The Indian Ocean Coast of Somalia

Carbone, Federico; Accordi, Giovanni

doi:10.1016/s0025-326x(00)00107-7

Cited by 34 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…The distribution of coral species in Kenyan reefs is influenced by the large-scale current dynamics with the East African Coastal Current (EACC) bringing coral larvae from the southern ‘center of diversity’ for the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region [ 14 ]. A cold-water system prevails in northern Kenya due to the convergence of the EACC with the seasonal Somali Current (SC) that is characterized by poor water conditions for reef development [ 15 , 12 ]. The interaction of the EACC and the SC in the north creates a marginal, high-latitude and upwelling system with transitioning communities from the East African to Somali-Arabian fauna [ 16 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial heterogeneity of coral reef benthic communities in Kenya

2020

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Spatial patterns of coral reef benthic communities vary across a range of broad-scale biogeographical levels to fine-scale local habitat conditions. This study described spatial patterns of coral reef benthic communities spanning across the 536-km coast of Kenya. Thirtyeight reef sites representing different geographical zones within an array of habitats and management levels were assessed by benthic cover, coral genera and coral colony size classes. Three geographical zones were identified along the latitudinal gradient based on their benthic community composition. Hard coral dominated the three zones with highest cover in the south and Porites being the most abundant genus. Almost all 15 benthic variables differed significantly between geographical zones. The interaction of habitat factors and management levels created a localised pattern within each zone. Four habitats were identified based on their similarity in benthic community composition; 1. Deep-Exposed Patch reef in Reserve areas (DEPR), 2. Deep-Exposed Fringing reefs in Unprotected areas (DEFU), 3. Shallow Fringing and Lagoon reefs in Protected and Reserve areas (SFLPR) and 4. Shallow Patch and Channel reefs (SPC). DEPR was found in the north zone only and its benthic community was predominantly crustose coralline algae. DEFU was found in central and south zones mainly dominated by soft corals, Acropora, Montipora, juvenile corals and small colonies of adult corals. SFLPR was dominated by macroalgae and turf algae and was found in north and central zones. SPC was found across all geographical zones with a benthic community dominated by hard corals of mostly large colonies of Porites and Echinopora. The north zone exhibits habitat types that support resistance properties, the south supports recovery processes and central zone acts as an ecological corridor between zones. Identifying habitats with different roles in reef resilience is useful information for marine spatial planning and supports the process of designing effective marine protected areas.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial heterogeneity of coral reef benthic communities in Kenya

2020

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“…According to this hypothesis, the seasonal upwelling events act as an indirect cause of genetic divergence by reducing the growth of suitable habitat (i.e., coral reefs) in these areas. For example, only four principal areas of reef coral occur along the Omani coast Glynn, 1993), while a major break in habitat continuity occurs off the Somali coast where corals are reduced to patch reefs scattered within seagrass beds (Carbone & Accordi, 2000).…”

Section: Seascape Barriersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Consequences of marine barriers for genetic diversity of the coral‐specialist yellowbar angelfish from the Northwestern Indian Ocean

Torquato

Range

Ben‐Hamadou

et al. 2019

Ecology and Evolution

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Ocean circulation, geological history, geographic distance, and seascape heterogeneity play an important role in phylogeography of coral‐dependent fishes. Here, we investigate potential genetic population structure within the yellowbar angelfish (Pomacanthus maculosus) across the Northwestern Indian Ocean (NIO). We then discuss our results with respect to the above abiotic features in order to understand the contemporary distribution of genetic diversity of the species. To do so, restriction site‐associated DNA sequencing (RAD‐seq) was utilized to carry out population genetic analyses on P. maculosus sampled throughout the species’ distributional range. First, genetic data were correlated to geographic and environmental distances, and tested for isolation‐by‐distance and isolation‐by‐environment, respectively, by applying the Mantel test. Secondly, we used distance‐based and model‐based methods for clustering genetic data. Our results suggest the presence of two putative barriers to dispersal; one off the southern coast of the Arabian Peninsula and the other off northern Somalia, which together create three genetic subdivisions of P. maculosus within the NIO. Around the Arabian Peninsula, one genetic cluster was associated with the Red Sea and the adjacent Gulf of Aden in the west, and another cluster was associated with the Arabian Gulf and the Sea of Oman in the east. Individuals sampled in Kenya represented a third genetic cluster. The geographic locations of genetic discontinuities observed between genetic subdivisions coincide with the presence of substantial upwelling systems, as well as habitat discontinuity. Our findings shed light on the origin and maintenance of genetic patterns in a common coral reef fish inhabiting the NIO, and reinforce the hypothesis that the evolution of marine fish species in this region has likely been shaped by multiple vicariance events.

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“…Carbonate grains (miliolids and other foraminiferids, small bioclastic fragments) for the Somali white dunes were supplied by the skeletal sandy beach and coral reefs bounding the coast on the seaward side; skeletal grains were blown off the beach by the coastwise directed summer monsoon. A progradation of the coast occurred during the marine regression to the present sea-level, after the sea reached a higher level of about 2 m a.s.l., around 5 kyr BP (Jerardino, 1995;Carbone et al, 1999;Carbone and Accordi, 2000;Teller et al, 2000;Ramsay and Cooper, 2002). The ''red dune'' and the white dunes of the innermost part of the coastal strip are now subject to deflation and remodelling.…”

Section: Physiography and Geologymentioning

confidence: 99%