar Lake on the coast of Sinai (Gulf of Elat)