ABSTRACT The present study is the first to produce a detailed species composition of corals on the species level along a transect of sites extending from Ras Mohammed at the northern Red Sea to the northern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba, Egypt. The computer software Photogrid 1.0 beta Acad was used for ecological analysis of digital photographs. The stony coral Asteriopora myriophthalma was indicated to be an opportunistic species while the two soft corals Lobophytum arboretum and Rhytisma sp. were found to be successful colonizers. Considerable recruits in deep areas of Marsa Breika and shallow areas of Katy were fostered by high number of divers. Highest percentage cover of live corals in Canyon is associated with effective management while lowest amount of live corals in South Nuweiba is associated with the considerable interlacing fishing nets and absence of effective management. Past breakage of large coral colonies in Ras Ghozlani and Temple led to increased bare rocks while past breakage of branching or small sized corals in Ras Ghozlani and Islands led to increased rubbles. Both recent and old damage initiate the alteration of the community into echinoderm and algal domination with higher amount of echinoderms in the recent damage and higher amount of algae in the old damage. Past breakage fosters the competitive ability of molluscs; water currents lead to abundant sponges; disturbance by fishing activities provides sufficient preys that foster the growth of anemones. Number of coral species in the study sites are: 123 stony corals, 2 black corals, 3 hydrocorals, 15 soft corals, 2 gorgonians, 145 total number.
View Full Article
|