1-INTRODUCTION: CORAL REEFS, WHICH CONSTITUTE SOME OF THE LARGEST ECOLOGICAL STRUCTURES ON EARTH, ARE AMONG THE MAJOR HABITATS FOR MARINE BIODIVERSITY.
CORAL ISLANDS IN PERSIAN GULF TAKE A SPECIAL PLACE IN STUDYING BECAUSE THE PERSIAN GULF IS A SEMI-ENCLOSED MARGINAL SEA SURROUNDED BY LANDMASSES AND IS LOCATED IN THE SUBTROPICAL NORTHWEST OF THE INDIAN OCEAN. THIS HAS IMPOSED A HARSH CONDITION ON THE MARINE ORGANISMS, ESPECIALLY CORAL REEF COMMUNITIES WITH REGARD TO SALINITY, TEMPERATURE AND EXTREME LOW TIDES [1].
THESE FACTORS HAVE A PROFOUND INFLUENCE ON COMMUNITY STRUCTURE BY RESTRICTING THE NUMBER OF SPECIES IN THE AREA AND BY CAUSING RECURRENT MORTALITY AMONG THE DOMINANT SPECIES [7].
DESPITE THE ECOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF CORAL REEFS, WE HAVE A POOR UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THIS ECOSYSTEM RESPONDS TO HUMAN ACTIVITIES, PARTICULARLY ON A REGIONAL OR GLOBAL SCALE [3].
THE MAIN OBJECT OF THIS STUDY IS TO INVESTIGATE ASALOYE CORAL HEALTH STATUS AND THE IMPACT OF ANTHROPOGENIC ON CORAL REEFS IN COMPARISON WITH NAY BAND BAY CORAL REEFS WHICH ARE LOCATED IN A FARTHER DISTANCE FROM ASALOYE CITY.