Assemblages of macro-fauna associated with two seagrass beds in Kingdom of Bahrain: Implications for conservation

Abstract

Seagrass ecosystems in Bahrain contribute significantly to the productivity of local fisheries and provide food sources and nursery grounds for vulnerable species. However, these ecosystems are under continuous threats from anthropogenic pressures, including reclamation and dredging, industrial effluents, domestic discharges, and brine water from desalination plants. Surveying seagrass beds and associated macro-fauna is required to contribute to management and conservation effort of these sensitive ecosystems. Macrobenthic assemblages were sampled from two seagrass beds off the western and eastern coasts of Bahrain that are subjected to different environmental conditions. Differences in structure and composition among the assemblages between the two sampling sites were detected. The western site was numerically dominated by crustaceans, while molluscs were the dominant group in the eastern site. Salinity and sediments were the main environmental factors responsible for explaining 44% of the community patterns in the study areas. Seagrass cover was 95 ± 3.6% and 78 ± 7.4% for the western and eastern sites, respectively. Implications of this study may allow better decisions to be made concerning the conservation of seagrass ecosystems in Bahrain