TAXONOMY, DISTRIBUTION, AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS OF BENTHIC MARINE OSTRACODS, ALONG THE RED SEA COAST OF EGYPT

Bottom sediment samples were collected from two sites located at the Red Sea coast of Egypt namely, Ras Gharib and Quseir. The samples were treated for their ostracods content. Identification, taxonomy, distribution, ecology, zoogeographical, and environmental aspects were carried out on the assemblage of the Ostracoda. Twenty-three ostracod species belonging to 20 genera, and 12 families were identified. The percentages of the most common ostracods are Quadracythere (19.35% and 17.83%), Xestolebris (10.42% and 7.4%), Loxocorniculum (17.37% and 14.42%), Ghardaglaia (4.22% and 17.91%), and Moosella (10.17% and 9.45%) for Ras Gharib and Quseir sites, respectively. Most of the observed fauna are Indo-Pacific. From the environmental geochemical point of view, the Quseir area is characterized by sediments that are more enriched in some heavy metals, compared to the average shallow marine sediment contents. Ras Gharib site has, relatively, less heavy metal contents with coarser-grained sediments. Based on the Canonical Correspondences Analysis (CCA), pollution-tolerant species were observed in the contaminated stations such as Ghardaglaia triebeli, Alocopocythere reticulata, Moosella striata, and Hiltermannicythere rubrimaris, which can act as survivors. On the other hand, pollution-sensitive taxa such as Jugosocythereis borchersi, Loxocorniculum ghardaqensis, and Xestolebris ghardaqae, are characterizing the Ras Gharib area. Careful consideration should be maintained before long to conserve the Red Sea ecoand geosystems.