The Regional Organization for the Conservation of the Environment of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden (PERSGA) Status of Mangroves in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden

2 PERSGA is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the conservation of the coastal and marine environments in the region and the wise use of their natural resources. The text of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part and in any form for educational or non-profit purposes without the permission of the copyright holders provided that acknowledgement of the source is given. PERSGA would appreciate receiving a copy of any publication that uses this material as a source. This publication may not be copied, or distributed electronically, for resale or other commercial purposes without prior permission, in writing, from PERSGA. A mangrove survey programme was planned and executed by PERSGA during the months of July and August 2002 in Djibouti, Sudan and Yemen. Regional experts also provided a review of the status of mangrove habitats in Egypt and Saudi Arabia. This document is a synthesis of these reports. It gives an indication of the status of mangroves in the Region 1 and guidelines for mangrove rehabilitation, conservation and management. Avicennia marina is the most abundant mangrove species; it was reported in all mangrove areas in the Region. Relatively thick and well grown Rhizophora mucronata stands coexist in a few areas, particularly in Djibouti, while some other less developed Rhizophora mucronata stands occur in Yemen and Saudi Arabia. Previous surveys reported the presence of Ceriops tagal and Bruguiera gymnorrhiza. Almost all other mangrove forests are mono-specific consisting only of Avicennia marina except, occasionally, when a few poorly developed Rhizophora mucronata occur (e.g. Halaib area). Typically, the mangroves grow as thin or, rarely, thick forests along: • the shoreline • on near and offshore islands • fringing tidal creeks and channels of various size (locally known as khors, sharms or mersas). Although the mangrove stands are typically thin, ranging between 50 to 300m in width, their length varies considerably from some 100m to well above 20km. The size of the Avicennia plants ranges from stunted bushes, usually growing in the outer fringes of the stand to well developed trees reaching up to 4-6m in height. The GBH of mature well developed trees ranges from 10-100cm. In some particular localities e.g. Al-Urj (Yemen), Maskali Island (Djibouti) and Arakiyai (Sudan), the well-oxygenated, relatively sandy substrate and substantial underground freshwater seepage provide favourable conditions for massive growth of the Avicennia trees; here they reach up to 8-10m in height and more than 200cm …