Center for Environment and Water, Research Institute, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, P. B. No. 391, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia.
Center for Environment and Water, Research Institute, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, P. B. No. 391, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia.
Mar Pollut Bull. 2021 Mar;164:112028. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112028. Epub 2021 Jan 27.
The Gulf of Aqaba (hereafter 'the Gulf') is a narrow, semi-enclosed, warm, high saline, and oligotrophic water body. This baseline study provides the first quantitative data on deep-sea (207-1281 m depth) benthos of the Gulf. Fifty-five benthic species (predominantly polychaetes) with a density of 160-670 ind. m, species richness of 11-25, and Shannon-Wiener diversity (H') of 3.14-4.17 bits. ind. were recorded from nine stations. The density and H' of benthos of the Gulf are comparable with those of the Red Sea, while both are lower than those reported from the Arabian Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. The good-high ecological status of benthic communities indicates the absence of major stress in the deep-sea habitats of the Gulf. As large-scale urbanization is proposed in the Saudi coastal areas of the Gulf, this study is expected to provide a baseline dataset for future environmental impact assessments.
亚喀巴湾（以下简称“海湾”）是一个狭窄、半封闭、温暖、高盐度和贫营养的水体。本基线研究首次提供了海湾深海（207-1281 米深度）底栖生物的定量数据。从九个站位记录了 55 种底栖物种（主要为多毛类），密度为 160-670 ind. m，物种丰富度为 11-25，香农-威纳多样性（H'）为 3.14-4.17 bits. ind.。海湾的底栖生物密度和 H'可与红海相媲美，而两者均低于阿拉伯海和地中海的报道。底栖生物群落的良好-高生态状况表明，海湾深海生境中没有重大压力。由于沙特沿海地区拟进行大规模城市化，预计本研究将为未来的环境影响评估提供基线数据集。
