Taxon name
Halophila ovalis
(R.Br.) Hook.f.
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Halophila ovalis
(R.Br.) Hook.f.
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Plants
Flowering Plants
Species authority
(R.Br.) Hook.f.
Taxonomic notes and synonyms listed
This a member of the Halophila ovalis complex, which is under taxonomic review. Historically, other species currently considered to be in this complex may have been labelled as H. ovalis.
Location and scope
Specific locality or subnational name or regional name
United Arab Emirates (the)
Scope (of the Assessment)
National
Countries included within the scope of the assessment
United Arab Emirates (the)
Does the assessment cover a marine EEZ area(s)?
Not_assigned
Conservation Status
Assessed as
Near Threatened
Qualifying criteria (if given)
B2ab(iii)
Criteria system used
IUCN
(see Assessment details)
Assessment rationale/justification
This seagrass species can be found along the coastlines of Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The estimated AOO is around 3,000 km<sup>2</sup> and it is considered to occur at more than ten threat-based locations. Halophila ovalis is experiencing a continuing decline in the extent and quality of its habitat due to multiple threats, such as dredging of coastlines for artificial island creation, oil related activities, pollution and climate change. Therefore, this species is assessed as Near Threatened.
Assessment details
Assessors/contributors/reviewers listed
UAE National Red List Workshop
Criteria system used
IUCN
Reference for methods given
IUCN. 2012. IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria: Version 3.1, Second edition. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. iv + 32pp pp. And IUCN. 2012. Guidelines for Application of IUCN Red List Criteria at Regional and National Levels: Version 4.0. Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK: IUCN. iii + 41pp.
Further information
Endemism (according to assessment)
Endemic to region
Not assigned
Taxon distribution as listed in assessment
Within the UAE, the species is known to occur in Abu Dhabi Emirate (Phillips et al. 2002) in addition to Dubai. The AOO of this species is estimated to be around 3,000 km<sup>2</sup> (H.S. Das pers. comm. 2019). The number of threat-based locations is estimated to be greater than ten, due to the multiple patches of seagrass found along the UAE coastline. The native range of this species spans from the Red Sea area to Madagascar and on to the Pacific (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Habitat and systems
Ecological system type
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
This plant is a species of seagrass (Phillips et al. 2002). It can grow at depths of up to 14 m (H.S. Das pers. comm. 2019).
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
This species is particularly susceptible to coastal development but can recover quickly if disturbance ceases and conditions improve. It can also be affected by siltation and sedimentation (Short et al. 2010, Erftemeijer and Shuail 2012). In the UAE, the species is impacted by coastal dredging and land reclamation and development, fish trawling activities, oil spills and oil pollution, oil extraction developments, coastal water eutrophication and salinisation (from water desalination plants), siltation, and other forms of pollution (Erftemeijer and Shuail 2012). Given its shallow water habitat, this species may also be threatened by climate change and the associated increase in storm activity, water temperature, and/or sea-level rise (Short et al. 2010).
History
Coastal development within the UAE has been increasing in frequency and intensity since 1996, reducing the extent and quality of available habitat for this species.
Publication
Allen, D.J., Westrip, J.R.S., Puttick, A., Harding, K.A., Hilton-Taylor, C. and Ali, H. 2021. UAE National Red List of Vascular Plants. Technical Report. Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, United Arab Emirates, Dubai.
