Red Sea Longnose Filefish

Data that would inform coral reef status and management are badly lacking in most Red Sea countries (Berumen et al. 2013). According to Burke et al. (2011), coral cover in the Red Sea is in relatively good condition. Compared to complex reef systems elsewhere in the world, Red Sea reefs are particularly thermo-tolerant and therefore, may be more resilient to severe bleaching events (Berumen et al. 2013). However, severe bleaching was observed in 2011 on inshore reefs in the central Red Sea (Furby et al. 2013), which may mean that bleaching events have been occurring but were not formally reported due to limited observer effort (Berumen et al. 2013). The three major drivers of coral mortality in the Saudi Arabian portion of the Red Sea are coral bleaching, coral disease and corallivory. Corallivory by the crown of thorns starfish especially impacts acroporid corals. Although these reefs have undergone degradation over the last several decades, most show signs of recovery and high recruitment of juveniles (Bruckner and Dempsey 2015). Reefs in the Gulf of Aqaba have declined due to pollution from increased coastal development, including domestic and industrial effluents, dust from fertilizers from a harbor-loading station and oil spills (Fishelson 1995). Of the 103 species of Acropora occurring within the Red Sea, 20 (20%) are listed in a threatened category (Vulnerable), and another 26 (25%) are Near Threatened. Of 704 zooxanthellate reef-building coral species which were assessed by using the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List Criteria, 32.8% are in categories with elevated risk of extinction (Carpenter et al. 2008).