Mangrove distribution in the Arabian Gulf for the year 2017

Mangroves are the natural protectors of the coast, carbon sinks, and a nursery to many terrestrial as well as aquatic organisms. Different effects caused by natural forces together with anthropogenic factors have reduced mangrove cover on a global scale, yet little is known about the overall surface covered by mangroves in the Arabian Gulf. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine their spatial coverage and distribution along the Gulf coastlines, using 25 satellite imagery recently acquired from Landsat 8 data for the year 2017. This study found about 165 km**2 of fragmented scattered mangroves, mostly intense in the United Arab Emirates, where plantation projects have likely played a significant role in increasing their cover over the years. Whereas mangrove in Kuwait is rare, areas like Bahrain, Qatar and Saudi Arabia remained stable with a slight increase. However, mangroves in Iran appear to suffer a decline throughout the years.红树林是海岸的天然防护屏障、碳汇，同时也是众多陆生与水生生物的繁育生境。自然作用力与人为活动共同引发的各类负面影响，已在全球范围内缩减了红树林的覆盖面积，但目前学界对阿拉伯湾（Arabian Gulf）区域的红树林总覆盖面积仍知之甚少。因此，本研究旨在借助2017年获取的25景陆地卫星8号（Landsat 8）卫星影像，探究该海湾沿岸红树林的空间覆盖范围与分布格局。本研究探明该区域现存约165平方千米的零散分布红树林斑块，其中以阿拉伯联合酋长国（United Arab Emirates）的分布最为集中，该国多年来实施的人工造林项目或对红树林面积扩张起到了关键推动作用。相较而言，科威特（Kuwait）境内的红树林极为稀少，而巴林（Bahrain）、卡塔尔（Qatar）与沙特阿拉伯（Saudi Arabia）等区域的红树林覆盖则保持稳定并略有增长。但伊朗（Iran）境内的红树林则呈现出逐年衰退的态势。