Hanaa H. Mohammed, H. Ahmed, Najah A. Hussain
The Iraqi marine waters, as part of the far Northwest Persian/Arabian Gulf, are characterized by unique environmental conditions. This region recently witnessed the discovery of coral reefs, which were previously considered unsuitable for coral growth due to high turbidity, making them undetectable by satellites. The present study aimed to document the species of Scleractinia corals in a Palinurus Rock area (28 km2) in an unexplored area of the northwest Gulf, is an important scientific addition to the National Biodiversity Register, providing essential data for understanding species distribution and their ability to adapt to harsh environmental conditions, and it completes the picture of coral diversity in the region. Coral species were identified by bleaching small pieces of skeleton in the laboratory. This study has identified 10 coral species belonging to 5 families: Dendrophyllidae, Merulinidae, Psammocoridae, Rhizangiidae and Caryophylliidae and 8 genera were identified for the first time. However, the recent exploration missions carried out in this study have revealed healthy coral populations. The families included stress-resistant genera such as Dipsastraea, Favites, Duncanopsammia, and Paracyathus. These colonies have demonstrated high temperatures (18.54 – 34.44°C) and very high turbidity (11.5-40.7 mg/l). Despite the destruction of coral reefs worldwide. Although the number of coral colonies in Iraqi marine waters is limited, they provide valuable insights into coral adaptation and resilience and may serve as natural refuges in the face of global climate change.