Editing Red Sea (section)

== Ecosystem ==
[[File:Hawksbill turtle at Elphinstone Reef, Red Sea, Egypt (35150034493).jpg|thumb|[[Hawksbill sea turtle]] in the [[Elphinstone Reef]]]]
[[File:Nudibranch egg ribbon at Shaab Mahmoud.JPG|thumb|upright|Nudibranch egg ribbon at Shaab Mahmoud]]

The Red Sea is a rich and diverse ecosystem. For example, more than 1200 fish species have been recorded in the Red Sea,<ref name="fishbase">{{Cite web |last1=Froese |first1=Rainer |last2=Pauly, Daniel |year=2009 |title=FishBase |url=http://www.fishbase.org/TrophicEco/FishEcoList.php?ve_code=5 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201217070339/http://www.fishbase.org/TrophicEco/FishEcoList.php?ve_code=5 |archive-date=17 December 2020 |access-date=12 March 2009}}</ref> of which 10% are endemic, found nowhere else.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Siliotti |first=A. |title=Fishes of the red sea |year=2002 |publisher=Geodia Edizioni Internazionali |isbn=978-88-87177-42-8 |editor-last=Verona, Geodia}}</ref>

Since the opening of the Suez Canal in November 1869, over a thousand marine species from the Red Sea—from plankton, seaweeds, invertebrates to fishes—have migrated northward and settled in the [[Mediterranean Sea]]. To the point that a number of them now form a significant component of the Mediterranean ecosystem. The resulting change in biodiversity, without precedent in human memory, is currently accelerating, in particular for fishes according to surveys engaged by the [[Mediterranean Science Commission]].<ref>Atlas of Exotic Fishes in the Mediterranean Sea. 2nd Edition. 2021. (F. Briand Ed.) CIESM Publishers, Paris, Monaco 366 p.[https://ciesm.org/catalog/index.php?article=2021]</ref>

[[File:Red sea coral reef.jpg|thumb|Red Sea coral and marine fish]]

The rich diversity of the Red Sea is in part due to the {{cvt|2000|km|mi|-1}} of [[coral reef]] extending along its coastline; these fringing reefs are 5000–7000 years old and are largely formed of stony [[acropora]] and [[porites]] corals. The reefs form platforms and sometimes lagoons along the coast and occasional other features such as cylinders (such as the [[Blue Hole (Red Sea)]] at [[Dahab]]).

The Red Sea also hosts many offshore reefs, including several true atolls. Many of the unusual offshore reef formations defy classic (i.e., Darwinian) coral reef classification schemes, and are generally attributed to the high levels of tectonic activity that characterize the area. Both offshore and coastal reefs are visited by pelagic species of fish, including many of the 44 recorded species of shark, and by many species (over 175) of [[nudibranch]], many of which are endemic to the Red Sea.<ref name="SAW Yonow">{{Cite magazine |last=Yonow |first=Nathalie |year=2012 |title=Nature's Best-Dressed |url=http://archive.aramcoworld.com/issue/201204/nature.s.best-dressed.htm |url-status=live |magazine=Saudi Aramco World |publisher=Aramco Services Company |volume=63 |pages=2–9 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181220045032/http://archive.aramcoworld.com/issue/201204/nature.s.best-dressed.htm |archive-date=20 December 2018 |access-date=11 December 2018 |number=4}}</ref> Other coastal Red Sea habitats include [[sea grass]] beds, [[Dry lake|salt pans]], [[mangroves|mangrove]] and [[salt marshes|salt marsh]]. Furthermore, the deep Red Sea [[brine pools]] have been extensively studied with regard to their microbial life, characterized by its diversity and adaptation to extreme environments.

The high marine biodiversity of the area is recognized by the Egyptian government, which set up the [[Ras Mohammed|Ras Mohammed National Park]] in 1983. The rules and regulations governing this area protect local marine life, which has become a major draw for diving enthusiasts who should be aware that although most Red Sea species are innocuous, a few are hazardous to humans.<ref name="Lieske-1">{{Cite book |last1=Lieske |first1=Ewald |title=Coral reef guide: Red Sea to Gulf of Aden, South Oman |last2=Myers |first2=Robert F. |last3=Fiedler |first3=Klaus E. |publisher=Collins |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-00-715986-4 |location=London}}</ref>{{Page needed|date=June 2023}}