A coral damage index and its application to diving sites in the Egyptian Red Sea |
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Authors: | S C Jameson M S A Ammar E Saadalla H M Mostafa B Riegl |
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Institution: | (1) Coral Seas Inc-Integrated Coastal Zone Management, 4254 Hungry Run Road, The Plains, VA 20198–1715 USA, sjameson@coralseas.com, US;(2) National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, P.O. Box 182, Attaka, Suez, Egypt, EG;(3) Ras Mohamed National Park, P.O. Box 19, 46619 Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, EG;(4) Environmental Quality International, 18 El Mansour Mohamed Street, Cairo, Egypt 11211, EG;(5) Institute for Geology and Paleontology, Karl-Franzens University Graz, Heinrichchstrasse 26, 8020 Graz, Austria, AT |
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Abstract: | A coral damage index (CDI) is provided, to screen sites to obtain a perspective on the extent and severity of physical damage
to coral. Sites are listed as “hot spots” if in any transect the percent of broken coral colonies (BCC) is greater than or
equal to 4% or if the percent cover of coral rubble (CR) is greater than or equal to 3%. To demonstrate its utility, the CDI
is applied to a real-life management situation off Hurghada and Safaga, Egypt in the Red Sea. The extent of coral damage covered
all four diving sites. Forty percent of all the transects were “hot spots” that required management action. Thirty-one percent
of the 16 “hot spot” transects were identified by both broken coral and rubble criteria, 25% by only broken coral criterion
and 44% by only coral rubble criterion of the CDI, suggesting that past breakage was responsible for most of the observed
damage. Sixty-three percent of the “hot spot” transects were at 4 m depth versus 37% at 8 m depth, suggesting that most of
the damage was caused by anchors dragging across the reef in shallow water. The severity of coral damage, reflected by CR,
was the greatest at Small Giftun in transect 5 at 4 m depth (333% above the CDI). EI Fanous experienced the most severe degree
of broken coral damage (325% above the CDI) at 8 m depth along transect 2. Estimates of the number of dives per year show
diving carrying capacities for El Fanous, Gotta Abu Ramada, Ras Abu Soma and Small Giftun being exceeded by large amounts.
The CDI can be used globally to; gauge the severity and extent of damage, focus managers on areas that need mooring buoys
and associated dive site management programs, and provide a starting point from which to focus more detailed coral reef assessments
and restoration programs.
Accepted: 30 June 1999 |
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Keywords: | Coral damage index Diver and Anchor damage Carrying capacities Mooring buoys Red Sea |
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