7.5 per cent of corals in Jordanian reefs endemic to Red Sea — study

AMMAN — A total of 7.5 per cent of hard corals registered in the Red Sea are endemic to the Gulf of Aqaba, according to a new study, which indicated that the percentage reflects the Gulf of Aqaba’s significance on the global natural heritage arena.

The Royal Marine Conservation Society of Jordan (JREDS) implemented the field study on the hard corals of the Gulf of Aqaba in collaboration with Francesca Benzoni, an expert on hard corals from the University of Milano-Bicocca, according to JREDS Executive Director Ehab Eid.

The research established that at least 150 species of hard corals live along the Gulf of Aqaba’s coastline, 23 of which are hard coral species that are currently considered endemic to the Red Sea, Eid said.

Out of the 23 hard coral species endemic to the Red Sea, 11 are found in Jordan, thus, 7.5 per cent of the species endemic to the Red Sea are found in Jordan, according to the study, which was implemented over 22 days and concluded on Wednesday.

“The figure is very important and astonishing, because it shows that the endemicity percentage of hard corals in the Gulf of Aqaba is extremely high. The fact that 7.5 per cent of the 23 hard coral species endemic to the Red Sea are found in Jordan is a substantial revelation,” Eid told The Jordan Times on Thursday.

The study aimed at assessing and documenting, for the first time, the biodiversity and distribution of hard corals in Jordan, Eid said.

“This study is important because it adds to our knowledge about Jordan’s species diversity, but it also contributes to some international treaties which Jordan ratified, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and will also help fulfill the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets,” Eid said.

He said that results of the study, in addition to previous marine projects in Aqaba, will support national efforts seeking to announce the corals of Aqaba as a UNESCO natural heritage site.

JREDS announced last year that it was rallying support to list the coral reefs in the Gulf of Aqaba as a UNESCO world heritage site, indicating that coral reefs in the Gulf of Aqaba, located some 330km south of Amman, cover almost half of Aqaba’s 27-kilometre coastline, offering over 21 diving locations for the exploration of diverse, colourful and unique coral reefs.

Meanwhile, Eid said in a statement e-mailed to The Jordan Times that results of the study “further highlight the high value of the Gulf of Aqaba’s coastal marine resources as natural heritage at the national and international level”.

Eid highlighted that the Gulf of Aqaba hosts a number of hard corals that are found nowhere else in the world’s oceans than in the Red Sea.

Meanwhile, the JREDS Marine Conservation Programme Manager Mohammad Tawaha highlighted that the JREDS’ team has surveyed 25 sites along the coast of the Gulf of Aqaba, surveying depths that ranged between 0-30 metres, and accumulating a database of 7,543 photos, including 3,462 photos of high quality.

“This is an important database for Jordan, and will certainly contribute to increasing knowledge and awareness about the corals of Jordan,” Tawaha highlighted, noting that the photos will be included in a field guide.

“Such a document [the field guide], the first of its kind for the country, will be edited by JREDS and will be available in the coming months, both in English and Arabic,” Tawaha noted.

The study was implemented in coordination and with the support of the Aqaba Marine Park of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, and the Jordan Royal Navy, according to the JREDS’ statement, which indicated that the Sinai Divers Aqaba has provided logistics and delivered high resolution photos which will be used to develop the corals guide.

In addition, the society said that the study was supported by the “Sustainable Use of Ecosystem Services in Jordan” (EKF-ESS) a project and funded by Germany, through the GIZ, and in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment.