scholarly journals The Egyptian exploration of the Red Sea

1940 ◽  
Vol 128 (852) ◽  
pp. 306-316 ◽  

The success achieved by the John Murray Expedition to the Indian Ocean, 1933-4, in the Egyptian research ship Mabahiss aroused the interest of Egypt in oceanographic exploration. When the Mabahiss returned to Alexandria in May 1934, the University at Cairo had under consideration a plan for sending out an expedition to explore the whole area of the Red Sea in 1935-6. Meanwhile, it was thought advisable to send a preliminary expedition, the experience of which might be a useful guide for the 1935-6 expedition, to its nothern regions. This preliminary expedition, which lasted from 18 December 1934 to 20 February 1935, marks the first attempt by modern Egypt to undertake systematic oceanographic research. A note on the topographical and biological results of this expedition has already appeared (Crossland 1936). The object of the present communication is to report some of its hydrographic and chemical results which are believed to have increased our knowledge of the oceanography of the Red Sea.

1978 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 180-193
Author(s):  
Ruth Lapidoth

The strait of Bab al-Mandeb, “the gate of tears” or “the gate of the wailing yard”, joins the high seas of the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean to those of the Red Sea. The name is primarily used by geographers to designate the narrowest part of the passage, between Ras Bab al-Mandeb on the Asian shore and Ras Siyan in Africa. At this point it is bordered on the east by the Yemen Arab Republic (Northern Yemen) and the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (Southern Yemen), and in the west by the Republic of Djibouti (formerly the French Territory of the Afars and Issas). About 14 miles farther north, where the Red Sea (or, for that matter, the strait) is nearly 20 miles wide, lies the coast of Ethiopia (the province of Eritrea). All the riparians claim a territorial sea of 12 miles, and the Yemen Arab Republic, as well as the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen, also claim jurisdiction for certain purposes in an additional zone of 6 miles.On the eastern shore of the strait of Bab al-Mandeb lies the peninsula of Ras Bab al-Mandeb, which is about 6–10 km. wide. It consists of rocky, volcanic plains with several hills of 200–300 m. The coast of Ras Bab al-Mandeb is surrounded by coral reefs of a width of up to 1500 m. The border between North Yemen and South Yemen passes down the middle of Ras Bab al-Mandeb.


Marine Drugs ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isidro José Tamele ◽  
Marisa Silva ◽  
Vitor Vasconcelos

Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is a potent marine neurotoxin with bacterial origin. To date, around 28 analogs of TTX are known, but only 12 were detected in marine organisms, namely TTX, 11-oxoTTX, 11-deoxyTTX, 11-norTTX-6(R)-ol, 11-norTTX-6(S)-ol, 4-epiTTX, 4,9-anhydroTTX, 5,6,11-trideoxyTTX, 4-CysTTX, 5-deoxyTTX, 5,11-dideoxyTTX, and 6,11-dideoxyTTX. TTX and its derivatives are involved in many cases of seafood poisoning in many parts of the world due to their occurrence in different marine species of human consumption such as fish, gastropods, and bivalves. Currently, this neurotoxin group is not monitored in many parts of the world including in the Indian Ocean area, even with reported outbreaks of seafood poisoning involving puffer fish, which is one of the principal TTX vectors know since Egyptian times. Thus, the main objective of this review was to assess the incidence of TTXs in seafood and associated seafood poisonings in the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. Most reported data in this geographical area are associated with seafood poisoning caused by different species of puffer fish through the recognition of TTX poisoning symptoms and not by TTX detection techniques. This scenario shows the need of data regarding TTX prevalence, geographical distribution, and its vectors in this area to better assess human health risk and build effective monitoring programs to protect the health of consumers in Indian Ocean area.


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