The narrow and semi-enclosed nature of the basin, the presence of multiple eddies, strong evaporation, lack of fresh-water input, seasonally reversing winds, etc. lead to complex dynamical processes in the Red Sea. Due to a lack of sufficient in situ measurements, no detailed investigation on MLD variability has been documented so far in the Red Sea. In this work, all the available temperature profiles in the Red Sea, both from public data repositories and cruises conducted by various institutes, have been collected to produce a climatology dataset of the MLD for the first time. Further, the roles of atmospheric forces and oceanic eddies on the changes of the MLD have been investigated.
Author(s) Details:
P. Abdulla
Applied Research Center for Environment and Marine Studies, Research Institute, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia.
A. Alsaafani
Department of Marine Physics, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 80200, Saudi Arabia
M. Alraddadi
Department of Marine Physics, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 80200, Saudi Arabia
T. M. Asharaf
Applied Research Center for Environment and Marine Studies, Research Institute, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia.
M. Albarakati
Department of Marine Physics, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 80200, Saudi Arabia
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Recent Global Research developments in Red Sea: A Unique Semi-Enclosed Basin of High Salinityin Unraveling MLD Variability in the Red Sea: Insights from Comprehensive Temperature Profiling
- Geographical Extent:
- The Red Sea stretches from approximately 30°N to 12°30’N latitude and from 32°E to 43°E longitude.
- Its straight length is about 2,000 kilometers, with an average width of 208 kilometers.
- The maximum width occurs in the southern part, reaching 354 kilometers [1].
- Unique Oceanographic and Biological Features:
- The Red Sea is renowned for its distinct characteristics:
- Coral Reef Hotspot: It hosts vibrant coral reefs and is a hotspot for coral reef ecology.
- Historical Significance: Humans have relied on its seafood for millennia, from ancient times to its current role as an important fishing ground for the seven countries along its shores.
- Catch Data Challenges: Reliable time-series catch data are lacking for most Red Sea fisheries, making monitoring and management crucial.
- Reconstructed Catches:
- Researchers have reconstructed Red Sea catches from 1950 to 2010 by country (Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Israel) and sector (artisanal, subsistence, industrial, and recreational).
- Historical documents, reports, surveys, and other sources were used to estimate catches.
- The total Red Sea catch peaked around 177,000 tons in 1993 but has been declining since.
- Artisanal fisheries contribute significantly to the catch, and species composition varies widely [1].
- Resource Conservation and Livelihoods:
- The reconstructed catch trends provide crucial historical records.
- They guide future fisheries management policies to conserve resources and sustain coastal communities’ livelihoods.
- The Red Sea is renowned for its distinct characteristics:
Reference
- Tesfamichael, D., & Pauly, D. (2016). Introduction to the Red Sea. In The Red Sea Ecosystem and Fisheries (pp. 1–19).
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-94-017-7435-2_1
- Rasul, N. M., Stewart, I. C., & Nawab, Z. A. (2015). Introduction to the Red Sea: its origin, structure, and environment. In The Red Sea: The formation, morphology, oceanography and environment of a young ocean basin(pp. 1-28). Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg.
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-662-45201-1_1