Description

Pakistan coast is characterized by the presence of coral reefs, the most highly productive ecosystem in the tropical Oceans, distributed in southeastern part of Arabian Sea. In this book we summarize the knowledge on the coral fauna of Pakistan, herein provided on the basis of published literature and present the summarized current status of coral reef ecosystem in Pakistan. Some progress in corals and coral reef research is also discussed. This monograph is based on "The Corals of Pakistan", historical discovery, research progress of Soft Corals (Octocorallia) and Hard Corals (Hexacorallia or Scleractinia) of Pakistan and provides qualitative data and sophisticated information about the corals of Pakistan. It is noteworthy that the literature published on corals in Pakistan is incomplete and ambiguous as the authorities of species are not mentioned, synonyms are not given and type species are missing. In this monograph we have particularly addressed these issues. The current monograph will provide detailed information and will open new directions in the field of taxonomy and ecology of corals. This research could be used as a reference and a baseline for further studies.