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Location:
27o44ŽN, 34o15ŽE (Gulf of Aqaba)
Area:
480 km2
Type:
Marine Reserve
Year of establishment:
1983
Objective:
Protection of marine and terrestrial wildlife
Management:
The Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA)
Geographical aspects:
Ras Mohammed is the headland at the southern most tip
of the Sinai Peninsula, overlooking the juncture of
the Gulf of Suez and Gulf of Aqaba. The islands of Tiran
and Sanafir are part of the site. Littoral habitats
include a mangrove community, salt marshes, inter-tidal
flats, a diversity of shoreline configurations and coral
reef ecosystems that are internationally recognized
as among the world's best. In addition a diversity of
desert habitats such as mountains and wadis, gravel
plains and sand dunes.
Flora:
Sea-grass beds and mangrove trees.
Fauna:
More than 200 species of corals, where 125 species are
soft corals, around 1000 species of fish, 40 species
of star fish, 25 species of sea urchins, more than a
100 species of mollusc and 150 species of crustaceans.
Ras Mohammed is important as a bottleneck for migratory
soaring birds. The majority of the world populations
of white stork Ciconia ciconia pass through this area.
The islands of Tiran and Sanafir hold important breeding
populations of the threatened and endemic White-eyed
Gull Larus leucophthalamus and Osprey Pandion haliaetus.
The island of Tiran has one of the largest recorded
Osprey populations in the Red Sea. The threatened Green
Turtle Chelonia mydas and Hawksbill Turtle Eretmochelys
imbricata occur off Ras Mohammed regularly. The threatened
mammal species include Dorcas Gazelle Gazella dorcas,
Nubian Ibex Capra ibex nubiana.
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