Djibouti : diversity of corals in the Gulf of Aden

The Seven Brothers Islands or Sawabi Islands are small islands in the Gulf of Aden. They are located in the territory of Djibouti, in the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. The group has only six islands: the East Island (Ounda Komaytou), the South Island (Horod le `Ale), the Big Island (Kadda Dâbali), the Low Island (Tolka), the Double Island (Ounda Dâbali) and the West Island (Hamra). The “seventh brother” is the Ras Siyan peninsula which connects to the coast.

The Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, literally the “Wailing Gate”, 29 km wide and 130 m deep, is a tumultuous area. A two-layer counter-current system predominates: surface water flows into the Red Sea, while hypersaline water drains below. The Gulf of Aden is home to several types of corals, which can be classified into two broad categories: hard corals and soft corals. Hard corals (Scleractinia):

These are the corals that form reefs. They have a calcareous skeleton and are essential for building coral reefs. Species found in the Gulf of Aden include genera such as Acropora, Porites, and Pocillopora.

Soft corals: Unlike hard corals, soft corals do not have a rigid skeleton. They are often more flexible and can move with the currents.Examples include the genera Alcyonium and Sarcophyton.

These corals play a vital role in the marine ecosystem, providing habitats for many species of fish and other marine organisms. The diversity of corals in the Gulf of Aden contributes to the richness of marine life in this region.