GROWTH RATES OF THREE REEF-BUILDING CORAL SPECIES IN THE NORTHERN RED SEA, EGYPT | ||||
| Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries | ||||
| Article 11, Volume 5, Issue 4, September 2001, Page 165-185 PDF (1.05 MB) | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/ejabf.2001.1715 | ||||
 View on SCiNiTO | ||||
| Author | ||||
| Mohammed Kotb | ||||
| Marine Science Department, Faculty of Science, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| Growth rates as linear extensions were measured for three species of reef-building corals in four different seasons and at three different depths (5m, 15m, and 30m) in Na'ama Bay, south of Sinai, northern Red Sea, Egypt. Alizarine-Red-S-stain was used as skeletal marker to stain the colonies alive in-situ. Comparison with similar studies elsewhere in the tropical regions shows consistency in growth patterns of the studied species regardless of depth and season, while they were different than others. The estimated annual rates of linear growth for the three corals considered at the different depths (5m, 15m, and 30m) were 9,24, 7.48, and 6.51mm/y for S. pistillata; 6.34, 9.24, and 5.90mm/y for A. granulosa; and 7.40 and 6.6mm/y for P. damicornis, respectively; P. damicornis was not found at 30m depth. Analysis of the data shows that it is not simple to detect the effect of either temperature or light level on the coral growth and they are simultaneously controlling the coral growth beside other factors, which could interfere as well. The present work could serve as a database for the future environmental monitoring of the marine life in Na'ama Bay, which is one of the tourist destinations in the Egyptian Gulf of Aqaba Protectorates. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Linear growth; Coral reefs; Red Sea; Egypt | ||||
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