 Abd al Kuri has a number of endemic plant species and an endemic bird, the Abd al-Kuri sparrow with estimated population of fewer than 1,000.Two species of lizards which are native to Abd al Kuri, "Mesalina kuri" and "Pristurus abdelkuri", are named for the island.On 1 July 2006, the Somali seafaring vessel "Mariam IV" sank off the coast of Abd al Kuri.