Marine vegetation of Muscat area, Sultanate of Oman
1993
Cordero, P.A. Jr. (Sultan Qaboos Univ., P.O. Box 32486 Al Khod, Muscat Sultanate of Oman)
The marine environ of the Sultanate is influenced by two monsoon gyres occurring in the Arabian Sea: the north-easterly monsoon in Nov-Apr and the southwesterly monsoon in April-Oct. The latter produces an upwelling with a corresponding decrease in surface water temperatures and an increase in nutrient level favoring the growth and development of macro-algae and seagrasses. While the former produces relatively higher surface water temperatures and a lower nutrient level, both factors contributing to the area's poor marine vegetation. One noticeable effect of these contrasting gyres is the presence of only Sargassum in the north, while in the south, Sargassopsis, Ecklonia, and Sargassum dominate. The present study covers over two years in-situ periodic observation, sampling, and monitoring of floristic and ecological data in six study sites in Muscat with emphasis on the taxonomy of the algae and seagrasses. Fifty species of algae and two species of seagrasses have been identified. Similarity exists between the marine algae and seagrasses found in the Muscat area with those previously reported from the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, and from other tropical waters. A few algal species have limited local distribution
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