Joint NAM S&T Centre - ZMT Bremen Fellowship, 2008
in Tropical Coastal Marine Ecology and Biogeochemistry

Project Completion Report of Dr. Ehsan Kamrani, Iran
 

Dr. Ehsan Kamrani from the Department of Fisheries and Marine Biology of the University of Hormozgan, Iran was affiliated with the Leibniz Centre for Marine Ecology (ZMT), Bremen, Germany from 14^th January to15^th March 2010 under the Joint NAM S&T Centre ZMT Bremen Fellowship in Tropical Coastal Marine Ecology and Biogeochemistry. The principal objectives of the visit were to introduce biodiversity of mangrove and coral reef ecosystems in the Northern Persian Gulf and Oman Sea (Iranian Waters) through presentation and research papers and to explore possibilities of future cooperation in research and in other areas such as teaching and capacity building.
 

Dr. Kamrani worked on 'Mangrove Creek Ecology with Emphasis on Biodiversity Management in Coastal Waters of Hormozgan Province in the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea, Iran'. His work mainly involved data analysis of Phytoplankton, Macrobenthos and Fishes in Mangrove Creek in Coastal Waters of Sirik in the East of Hormuzgan province of Iran under the supervision of Dr. Inga Nordhaus, ZMT and population dynamic data analysis of two fiddler crabs, Uca iranica and Uca sindensis in mangrove planted area in Qeshm Island in the Persian Gulf, with Dr. Inga Nordhaus and Dr. Karen Diele.

Since the Qeshm and Sirik mangroves are the most extensive mangroves of the Persian Gulf, also probably the most productive and diverse in the region, and are potentially under threat from development in the region, they require intensive and detailed study. Meanwhile, there are coral reef Islands like Kish, Larak and Hengam in the Persian Gulf that need more research to introduce them as MPAs and protect them from threatened agents. This visit enabled discussion on various possibilities for academic and research collaboration. Universities in the south of Iran like University of Hormozgan have collected considerable data on various aspects of the Qeshm island mangroves, Coral reef Islands and their fauna. Since the visit, two joint papers have been produced which will be submitted in international journal in the near future and also further publications are expected, and further research would follow.

During his Fellowship period Dr. Kamrani got opportunities to meet researchers from different groups in ZMT including those working on Mangrove, Coral reef, Socio-economy and Fisheries Biology, meet Dr. Wannakiat Thubthimsang, Director and Dr. Wijarn Meepol, Technical Forest Officer of Phuket Marine Biological Centre and exchange notes on Mangrove Ecosystem. He also met the Professors and postgraduate students from Argentina, Brazil and Indonesia and paid visit to the Maritime Museum in Bremerhaven.