Coral Reef and Hazards: Case Study of State of Kuwait

The coral reef ecosystem is one of the most complex and environmentally sensitive biological systems on the planet. Natural and anthropogenic impacts have increasingly affected coral resulting in deteriorating coral health, reduced growth, and diversity. Kuwait reef communities in the northwestern Arabian Gulf suffer from extreme environmental conditions and excessive human activities. In this chapter, we have investigated the impact of climate change (changes in sea surface temperatures-SST) on the coral reef of Kuwait. Anthropogenic and natural hazards that are causing coral reef degradation in Kuwait’s marine life. A decline in average coral cover and the projections of increased SSTs was recorded and it suggests that Kuwait coral reefs will experience further declines in the coming decades. An average of 4000 square meters is lost every year in Kuwait coral reef areas. We have demonstrated that Kuwait coral reef systems experience episodic bleaching events and degradation in the best-developed coral reef ecosystems of the southern Islands like Kubbar, Qaru, and Umm Al-Maradim. Mass coral bleaching events were observed in Kuwait coral reefs in 2010 and 2016, with average bleaching reached above 90% and maximum SST reached 34.5 °C. Results achieved herein indicate that bio/environmental factors examined in this study concerning Kuwait’s coral reef can serve as a bioindicator for Kuwait's marine environment health. Also, marine scientists and decision-makers should consider the findings highlighted in this chapter to make aggressive efforts to reduce anthropogenic stressors affecting reef communities. Local environmental regulations and coral conservation policies should be further strengthened to achieve a sustainable marine biological habitat.