This study aims to investigate possible effects of certain environmental factors particularly, high summer water temperature and increase of water salinity on the growth rate of endemic dominant coral species at the west coasts of the United Arab Emirates. The study investigated the dissolved trace elements concentrations and its relation to coral diseases.
The methodological investigations have been conducted in a defined two sites at Baraka and Al Saadiyat area. In Barakah, three quadrates of 1.0 m3 have monitored the growth of Porites harrisoni by both photographically as well as by direct measurements of the targeted coral colonies in each frame. That include colonies sizes, coral health, surrounding water temperature and water salinity, and in Saadiyat area, it investigates the coral growth rate of Acropora downingi from winter to summer. The obtained results had shown that, there was different growth in the selected colonies branches between winter and spring-summer seasons. In general, the growth rates in Saadiyat Acropora colonies was small in winter season, compared to the spring-summer season growth. The most notable growth seen in colony #1 with an 18 mm growth in spring-summer season compared to only 2 mm during the winter season of the same branch. The results have also shown that possible stressors, such as the measured high sulfur concentrations as well as other anthropogenic activities, especially in Barakah area could be responsible about the existing documented coral diseases as well as the loss of Acropora colonies in that site. This study has suggested certain recommendations to investigate impact of Sulphur dissolution and its concentration increase effect on the different living coral species. The specific and/or combined factors that lead to each of the reported coral diseases, and to investigate frequent and more intensive studies of growth rates of different corals species and finding the way for mitigation of destroyed areas as well as possible restoration of impacted habitats. These recommendations can be also adopted by other governmental and /or non-governmental agencies responsible about sustainability of marine life in Gulf countries
