Macrobenthic community structure in the northern Saudi waters of the Gulf, 14Â years after the 1991 oil spill

► We study the recovery of benthos in the 1991 oil spill affected Saudi coast. ► Recovery took only less than 14 years in the open waters. ► Open waters took lesser recovery time than the sheltered bays in the Saudi coast. ► The opportunistic polychaetes were absent and the amphipods were abundant. ► Distinct communities were appeared as functions of depth and sediment type.