@article{,

title = {Risk of biodiversity collapse under climate change in the Afro-Arabian region},

author = {Soultan, Alaaeldin,Wikelski, Martin,Safi, Kamran},

url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-37851-6},

issn = {2045-2322},

year  = {2019},

date = {2019-01-01},

journal = {Scientific Reports},

volume = {9},

number = {236},

pages = {955},

abstract = {For 107 endemic mammal species in the Afro-Arabian region, Sahara-Sahel and Arabian Desert, we used ensemble species distribution models to: (1) identify the hotspot areas for conservation, (2) assess the potential impact of the projected climate change on the distribution of the focal species, and (3) assign IUCN threat categories for the focal species according to the predicted changes in their potential distribution range. We identified two main hotspot areas for endemic mammals: the Sinai and its surrounding coastal area in the East, and the Mediterranean Coast around Morocco in the West. Alarmingly, our results indicate that about 17% of the endemic mammals in the Afro-Arabian region under the current climate change scenarios could go extinct before 2050. Overall, a substantial number of the endemic species will change from the IUCN threat category “Least Concern” to “Critically Endangered” or “Extinct” in the coming decades. Accordingly, we call for implementing an urgent proactive conservation action for these endemic species, particularly those that face a high risk of extinction in the next few years. The results of our study provide conservation managers and practitioners with the required information for implementing an effective conservation plan to protect the biodiversity of the Afro-Arabian region.},

keywords = {Arabia, Arabian Gulf, Arabian Sea, biodiversity, Climate change, conservation status, extinction, IUCN Red List, Threat assessment},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{,

title = {Climate change impacts on marine biodiversity, fisheries and society in the Arabian Gulf},

author = {Wabnitz, Colette C. C.,Lam, Vicky W. Y.,Reygondeau, Gabriel,Teh, Lydia C. L.,Al-Abdulrazzak, Dalal,Khalfallah, Myriam,Pauly, Daniel,Palomares, Maria L. Deng,Zeller, Dirk,Cheung, William W. L.},

url = {https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0194537},

year  = {2018},

date = {2018-01-01},

journal = {PLOS ONE},

volume = {13},

number = {494},

pages = {e0194537},

publisher = {Public Library of Science},

abstract = {Climate change–reflected in significant environmental changes such as warming, sea level rise, shifts in salinity, oxygen and other ocean conditions–is expected to impact marine organisms and associated fisheries. This study provides an assessment of the potential impacts on, and the vulnerability of, marine biodiversity and fisheries catches in the Arabian Gulf under climate change. To this end, using three separate niche modelling approaches under a ‘business-as-usual’ climate change scenario, we projected the future habitat suitability of the Arabian Gulf (also known as the Persian Gulf) for 55 expert-identified priority species, including charismatic and non-fish species. Second, we conducted a vulnerability assessment of national economies to climate change impacts on fisheries. The modelling outputs suggested a high rate of local extinction (up to 35% of initial species richness) by 2090 relative to 2010. Spatially, projected local extinctions are highest in the southwestern part of the Gulf, off the coast of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). While the projected patterns provided useful indicators of potential climate change impacts on the region’s diversity, the magnitude of changes in habitat suitability are more uncertain. Fisheries-specific results suggested reduced future catch potential for several countries on the western side of the Gulf, with projections differing only slightly among models. Qatar and the UAE were particularly affected, with more than a 26% drop in future fish catch potential. Integrating changes in catch potential with socio-economic indicators suggested the fisheries of Bahrain and Iran may be most vulnerable to climate change. We discuss limitations of the indicators and the methods used, as well as the implications of our overall findings for conservation and fisheries management policies in the region.},

keywords = {Arabia, Arabian Gulf, Arabian Sea, biodiversity, Climate change, diversity, economic impact, Fisheries, Persian Gulf, Sea of Oman},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{,

title = {Strandings and other records of mortality in the Arabian Sea},

author = {Collins, T.,Braulik, G.,Kiani, S.,Sutaria, D.,Rahim, Abdul.,Moshiri, Hamed.,Vanneyre, Laurence.,Baldwin, R.},

year  = {2012},

date = {2012-01-01},

journal = {submitted as a working paper to the small cetacean sub-committee at the IWC, Panama, June 2012},

number = {349},

keywords = {Arabia, Iran, Oman Sea, Strandings},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{,

title = {A comparison of phytoplankton populations of the Arabian Sea during the Spring Intermonsoon and Southwest Monsoon of 1995 as described by HPLC-analyzed pigments},

author = {Latasa, Mikel.,Bidigare, Robert. R.},

year  = {1998},

date = {1998-01-01},

journal = {Deep-Sea Research II},

volume = {45},

number = {141},

pages = {2133-2170},

keywords = {Arabia, Arabian Sea, Iran, Pakistan, Phytoplankton, Upwelling},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{,

title = {Sightings of },

author = {Smeenk,C.,Addink,M.J.,Van den Berg,A.B.,Bosman C.A.W.,Cad‚e,G.C.},

year  = {1996},

date = {1996-01-01},

journal = {Bonn.Zool.Beitr.},

number = {232},

pages = {389 -398},

abstract = {Delphinus tropicalis Van Bree, 1971 is an extremely long-beaked form occurring in neritic habitats in the northern Indian Ocean and neighbouring seas.  In June 1984 and March 1993 we observed dolphins in the southern Red Sea which agreed with the external characters described for this form.  The animals were identified with tropicalis by their most prominent feature: a very long beak as compared to D. delphis L., the taxonomic history and distribution of D. tropicalis is reviewed.  A limited study of six Delphinus skulls from the Arabian peninsula suggests that D. tropicalis and D. capensis cannot be readily separated.  It is suggested that D. tropicalis may constitute a very long-beaked form or population of D. capensis.},

keywords = {Arabia, D.capensis, Delphinus tropicalis, Distribution, Indian Ocean, population, Red Sea, skulls, taxonomy},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{,

title = {Sightings of whales and dolphins in the Middle East (Cetacea)},

author = {Weitkowitz, W.},

url = {https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09397140.1992.10637606},

year  = {1992},

date = {1992-01-01},

journal = {Zoology in the Middle East},

volume = {6},

number = {252},

pages = {5-12},

abstract = {A list of 70 field observations of whales and dolphins is presented, which were made whilst travelling in the Eastern Mcditcrrancan Sea, the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Persian Gulf, the Arabian Sea, and in the northwestern Indian Ocean. The data refer to 12 species: Sousa plumbea, Tursiops aduncus, Tursiops truncatus, Stenella coeruleoalba, Grampus griseus, Pseudorca crassidens, Peponocephala electra, Ziphius cavirostris, Kogia sp., Physeter macrocephalus, Balaenoptera musculus, and Megaptera novaeangliae.},

keywords = {Africa, Arabia, Arabian Sea, dolphin, Gulf of Aden, Middle East, Persian Gulf, Red Sea, whale},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{,

title = {Cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises) recorded off Sri Lanka, India, from the Arabian Sea and Gulf, Gulf of Aden and from the Red Sea },

author = {De Silva,P.H.D.H..},

year  = {1987},

date = {1987-01-01},

journal = {Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society},

volume = {84 },

number = {357},

pages = {505-525},

abstract = {Cetacea is a highly specialized oceanic group of mammals with several of its species undertaking long migrations, often exceeding thousand miles during a single journey. During these migrations from cold polar and subpolar seas to warmer tropical and subtropical waters and their return to polar seas in summer both individual and mass strandings have very often occurred in many parts of the world, including Sri Lanka, India and the Arabian Gulf. The Cetacean records dealt with in this paper are of countries which lie at the extreme southern margin of the vast land mass of Asia with no land other than a few islands and vast stretches of the Indian Ocean between them and the Antarctica. Sri Lanka, in view of her geographic position at the southern extremity of this vast land mass (5ø 55' and 9§51'N latitude and 79§41' and 81§ 54' E longitude) has become a passing point in the movement of oceanic species including the larger whales. It has been suggested by Deraniyagala (1945, 1960b) that the movement of larger species towards the tropics from the southern temperate zone is partly associated with the periodic influx of Antarctic water toward the tropics. It is however, now fairly established that several larger species such as the Blue whale, the Fin whale and the Humpback whale show a regular migratory cycle. The majority of strandings recorded in this paper deal with individual strandings. Nevertheless there have been instances of both mass stranding and of apparent suicidal behaviour. This paper deals with 30 Cetacean species from the region. Of these records, records from Sri Lanka total 23 species, from India 24 species, from Pakistan 17 species, from the Gulf of Oman 10 species, from the Arabian Gulf 9 species, from the Gulf of Aden 6 species and from the Red Sea 7 species. Reference is also made to a skull of Delphinus tropicalis van Bree in the Colombo Museum (Skull No. 15 B) which appears to be its first record from Sri Lanka. Mention is also made of a specimen of Neophocaena phocaenoides (G. Cuvier) collected from the Wadge Bank by the Smithsonian Carangid Survey Team in March 1970 and of two incomplete skeletons of Balaenoptera physalus (Linn‚) (probably mother and calf) in the Zoological Museum, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. All these specimens were identified by me. It is evident from this study that our present knowledge of the Cetacean fauna of the Indian Ocean is far from complete and that much could be accomplished by scientific institutions in the countries in the region by diligently maintaining proper records of sightings and strandings (with photographs) and by undertaking joint study surveys. It is gratifying to note that Sri Lanka, in recent years has been making much headway in this regard. During the last few years the Tulip Expedition led by Dr. Hal Whitehead has been studying the larger whales, especially the larger whales off the east coast and Dr. Stephen Leatherwood Of Hubbs-Sea World Research Institute (Marine Science), San Diego, California has recently published (1985) a summary of available information on the Cetacea of the Indian Ocean Cetacean Sanctuary on behalf of the National Aquatic Resources Agency for Sri Lanka. It is hoped that the present paper will further stimulate interest among the scientific institutions in the region and help to increase our knowledge of a group of remarkable animals at least as far as the species which inhabit and visit our seas.has become a passing point in the movement of oceanic species including the larger whales. It has been suggested by Deraniyagala (1945, 1960b) that the movement of larger species towards the tropics from the southern temperate zone is partly associated with the periodic influx of Antarctic water toward the tropics. It is however, now fairly established that several larger species such as the Blue whale, the Fin whale and the Humpback whale show a regular migratory cycle. The majority of strandings recorded in this paper deal with individual strandings. Nevertheless there have been instances of both mass stranding and of apparent suicidal behaviour. This paper deals with 30 Cetacean species from the region. Of these records, records from Sri Lanka total 23 species, from India 24 species, from Pakistan 17 species, from the Gulf of Oman 10 species, from the Arabian Gulf 9 species, from the Gulf of Aden 6 species and from the Red Sea 7 species. Reference is also made to a skull of Delphinus tropicalis van Bree in the Colombo Museum (Skull No. 15 B) which appears to be its first record from Sri Lanka. Mention is also made of a specimen of Neophocaena phocaenoides (G. Cuvier) collected from the Wadge Bank by the Smithsonian Carangid Survey Team in March 1970 and of two incomplete skeletons of Balaenoptera physalus (Linn‚) (probably mother and calf) in the Zoological Museum, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. All these specimens were identified by me. It is evident from this study that our present knowledge of the Cetacean fauna of the Indian Ocean is far from complete and that much could be accomplished by scientific institutions in the countries in the region by diligently maintaining proper records of sightings and strandings (with photographs) and by undertaking joint study surveys. It is gratifying to note that Sri Lanka, in recent years has been making much headway in this regard. During the last few years the Tulip Expedition led by Dr. Hal Whitehead has been studying the larger whales, especially the larger whales off the east coast and Dr. Stephen Leatherwood Of Hubbs-Sea World Research Institute (Marine Science), San Diego, California has recently published (1985) a summary of available information on the Cetacea of the Indian Ocean Cetacean Sanctuary on behalf of the National Aquatic Resources Agency for Sri Lanka. It is hoped that the present paper will further stimulate interest among the scientific institutions in the region and help to increase our knowledge of a group of remarkable animals at least as far as the species which inhabit and visit our seas. A key to the identification of the species recorded from the region is given in Appendix. },

keywords = {Antarctic, Arabia, Arabian Gulf, Arabian Sea, behaviour, Blue whale, cetacea, cetacean, cetaceans, Delphinus tropicalis, dolphin, dolphins, fin whale, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, Humpback Whale, India, Indian Ocean, mammals, marine, migration, Neophocaena phocaenoides, Oceanic, Oman, Pakistan, Porpoise, Red Sea, sanctuaries, skull, Sri Lanka, stranding, Strandings, survey, whale, whales},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}