Abstract
Aerial exposure of patch reef corals occurred in Tarut Bay, western Arabian Gulf, (Saudi Arabia) between December 1991 and May 1992, and coincided with extreme low spring tides (below the predicted lowest astronomical tide-LAT). Colonies of Acropora and Stylophora occurring at the highest levels on the tops of patch reef platforms were most affected by the low tides. Corals fully exposed to air suffered total mortality, whereas those not fully exposed suffered tissue damage to their upper parts. Exposure occurred during winter months when air and water temperatures are at their lowest in the gulf. Coupling of extremely low spring tides with wind-induced negative surges (below LAT) are not regular events but are not infrequent. Cold temperatures and exposure may act in concert to produce disproportionate mortalities of reef flat corals in the shallow coastal areas of eastern Saudi Arabia. It is highly unlikely that the Gulf War oil spill played any role in the observed damage to reef corals in the Gulf in 1992.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Basson PW, Burchard JE, Hardy JT, Price ARG (1977) Biotopes of the western Arabian Gulf: marine life and environments of Saudi Arabia. Arabian American Oil Company Department of Loss Prevention and Environmental Affairs. Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
Brown BE, Le Tissier M (1992) Quantification of coral bleaching. 7th Int Coral Reef Symp. Guam (Absts)
Burchard JE (1984) Northern area coral reef fauna: Reef 1F. Memorandum dated 12 May, 1984. Research Institute, University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia (available from YHF)
Burchard JE, McCain JC (1984) Marine life kill in the Arabian Gulf, March/April 1983. Proc Sump Coral Reef Environ Red Sea, Jeddah, Abstr, pp 392–393
Burns TP (1985) Hard-coral distribution and cold-water disturbances in south Florida: variation with depth and location. Coral Reefs 4:117–124
CEA (1986) Investigation of meteorological forcing of tides, Arabian Gulf, Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Final Report-Data Analysis and Summary of Findings, Contract No. 704135/00 and 704135/01. Coastal Environmental Associates' Report to Saudi Aramco, Dhahran Saudi Arabia (available from KWA)
Coffroth MA, Lasket HR, Oliver JK (1990) Coral mortality outside of the eastern Pacific during 1982–1983: relationship to El Niño. In: Glynn PW (ed) Global consequences of the 1982–83 El Niño-Southern Oscillation. Elsevier, New York pp 141–182
Coles SL (1988) Limitation of reef coral development in the Arabian Gulf: Temperature or algal competition? Proc 6th Int Coral Reef Symp, Townsville, 3:211–215
Coles SL, Fadlallah YH (1991) Reef coral survival and mortality at low temperatures in the Arabian Gulf: new species-specific lower temperature limits. Coral Reefs 9:231–237
Downing N (1985) Coral reef communities in an extreme environment: the northwestern Arabian Gulf. Proc 5th Int Coral Reef Congr 6:343–348
Downing N (1988). The coral reefs and coral islands of Kuwait. Proc ROPME Workshop on Coastal Area Development. UNEP Regional Seas Reports and Studies No 90, ROPME Publ No. GC-5/006
Glynn PW (1990) Coral mortality and disturbances to coral reefs in the tropical eastern Pacific. In: Glynn PW (ed) Global Consequences of the 1982–83 El Niño-Southern Oscillation. Elsevier, New York pp 55–117
Glynn PW (1991) Coral reef bleaching in the 1980s and possible connections with global warming. Trends Ecol 6:175–179
Glynn PW (1993) Coral reef bleaching: ecological perspectives. Coral Reefs 12:1–17
Glynn PW, Stewart RH (1973) Distribution of coral reefs in the Pearl Islands (Gulf of Panama) in relation to thermal conditions. Limnol. Oceanogr 18:367–379
Hodgson G, Carpenter K (1995) Scleractinian corals of Kuwait with a description of a new species. Pac Sci J (in press)
Hunter JR (1986) The physical oceanography of the Arabian Gulf: a review and theoretical interpretation of previous observations. In: Halwagy R, Clayton D, Behbehani M. Marine Environment and Pollution, Proc First Arabian Gulf Conf Environ Poll Kuwait University Faculty of Science, Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Science, and Environmental Protection-Council of Kuwait
Jokiel PL, Coles SL (1977) Effects of temperature on the mortality and growth of Hawaiian reef corals. Mar Biol 43:201–208
KFUPM/RI (1988) Marine monitoring and baseline survey, vol III, coral reef studies. Final report prepared for the Australian Trade Commission by the Water Resources and Environment Division, Research Institute, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
KFUPM/RI (1992) Annual Progress Report: sustaining research project-marine environmental Studies. Prepared for Saudi Aramco by the Water Resources and Environment Division, Research Institute, King Fahd University Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, Rep Proj 24131
Lardner RW (1993) Computer models of the hydrodynamics of the Arabian Gulf. Arabian J Sci Eng 18(2):191–215
Loya Y (1976) Recolonization of Red Sea corals affected by natural catastrophes and man made perturbations. Ecology 57:278–289
Reynolds RM (1993) Overview of physical oceanographic measurements taken during the Mt. Mitchell Cruise to the ROPME Sea Area. Scientific Workshop on Results of the R/V Mt. Mitchell Cruise in the ROPME Sea Area. Volume 1. Regional Organization for the Protection of the Marine Environment, (ROPME), Kuwait
Shinn EA (1966) Coral growth rate, an environmental indicator. J Paleontol 40:233–241
Shinn EA (1972) Coral reef recovery in Florida and the Persian Gulf. Environmental Conservation Department, Shell Oil Company, Houston, Texas
Shinn EA (1976) Coral reef recovery in Florida and the Persian Gulf Environ Geol 1:241–254
Stoddart DR (1972) Coral Reefs of the Indian Ocean: regional variation in Indian Ocean coral reefs. In: C Mukundan C, Pillai CSG (eds) Proc 1st Int Symp Coral and Coral Reefs, 1969, pp 155–174. Mar Biol Assoc India
Walker ND, Roberts HH, Rouse Jr LJ, Huh OK (1982) Thermal history of reef associated environments during a record cold-air event. Coral Reefs 1:83–87
Williams EH, Bunkley-Williams L (1990) The world-wide coral reef bleaching cycle and related sources of coral mortality. Atoll Res Bull 355
Williams RO (1991) Oceanographic data book for the eastern Province Region of Saudi Arabia. Environmental Engineering Division, Process and Control Systems Department, Saudi Aramco, Dhahran
Williams RO, Allen KW (1991) Saudi Aramco tide tables. Hourly tide level predictions-daily high and low waters tide calendars 1991. Environmental Engineering Division, Process and Control Systems Department, Saudi Aramco, Dhahran
Williams RO, Allen KW (1992) Saudi Aramco tide tables. Hourly tide level predictions-daily high and low waters tide calendars, 1991. Environmental Engineering Division, Process and Control Systems Department, Saudi Aramco, Dhahran
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Fadlallah, Y.H., Allen, K.W. & Estudillo, R.A. Mortality of shallow reef corals in the western Arabian Gulf following aerial exposure in winter. Coral Reefs 14, 99–107 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00303430
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00303430