RED SEA CORAL REEF

Basic Information:
LOCATION:
* Northern and Eastern Hemisphere
* 1,240 miles across the coast of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Eritrea
* northernmost in the Indian Ocean

ALITITUDE
* latitude= 24.846565
* longitude= 35.507812
* The Red Sea Reefs elevation is -536 meters in height. That is equal to -1,759 feet
* Average depth of 1600 feet
* maximum depth of 8,600 ft

RAINFALL
* The rainfall over the Red Sea and its coasts are extremely low.
* 2.36 inches per year
* mostly in the form of showers of short spells associated with thunderstorms and dust storms

TEMPERATURE
* Up to 28 degrees Celsius in the winter
* Up to 34 degrees Celsius in the summer

SEASONAL INFORMATION
* The Red Sea Coral Reefs have developed a high tolerance to extreme temperatures, salinity,
and occasional turbidity. These things would be lethal to coral reefs elsewhere.
* strong winds from mountainous coasts impact currents

ANY IMPORTANT WEATHER EVENTS

* Climate change alters ocean chemistry leading to ocean acidification
* This prevents corals from maintaining their skeletons making them dissolve
* currents are unpredictable
Flora and Fauna:
FAUNA:

1. Clown triggerfish: is used to deter predators and is a member of the trigger family. It is an
aggressive feeder who feeds on mollusks and crustaceans.

Sea Turtles: due to loss of nesting habitat and over harvesting, the sea turtles of the Red
Sea Coral Reef are considered endangered.

2. Hawksbill Turtle: Normally found near reefs with sponges they like to feed on and avoid deep
waters. They are omnivores and endangered due to human interaction.

3. Spinner Dolphin: a small dolphin found off shore tropical waters famous for its acrobatic
displays. They are carnivores and grow to be about 7 feet long.

4. Dugongs and Manatees: Exclusively bottom feeders and prefer low, shallow waters. They are
related to the elephant and they are mammals.

5. Blue Shark: slender species that gets its name from its bright blue color. It is one of the most
common sharks found in this area.

6. Silky Shark: gets its name because it has unusually smooth skin. It is a relatively small species
and can be temporarily immobilized by turning it over on its back.

7. Blue Spotted Sting Ray: Has a venemous spine at the base of its tail. It is not aggressive and it
breathes by drawing water through a small hole behind the eyes and expelling it through their
gills.

8. Red Sea Clownfish: starts off male, but if the female dies, the dominant male will change itself
to a female. They live in anemone.

9. Angelfish: They have deep flat bodies and small mouths. These fish are protogynous which
means they are born as females and later develop into males.

10. Octopus: The octopus is solitary and mating can be difficult for the male.
11. Hermit Crab: they use another species shell for a home. They always use an empty shell and
never kill the original occupant.

12. Spiny Lobsters: They are the best known and most wanted of all the coral reef crustaceans.

13. Manta Ray: They weigh about 3,600 pounds and are extremely fond of swimming with scuba
divers. Because of how massive it is, you will rarely find it in captivity.
14. Devil Firefish: varies in color from reddish to tan or grey. It has a feathery dorsal fin and a
pectoral fin. This fish is often on the outer slope of the coral reef.

15. Blackspotted Puffer: This fish is completely harmless unless eaten because its skin is highly
poisonous. It is a bulbous fish with scaleless, prickly skin.

16. Starfish: star shaped echinoderms closely related to sea urchins and sand dollars.

17: Sea horses: they are the only animal on Earth where the man bears the unborn young. They
are usually found in shallow waters.

18. Fire Coral: They have powerful stinging hairs for defense against predators.

FLORA
1. Posidonia: They are used as feeding and nursing areas and also breeding grounds

2. Mangroves: They are able tolerate direct immersion in sea water where other terrestrial plants
cannot survive. They are instrumental in the building of new shorelines and small islands within
coral reef lagoons.

3. Green Algae: These seaweeds are found on rocky surfaces and unconsolidated substrates.

4. Red Algae: plays a major part in coral reef formation. They are very common in the deeper
waters.

5. Kelp Forests: a type of seaweed belonging grouped with brown algae.

6. Phytoplankton: the base of several aquatic food webs. They are buoyant and and float on the
surface to access sunlight.

Anemones are half plant and half animal

7. Bubble Tip Sea Anemone: names for the appearance of bubbles at the tip of its tentacles. They
are generally colored light brown with reddish tips.
8. Magnificent Sea Anemone: named for its great size and contrasting colors. It prefers an
exposed environment, usually attaching itself to coral or a boulder.

9. Cabomba: used as an ornamental and oxygenating plant in aquariums. Known as fanwort

because of its fanlike leaves.

10. Seaweed: several species of macroscopic, multicellular, marine algae.

Human Interactions
HUMAN USES OF THIS BIOME:
* generating a lot of wealth through tourism
* 1 meter of coral generates up to 300,000 in tourism revenue.
* 1 shark generates up to 100,000
* diving
* snorkeling
* Anchoring
* Fishing

THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY
* Overfishing
* Souvenir collecting
* Diving
* Oil spills
* Sewage discharge
* Chemical pollution
* extensive coastal development
* plastic bags are scattered in the desert to make their way to the ocean
* Irresponsible diving

ENDANGERED SPECIES
* leatherback turtles
* hawksbill turtles
* Dugong
* Tuna
CONSERVATION EFFORTS
* HEPCA and Friends of the Middle East are two organizations that are helping to clean the Red
Sea Coral Reefs
* HEPCA launched a campaign last year gaining the support of the Egyptian government to ban
the use of plastic bags at supermarkets.
* The Red Sea Environmental Centre helps make a difference by learning more about coral reefs
and collecting valuable data to establish the state of coral reefs
 Work Cited

1. Mayton, Joseph. "Egypt Must Go Green to save Red Sea | Joseph Mayton." The

Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 2010. Web. 09 Oct. 2016.

2. Red Sea Marine Life Identification Photos - Fish, Coral, Nudibranchs and Other

Sealife." SCUBA Travel. Published by SCUBA Travel, the Independent Guide to Diving

around the WorldSCUBA Travel Diving Guide... 5 Loxford Court, Manchester, M15 6AF,

UKPrivacy & Cookies Policies, 2001. Web. 09 Oct. 2016.

3. Society, National Geographic. "Hawksbill Sea Turtles, Hawksbill Sea Turtle Pictures,

Hawksbill Sea Turtle Facts - National Geographic." National Geographic. N.p., n.d. Web.

09 Oct. 2016.

4. Southeastern Australia." WorldWildlife.org. World Wildlife Fund, n.d. Web. 10 Oct.

2016.

Knight, J.D. "Sharks & Rays." Sharks and Rays. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2016.

5. By Knowing More about the Reefs Ability to Recover from Damage, Hassan Believes It

Will Be Easier to Create Create Guidelines for the Sustainable Use of Coastal Areas

Containing Reefs. "Endangered Species: Egypt's Coral Reefs | Egypt Independent."

Endangered Species: Egypt's Coral Reefs | Egypt Independent. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Oct.

2016.