Spatial variation in coral reef fish and benthic communities in the central Saudi Arabian Red Sea

• Published in: PeerJ (San Francisco, CA) Vol. 5; p. e3410
• Main Authors: Khalil, Maha T, Bouwmeester, Jessica, Berumen, Michael L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States PeerJ. Ltd 06-06-2017; PeerJ, Inc; PeerJ Inc
• Subjects: Algae; Analysis; Benthic zone; Biodiversity; Biomass; Bleaching; Coasts; Commercial fishing; Community structure; Conservation Biology; Coral cover; Coral reef animals; Coral reef ecosystems; Coral reefs; Corals; Diversity; Ecology; Environmental aspects; Fish; Fish biomass; Fisheries; Fishing; Inshore-offshore gradients; International organizations; Marine Biology; Phylogenetics; Predators; Protected areas; Red Sea; Saudi Arabia; Science; Studies; Trends; Turf; Wildlife conservation; Red Sea; Saudi Arabia; Saudi Arabia; Trophic structure; Diversity; Community assemblages; Coral cover; Red Sea; Inshore-offshore gradients; Fish biomass
• ISSN: 2167-8359; 2167-8359
• DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3410

Local-scale ecological information is critical as a sound basis for spatial management and conservation and as support for ongoing research in relatively unstudied areas. We conducted visual surveys of fish and benthic communities on nine reefs (3-24 km from shore) in the Thuwal area of the central Saudi Arabian Red Sea. Fish biomass increased with increasing distance from shore, but was generally low compared to reefs experiencing minimal human influence around the world. All reefs had a herbivore-dominated trophic structure and few top predators, such as sharks, jacks, or large groupers. Coral cover was considerably lower on inshore reefs, likely due to a 2010 bleaching event. Community analyses showed inshore reefs to be characterized by turf algae, slower-growing corals, lower herbivore diversity, and highly abundant turf-farming damselfishes. Offshore reefs had more planktivorous fishes, a more diverse herbivore assemblage, and faster-growing corals
All reefs appear to be impacted by overfishing, and inshore reefs seem more vulnerable to thermal bleaching. The study provides a description of the spatial variation in biomass and community structure in the central Saudi Arabian Red Sea and provides a basis for spatial prioritization and subsequent marine protected area design in Thuwal.