Estuaries and Coastal Zones in the Northern Persian Gulf (Iran)

Abstract The Persian Gulf includes a large region of shallow water in the northwest part of the Arabian Sea between the coasts of Iran and Arabia. Protecting the coastal and marine biodiversity in the Persian Gulf will increase the ability of ecosystem to adjust and improve following natural or anthropogenic-caused disturbances, including the effects of global change in its many forms. The most important natural coastal habitats in the Persian Gulf include coral reefs, mangroves, seagrass beds, sandy shores, rocky shores, and estuarine ecosystems. In Iranian coastal waters, coral reefs, mangrove forests, and seagrass habitats play an important role in ecological, recreational, economic, and cultural activities. In addition, the Persian Gulf is also considered as one of the regions most affected by human activity in the world. This chapter presents and reviews the abiotic (e.g., geology, geomorphology, hydrology, and circulation) and biotic (e.g., coral reefs, mangrove forests, phytoplankton, and microbenthic communities) aspects and anthropogenic pressures in the northern Persian Gulf.