ABSTRACT
This region is dominated by some of the most arid coastlines in the world. There are few permanent rivers (none at all in the Red Sea), and even temporary freshwater influxes are limited to a few days a year in most places. Mangroves typically form in fringing or lagoonal formations, and are often associated with the large alluvial fans at the mouths of intermittent rivers, or wadis, and along narrow tidal creeks or inlets, known as khors (khwars). Although four species are recorded, only Avicennia marina is widespread, typically growing as a shrub or low tree in small stands, often backing on to saltmarsh communities or sand flats, known in the region as sabkhas.
