The knowledge status and prospects for Dionflagellates in The Persian Gulf

The Persian Gulf is an actively de veloping region of the World Ocean. At prese nt, Gulf ecosystems is under severe humanimpact. It is primarily caused by an increase in the extraction and transportation of oil and other goods by sea. Secondly, it is a result of th e active development of coastal areas. All of the above mentioned factors have a significant impa ct on the biological diversity of the Persian Gul f, in general, and Dinofalgellates, in particular, and cause significant changes in the ecosystem o f the Gulf, up to the red tides . Dinofalgellates is a permanent and oft en leading component of the plankton and benthos of the Persian Gulf. The study of biodiversity and ecology of Dinoflagellates in the Gulf wa ters was started relatively recently (the second half of the 20th century). The author’s investigations were conducted in the Strait of Hormuz from 2014 to 2018. (ZareiDarki andKrakhmaln yi, 2017; Krakhmalnyi and ZareiDarki, 2018). In total, 328 species of Dinoflagellates belonging to the class of Dinophyceae, 12 orders, 36 families, 77 genera (34 genera repres ented by only one species) were found in plankton and benthos of the Persian Gulf over the e ntire period of research. The orders of Gonyaulac ales (105 species) and Peridiniales (95), as well as Gymnodiniales (41), Dinophysiales (40) and Prorocentrales (24) are the most div erse on species. The families of Protoperidiniac eae (72), Ceratiaceae (51), Dinophysiaceae (34) and Prorocentraceae (24) are characterized by th e largest number of species. The genera of Protoperidinium (59), Ceratium (51), Prorocentrum (24), Gonyaulax (15) and Dinophysis (15) show the high diversity. It should be no ted that cosmopolitans hold the dominant position in the Persian Gulf (more than 80% of the total number of species).Protoperidiniumd epressum, P. divergens, P. murrayi, P. oblon gum, P. oceanicum, P. steinii, Ceratiumfurca, C. tripos, Dinophysiscaudata, Noctilucascintillan shave the high frequency. In our opinion, the Gulf Dinoflagell ates is not well investigated. If the natural conditions of the Persian Gulf are taken into ac count, it can be assumed that the number of species inhabiting the Gulf should be much higher than, for example, in the Black Sea (at p resent, it is known 420 species). The greatest discrepancies are observed in the genera which can only be revealed in the living state such as Amphidinium (12 and 21), Gymnodinium (8 and 58) and Gyrodinium (3 and 31 species, r espectively).

The Persian Gulf is an actively de veloping region of the World Ocean. At prese nt, Gulf ecosystems is under severe humanimpact. It is primarily caused by an increase in the extraction and transportation of oil and other goods by sea. Secondly, it is a result of th e active development of coastal areas. All of the above mentioned factors have a significant impa ct on the biological diversity of the Persian Gul f, in general, and Dinofalgellates, in particular, and cause significant changes in the ecosystem o f the Gulf, up to the red tides . Dinofalgellates is a permanent and oft en leading component of the plankton and benthos of the Persian Gulf. The study of biodiversity and ecology of Dinoflagellates in the Gulf wa ters was started relatively recently (the second half of the 20th century). The author’s investigations were conducted in the Strait of Hormuz from 2014 to 2018. (ZareiDarki andKrakhmaln yi, 2017; Krakhmalnyi and ZareiDarki, 2018). In total, 328 species of Dinoflagellates belonging to the class of Dinophyceae, 12 orders, 36 families, 77 genera (34 genera repres ented by only one species) were found in plankton and benthos of the Persian Gulf over the e ntire period of research. The orders of Gonyaulac ales (105 species) and Peridiniales (95), as well as Gymnodiniales (41), Dinophysiales (40) and Prorocentrales (24) are the most div erse on species. The families of Protoperidiniac eae (72), Ceratiaceae (51), Dinophysiaceae (34) and Prorocentraceae (24) are characterized by th e largest number of species. The genera of Protoperidinium (59), Ceratium (51), Prorocentrum (24), Gonyaulax (15) and Dinophysis (15) show the high diversity. It should be no ted that cosmopolitans hold the dominant position in the Persian Gulf (more than 80% of the total number of species).Protoperidiniumd epressum, P. divergens, P. murrayi, P. oblon gum, P. oceanicum, P. steinii, Ceratiumfurca, C. tripos, Dinophysiscaudata, Noctilucascintillan shave the high frequency. In our opinion, the Gulf Dinoflagell ates is not well investigated. If the natural conditions of the Persian Gulf are taken into ac count, it can be assumed that the number of species inhabiting the Gulf should be much higher than, for example, in the Black Sea (at p resent, it is known 420 species). The greatest discrepancies are observed in the genera which can only be revealed in the living state such as Amphidinium (12 and 21), Gymnodinium (8 and 58) and Gyrodinium (3 and 31 species, r espectively).