TEHRAN –The Persian Gulf’s unique marine habitat is home to about eight percent of the world's coral reefs with more than 50 species, however, climate change, global warming, and pollution are pushing them toward extinction.

Coral reefs are in danger of disappearing mainly due to oil pollution, with the fourth coral bleaching event currently underway, IRNA quoted Mohammad Talebi-Matin, an official with the Department of Environment as saying.

He made the remarks on the occasion of Persian Gulf National Day which is observed on April 29 every year. The day marks the anniversary of forcing out the Portuguese navy of the Strait of Hormuz in the Capture of Ormuz (1622).

The Persian Gulf has an area of about 241,000 square kilometers. Its length is some 990 km, and its width varies from a maximum of about 340 km to a minimum of 55 km in the Strait of Hormuz.

It has its own environmental characteristics, as it is a semi-closed sea, aging 15,000 years, with an average depth of 35 meters, while being highly salty with severe heat fluctuations, and an annual evaporation rate of 140 cm.

The diverse marine life in the Persian Gulf includes more than 1,600 species of fish (about 500 species in the Persian Gulf and 1,142 species in the Sea of Oman).

Moreover, there are 15 species of shrimp, 10 species of marine mammals, five species of sea turtles, more than 90 species of birds, and a wide variety of plankton.  

This rich biodiversity stresses the importance of conserving the marine ecosystems in the Persian Gulf, the official added.

He went on to say that a total of 111 coral species have been identified in the Persian Gulf, with 103 species found in the Iranian islands of the region which further highlights the significance of protecting coral reefs for the overall health of the ecosystem.

In recent years, coral reefs have suffered bleaching due to exposure to pollution and global warming, putting them at risk of completely disappearing if necessary measures are not taken.
The marine ecosystems in the Persian Gulf have been significantly impacted by environmental pollution, including industrial waste, oil spills, chemical effluents, and marine debris. These factors, combined with climate change effects like rising temperatures and seawater acidification, have led to severe damage to the marine habitats in the region.

The deterioration of coral reefs poses a significant challenge as they play a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance in the seas. Human activities such as coastal development, dredging, overfishing, and exploitation of marine resources, along with climate change impacts, have resulted in the destruction and loss of coral reefs and reduced biodiversity in the Persian Gulf.

Over a span of 22 years, various human activities like land reclamation, discharge of urban and industrial wastewater, port construction, vessel traffic, fishing, road building, population growth, and tourism have contributed to the degradation of marine ecosystems in the region.

Efforts to protect the valuable marine ecosystem include updating the list of endangered marine species, expanding restoration efforts for wetland habitats and coral reefs, and implementing conservation measures in a wider area to safeguard these vulnerable ecosystems.

MT/MG