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 relation ships between the sediment, chemical, biological, spatial and temporal variables. The quantitative analysis showed that the sediment type wa s the paramount factor influencing the distribution and composition of the intertidal benthic fauna. The muddy, sandy and rocky shores suppo rt three distinct faunal communities. The seasonal variation in the be nthic fauna community was not statistically significant but variation in biological data due to differences in transect location and tidal l evel were significant. This spatial variation has been attributed to d ifferences in sediment and substrate types. The physicochemical parame ters were found to correlate positively with the mud content of the se diments but were unimportant in the overall composition of the interti dal fauna. This paper complements the results reported in Al Bakri et al. (1997-Part I) in establishing a valuable benchmark for assessing e nvironmental impacts and for developing sustainable coastal zone manag ement in Kuwait. The integrated approach outlined here could be adopte d to develop a sound basis for the protection and management of coasta l environments and resources in similar areas. (C) 1997 Academic Press Limited.