Thermal Tolerance Limits of Benthic Foraminifera in the Arabian Gulf

The popular press has recently reported that the Arabian Gulf may become too hot to support animal life. This speculation is based on results of a climate modeling study that reports the hottest temperatures in the Arabian Gulf are likely to be seen in the area between Doha (Qatar) and Dhahran (Saudi Arabia) in the decades to come. The area of our proposed field work exactly coincides with the areas deemed most sensitive to climate change by the climate modellers. In this study, we aim to determine the temperature limits of benthic foraminifera both in the laboratory and in the field. In particular, we propose to (1) determine the lethal temperature limits for the common benthic foraminiferal species by exposing them to elevated temperatures in culture experiment, (2) establish multi-year sea surface temperature records in the study area that can serve as a baseline, and (3) determine the temporal and lateral extent of intertidal kill zones that we have recently discovered at coastal locations in the Arabian Gulf. Here we essentially evaluate whether or not the coastal areas of the Arabian Gulf have already been experienced conditions that are too hot (at least in some in places) to sustain animal life.