Status of Coral Reefs of the World 2000

Regional Status of Coral Reefs in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden
development, including land reclamation, primarily at Massawa which is reducing the
capacity of the reefs to provide coastal erosion. In addition, there are potential threats
from curio collecting, discharges from the oil terminal; sewage and solid waste disposal,
cooling effluents from desalination and power plants, and sedimentation of cement
dust. Recreational tourism is largely undeveloped and coral mining in uncommon. Coral
collecting is prohibited, but shell and ornamental fish collection are commercial
operations, with more than 100,000 fish exported between 1995 and 1997. Shipping
is increasing in Massawa up to 440 per year in 1996. Despite these threats, the
general status of Eritrean coral is good, and bleaching during the summers of 1997 to
1999, caused the some loss of foliaceous and branching Montipora corals in shallow
areas (1m or less), but massive Porites and Platygyra were less affected. These reefs
contain among the most resistant corals in the region, evidenced by rapid recovery
from the bleaching. From: Meriwether Wilson (meriwether.wilson@glg.ed.ac.uk)
Jordan
The short coastline (27km) has fringing reefs along 50% the coast, with high coral diversity
and associated fauna.
Saudi Arabia: Coral reefs fringe the entire Red Sea coastline and offshore islands, with
several distinct areas of similar habitats and species composition: the Gulf of Aqaba in the
north; the northern-central section from south of the Gulf of Aqaba to Jeddah; and the
central-southern region from Jeddah to the Yemen border, including the Farasan Bank and
Islands. The northern-central area has an almost continuous coral reef tract with many reef
types: mainland and island fringing reefs; various forms of patch reef; coral pinnacles; and
ribbon barrier reefs. Reefs fringe the mainland and often into the entrances and sides of
sharms (lagoon-like inlets). Circular to elongate patch reefs are common in offshore waters
less than 50m depth. Pinnacles (individual corals and coral ‘bommies’ surrounded by sand)
occur in shallow waters (less than 10m), particularly in the Al-Wajh Bank and Tiran areas.
Barrier reefs composed of platform and ‘ribbon’ reef structures occur further offshore on
the ‘continental’ edge, where depths drop from 50m to more than 200m. The centralsouthern
area is unique in having atoll-like or ‘tower’ reefs along the shelf edge and the
outer Farasan Bank. Further south, the reefs are less well developed along the mainland
coast because of high levels of fine sediments, however, complex reef structures
developed further offshore on the Farasan Bank and islands.
Somalia
The coastline is divided into north and south sectors, separated by the Horn of Africa.
There are flourishing coral reefs along the Gulf of Aden coastline near Raas Khansir, Raas
Cuuda Siyara, and off El Girdi and west of Berbera.
Sudan
There are three coral habitat groups on the coast: barrier reefs; fringing reefs; and Sanganeb,
an oceanic atoll towards the Egyptian border. Most of the coast is bordered by fringing
reefs 1-3km wide which are separated by deep channels from a barrier reef 1-14km
offshore, which then drops steeply to several hundred metres. The Sanganeb atoll is a
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