SUDAN

Key Habitats, Living resources and Environmental Impacts in the Sudanese Red Sea

Introduction

• TheSudaneseRedseaislocatedatthecentralpartoftheRedSeawithacoast-lineextendingforupto750km.

Key Habitats • Mangroves:ThreemangrovespecieshavebeenreportedintheSu-danesecoastwithAvi-cennia marinabeingthepredominantspecies.• Seagrasses:10speciesofseagrasseswerere-cordedintheSudaneseRedSeawithvarying

densitieshavebeenidentified.• Coralreefs:Threetypesofcoralreefsin-cludingfringingreefs(1-3kmwide),Barrierreefs(1-14kmwide)andAtollreefsi.e.Sanganebatoll.

Marine living resources • Fishes:Morethan250coralreefsfisheshavebeenreportedincludingcommercialfishesi.e.Groupers(Plectropomus macu-latus),Snappers(Lutjanus gibbus),Barra-cudaandMackerels

• Sharks:Morethan20speciesofsharkshavebeenidentifiedmainlyScallopedham-merheadwhitetipsharkSilvertip,grey,silkyandwhalesharks.

• Rays:Mainlymantarays(Mantabirostries&M.alfredil)areknowntooccurform-ingmassiveaggregations(duringbreedingseason)particularlyinnorthernpartofthecoast.

• Ornamentalfishes:Over240speciesbe-longingtoabout26familiesofornamentalfishesrecognizedi.e.Angelfish,Butterflyfish,Damselfishes,SweetlipsEmperos&Parrotfishes.

Invertebrate fauna • Corals(Cnidaria):Morethan200coralspe-ciesbelongingtomorethan35generawereencounteredindicatinghighcoraldi-versity.

•Mollusks:Over250speciesofshellmolluskswereclassifiedandassessed(snails,oys-ters,limpets,clams&mussels).Mainly:Mother-of-pearloysters(Pinctada margar-alitifera),Trochus spp. Trochus dentatus, Stormbus(S. tricornis),Tridacna(giantclam).

• Crustaceans:morethan60speciesofcrus-taceanshavebeenidentifiedandquanti-fiedparticularly:> Shrimps(prawns):8speciesofcommer-cialshrimpswererecordednotablyPe-naeus spp.

> Lobsters:Threespeciesoflobsters(Pan-ulirus spp.)arefoundtobemostcom-monspeciallyPanulirus penicillatus.

• Echinoderms:almost9speciesofseacu-cumberwerefoundtobeabundantmainlyHolothuria spp

Globally important key species • SudaneseCoastharborssomeinternationalimportantandthreatenedkeyspeciesin-cluding:I.Sirenianmammalssuchasdugongs(Dug-

ong dugon)II.Cetaceansmammalsi.e.Dol-phins(Dolphinus dolphis)andpilotwahales

III.Turtles:4speciesmainlyGreenturtles(Chelonia mydas)

IV.Seabirds:Morethan20speciesofseabirdsCrestedtrens(Sterna spp.),whitecheekedtern(Sterna repressa),brownnoody(Sula lecogastor)

Environmental Impacts• Themainthreatsfacinghabitatsandma-rinelifeinclude:> Destructionofhabitats(throughland-fill-inganddredging).

> Environmentaldegradationfrompetro-leumindustry.

> Risksfrommarinetransportation> Varioustypesofpollutionfromindustrialandurbanactivities.

> Over-exploitationoflivingresources.

InternationalOceanographicData and InformationExchange

Dr. A’GADIR D. ELHAG Director of Institute of Marine Research

Red Sea University Port Sudan P .O.Box . 24 - Sudan

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