Endemic macrofauna of the Sulaibikhat Bay salt marsh and mudflat habitats, Kuwait: status and need for conservation

Decapod crustaceans of the littoral and shallow sublittoral Iranian coast of the Persian Gulf: Faunistics, Biodiversity and Zoogeography

“…Mud flats are present in the most sheltered areas like Khor-Tiab, between Bandar-Khamir and Qeshm I. and from Hendijan to the northernmost part on the mouth of the Shat el Arab. Muddy/sandy flats are important habitats in the Gulf area, with high primary production (Basson et al 1977;Clayton 1986;Al-Zaidan et al 2003), but are not as diverse regarding the decapod crustaceans. Of 150 recorded species, only 40 (26 %) have been collected from these habitats.…”

Role of microbial mats in Sulaibikhat Bay (Kuwait) mudflat food webs: evidence from δ13C analysis

“…Liza macrolepis, Sillago sihama, Acanthopagarus sp.). Recent research (Al-Zaidan et al 2003) suggests that the biodiversity is declining due to presence of urbanisation and industrialisation. Present findings indicate a direct link to the support of key local fisheries underlining the necessity for conservation of these mudflats.…”

The Growing Need for Sustainable Ecological Management of Marine Communities of the Persian Gulf

“…They occur principally in khors (lagoons) and on leeward sides of spits, islands, and shoals along the Iranian coast (9000 ha) as well as in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, and the U.A.E. (Spalding et al 2010), but are absent in Iraq and Kuwait (Al-Muzaini and Jacob 1996;Al-Zaidan et al 2003). High salinity is believed to be responsible for the generally small stature of mangrove trees; mangroves are stunted and grow poorly in hypersaline locations.…”

“…Mudflats can be covered by dense, highly productive microbial mats, comprising mainly diatoms and cyanobacteria (Price et al 1993). These mats can form an essential habitat and food source for intertidal macrofauna (Al-Zaidan et al 2003).…”