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doi: 10.1038/srep04250.

Discovery of a living coral reef in the coastal waters of Iraq

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Discovery of a living coral reef in the coastal waters of Iraq

Thomas Pohl et al. Sci Rep..

Abstract

Until now, it has been well-established that coral complex in the Arabian/Persian Gulf only exist in the coastal regions of Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates and it was thought that there are no coral reefs in Iraq. However, here for the first time we show the existence of a living 28 km(2) large coral reef in this country. These corals are adapted to one of the most extreme coral-bearing environments on earth: the seawater temperature in this area ranges between 14 and 34°C. The discovery of the unique coral reef oasis in the turbid coastal waters of Iraq will stimulate the interest of governmental agencies, environmental organizations, as well as of the international scientific community working on the fundamental understanding of coral marine ecosystems and global climate today.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. A reef complex in Iraqi waters discovered for the first time.
(a) Region map. Base map provided by ReefBase (http://www.reefbase.org). (b) Detailed depths map of Palinurus rock reef. (c) Stony coralPlatygyra pini Chevalier, showing anchor damages (width of the image: ca. 1 m). (d) OctocoralMenella sp. Gray with differentOphiotheia venusta brittle stars (width of the image: ca. 30 cm). The coloration of the living specimen is as follows: the dorsal disc is red in its center and marbled with white, yellow, and black towards its perimeter. The dorsal surface of the arms is cross-banded with yellow, white and black. (Underwater images were made by Thomas Pohl, and maps were made by Sameh W. Al-Muqdadi).
Figure 2
Figure 2
(a) Isolated fragment of the coralPlatygyra pini with evidence of the presence of filter-feeding bio-eroding bivalves (Lithophaga robusta) (b). The greenish colour of this coral species (c) is assumed to be due to microalgal symbionts in spite of the fact that this animal lives in turbid and shallow waters. (Images were made by Hermann Ehrlich).
Figure 3
Figure 3. Demosponges associated with coral reef.
This green-coloured encrusting sponge is well distributed within the coral reef system of Palinurus Rock. (Underwater image was made by Thomas Pohl).
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References

    1. Bird E. C. F. Encyclopedia of the World's Coastal Landforms. Band 1. (Springer, Heidelberg, 2010).
    1. Emery K. O. Sediments and water of the Persian Gulf. Bull AAPG 401, 2354–2383 (1956).
    1. Gischler E. & Lomando A. J. Offshore sedimentary facies of a modern carbonate ramp, Kuwait, northwestern Arabian-Persian Gulf. Facies 50, 443–462 (2005).
    1. Levin S. A. & Lubchenco J. Resilience, robustness, and marine ecosystem-based management. BioScience 58, 27–32 (2008).
    1. Riegl B. M. & Purkis S. J. Coral Reefs of the World: Adaptation to Climatic Extremes. 3, 379 (Springer, Dordrecht-Heidelberg-New York-London, 2012).

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