About the Area
Marine turtles include Green turtle (Chelonia mydas), Loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta), Leatherback turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), Olive ridley turtle (Lepidochelys oliacea), and Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata).
Birds include Saunder's tern (Sterna saundersi), white-cheeked tern (S. repressa), great black-headed gull (Larus icthyaetus), pink-backed pelican (Pelicanaus rufescens), brown booby (Sula leucogaster), white-eyed gull (Larus leucophtalmus), and Osprey (Pandion haliaetus).
Other species include Dugong (Dugong dugon), Blainsville's beaked whale (Mesoplodon desirostris), white-tip reef shark (Triaenodon obesus), butterflyfishes (Chaetodon spp.), giant clams (Tridacna spp.), and several species of dolphins (Family, Delphinidae). Seventeen per cent of fish are endemic with more than 90 percent endemic dottybacks (Family, Pseudochromidae), and triplefins (Family, Tripterygiidae).
Overfishing, spear fishing, souvenir collecting, scuba diving, and the use of the coast for recreational activities represent major disturbances to these coral reefs.
Oil spills, sewage discharge, chemical pollution, industrial and urban development, extensive coastal development, land filling, and coastal engineering pose further threats to the ecoregion.
Northeast Africa and Middle East
How old is the Red Sea?
The Red Sea was created 55 million years ago when Africa started to move away from Arabia. This movement is still going on, at about 0.6 inches (1.5 cm) per year.