Quantitative assessment of the intertidal environment of Kuwait II: Controlling factors

Multivariate analysis of variance, canonical correlation and canonical discriminate analysis were performed on environmental data collected from the Kuwaiti intertidal zone to determine the statistical relationships between the sediment, chemical, biological, spatial and temporal variables. The quantitative analysis showed that the sediment type was the paramount factor influencing the distribution and composition of the intertidal benthic fauna. The muddy, sandy and rocky shores support three distinct faunal communities. The seasonal variation in the benthic fauna community was not statistically significant but variation in biological data due to differences in transect location and tidal level were significant. This spatial variation has been attributed to differences in sediment and substrate types. The physicochemical parameters were found to correlate positively with the mud content of the sediments but were unimportant in the overall composition of the intertidal fauna. This paper complements the results reported in Al Bakri et al. (1997-Part I) in establishing a valuable benchmark for assessing environmental impacts and for developing sustainable coastal zone management in Kuwait. The integrated approach outlined here could be adopted to develop a sound basis for the protection and management of coastal environments and resources in similar areas. (C) 1997 Academic Press Limited.