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Group Vision
We envision a conserved and stable mangrove ecosystem with no influence of anthropogenic activities to give way to biodiversity that sustains humanity. To help achieve this, we strive to:
Understand ecological responses to anthropogenic activities and other environmental changes.
Develop strategies to help people and ecosystems reverse or adapt to these changes.
Engage in steady dialog with the public or stakeholders to implement such strategies.
Put in place sustainable management and conservation of Red Sea’s mangrove ecosystems for the benefit of all.
Mission of the proposed research group
A detailed understanding in variation of mangrove productivity, nutrient dynamics and stress caused by different drivers such as metal pollution and extreme physicochemical parameters such
as salinity and temperature is important to several fields of research in environmental sciences. Therefore, our mission is to develop and deploy cutting-edge science to understand the changes
in the pristine nature of mangrove ecosystems in the Red Sea, Saudi Arabia and engage diverse stakeholders in a conversation about solutions or conservation strategies to changes in this
unique ecosystem.
General Objectives
To determine
Oxidative stress in Avicennia marina in a different mangrove ecosystem in the Red Sea, Saudi Arabia based on a Multi-Approach Study
Sediment trace element contamination and bioavailability in mangrove Avicennia marina in Red Sea, Saudi Arabia
Rare earth elements Fractionation and distribution in mangrove ecosystems in Red Sea, Saudi Arabia
Specific Objectives
To determine
Mangrove productivity and variation in mean δ13C and δ15N, %OC, TN and TP in sediment and Avicenna marina across six mangrove ecosystems in the central Red Sea.
The relationship between nutrients in sediments and A. marina, sediment grain sizes, physicochemical parameters, and antioxidant enzyme activities.
Variation in mean trace and rare earth element concentrations in sediments and A. marina across six mangrove ecosystems in the central Red Sea.
The relationship between trace elements concentrations in sediment and A. marina, sediment grain sizes, and antioxidant enzyme activities.
Comparisons between trace elements concentrations in sediments and sediment quality guidelines
The relationship between rare earth elements (REE) concentrations in sediment and A. marina, and sediment grain sizes.
Fractionation and normalized concentrations of REE across the six mangrove ecosystems in central Red Sea.
Variation in some pollution indices (Igeo, EF, and CF) across the six mangrove ecosystems in the central Red Sea.
Suggested Research by the group
Comprehensive evaluation of Mangrove status in Saudi Arabia.
Environmental assessment of mangrove’s ecosystem, biology, and ecology.
Studying the red list species on mangroves such as Rhizophora mucronata
Genetic variation between mangrove species at different geographical areas.
The Importance of the Work of Proposed Research Group to the University and the Society
The group will serve as a source point of information on the impact of anthropogenic activities on the unique mangrove ecosystem and its resources in Saudi Arabia.
Supporting policies and actions to alleviate mangrove ecosystem pollution and its effect on environmental health.
This group could serve as the only source of information on rare earth elements in mangroves in the central Red Sea, Saudi Arabia
Important results for constructing a nutrient budget, especially the carbon budget of mangrove ecosystems, will be provided.
The group will make easy detailed understanding in variation of mangrove δ13C and δ15N and pollution within and between different sites of the Red Sea’s mangrove ecosystem. This is important to several fields of research in environmental sciences
The Expected Outcome
Unquestionably, one of the expected outcomes from this research group is on availability of key nutrients such as nitrogen, carbon, and phosphorus and how they are linked to major factors that
may affect mangrove plant composition across the ecosystem under study. In addition, baseline details of the nutrient dynamics in the mangrove ecosystem and their fluctuations in spatial
heterogeneity sources will be established. However, this is because the nutrients in mangrove plants and sediment are important indicators of mangrove productivity.
Ecological risk assessment using the concentrations of trace elements in the measurement of various pollution indices can provide information on the extent of bioavailability of metals and
their influence on the natural state of the mangrove ecosystem. Through this, valuable information on the spatial variation in heavy metal concentrations across the different mangroves in the
Red Sea, Saudi Arabia, will be provided by this research group. In addition, the provision of a monitoring framework for contaminants such as metals in the central Red Sea can be supported
with reports from this research group.
Another important outcome from this research group will be the provision of reports from the first quantitative investigation of a complete set of rare earth elements in sediment and mangrove
A. marina in the Red Sea mangrove ecosystem. The values of rare earth elements that will be reported from this research group can be used as background values for further investigation and
designing environmental monitoring studies of these important ecosystems.
Contact with the Group
Prof. Mohammed O. Aljahdali
moaljahdali@kau.edu.sa
+966503683106
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