Whales, the earth’s largest marine mammals, have had more than their share of ecological problems in all parts of the world’s seas and oceans. One of their biggest risks is noise in marine habitats caused by drilling for oil and gas. 

Who’s at risk? Those in unlikely marine habitats such as the Eastern Mediterranean, where a rare grey whale was sighted.

A previously unknown sub-species of humpback whale, named Arabian Whale, was also found swimming in waters off Oman. Sites of regular oil drilling.

Whales communicate and find their way by emitting sounds to one another as well as off marine objects such as reefs. Studies made by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) found that migrating  Western Grey Whales are greatly disturbed by underwater intense  seismic sounds produced by oil and gas exploration companies in areas where they  often frequent; such as near Sakhalin Island, north of Japan.

The seismic surveys conducted by these oil and gas exploration companies involve using intense underwater sound blasts when searching for subterranean oil and gas deposits.

The intense sounds affect the whales, which rely on sound for communication, navigation and foraging for food.

Exposure to loud noise from seismic surveys can result in stress and behavior changes,  which affect foraging and nursing calves. The intense noise can also cause direct physical damage to the animals themselves. The company carrying out the surveys, Energy Investment Company Ltd, claims that the surveys are carried out in a manner that  “has not revealed significant impact on the whales”.

Migrating whales are often seen swimming together with other marine mammals like dolphins.

Other whale species, such as Pilot Whales, have been involved in numerous incidents involving being stranded on beaches.

The most recent incident occurred off Ft. Myers Florida January 21. Marine biologists believe that Pilot Whale beachings may be the result of the animal’s communication and direction finding senses being “confused” by various factors; including marine pollution and possibly by conflicting undersea noises as well.

The IUCN study was published in the Journal of Aquatic Mammals; and based its research on the migration routes and prime feeding grounds of the Western Grey Whale species.

The survey co-author, Dr Greg Donovan, is Chairman of the Western Grey Whale Advisory Panel (WGWAP) Seismic Survey and Noise Task Force. He is also Head of Science at the International Whaling Commission. To reduce the chance of seismic soundings disturbing the whales, he recommends that: “In the Sakhalin case it is advisable to conduct the surveys as soon as the winter ice has melted but most of the whales have not yet arrived.”

More articles about whales and other marine mammals in the Mediterranean and Middle East:

New Arabian Humpback Whale Species Located in Oman

Iron-rich Whale Poop Essential in Middle Eastern Marine Habitats

Is Willie the Grey Whale Lost of Looking for Club Med?

Image via WWF

The post Why oil and gas companies should buy whales hearing aids appeared first on Green Prophet.

Why have dolphins and other types of marine life almost disappeared from Israel’s shores? And why are projects such as deep water energy drilling and desalination threatening to make the eastern Mediterranean an area increasingly devoid of most marine life?
The answer appears obvious, as well as foreboding, in a recent comprehensive report on the state of the marine environment in Israel’s section of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.

The report, written by Aviad Scheinin, a researcher for the National Program for Ecosystem Assessment,  was prepared in cooperation with the Environmental Ministry and the Jewish National Fund, responsible for many reforestation and other nature projects in Israel.

The findings of the reported published by Haaretz, covered a range of human sponsored activities that included over-development of the country’s Mediterranean coastline, over fishing by both commercial and sports fishermen, undersea energy exploration and extraction; and the dramatic increase of desalination activity.

Within the framework of the report, marine environmental damage caused by these factors were analyzed according to the scope of the activities and the resulting environmental damage caused. Each human caused activity was found to result in significant damage to both the undersea environment as well as to the coastline itself.

While some projects were said to have been  done  for the good of the coastal environment, such as building breakwaters to prevent further erosion of coastal cliffs, building these structures will prevent natural accumulation of sand and also be detrimental to marine life such as sea turtles, says Scheinin.

Desalination, which has sometimes been referred to a “a necessary evil” , comes from an increasing need for fresh water supplies.  The damage it does to aquatic marine life is enormous, however; often resulting in the disappearance of entire marine species.

“In light of forecasts that 750 million cubic meters of seawater will be desalinized by the end of the decade, and given the relative crowding of facilities, it would be fair to assume that it will become impossible to avoid the environmental ramifications of this activity,” the report states.

Over fishing, especially by use of what are known as “drag nets” is depleting fish from the eastern Mediterranean at an alarming rate as well.  Even sport fishing was not given given a very good write up in the report as certain fish species, like grouper, are being fast depleted by divers using spear guns.

Over all, the future the Mediterranean along Israel’s coastline does not look very promising. The report ends by stating that the only improvement found was the reduction of raw sewage being allowed to flow directly into the sea; as in contrast perhaps to neighboring countries like Lebanon.

With only 0.25 percent of Israel’s coastal waters protected by nature reserves, a lot more needs to be done to protect the Mediterranean and its marine life before it is too late to do so.

Read more on environmental issues threatening the Eastern Mediterranean:
Why Dolphins Have Disappeared from Israel’s Shores
Noble Energy May be Pushing its Luck by Drilling for deep Oil in the Med
Lebanon: Green Peace Investigation Reveals toxic Coast Pollution
Scales, Impingmen and Entrainment; Know Desalination’s Negative Side

The post Israel’s Mediterranean Seacoast Severely Threatened by People appeared first on Green Prophet.

Campaigners in Lebanon are asking for support to protect an ancient Phoenician coastline which is under threat due to a port project

Lebanese environment campaigners are calling on nature lovers far and wide to help them protect an important piece of their natural heritage along the Mediterranean Sea. It seems that a beautiful part of the Southern coastline, the Naqura cliffs and beach, which is home to turtles is the site of a possible petroleum port development project. In an online petition they are calling on the government to declare the coastal area in south of Lebanon that stretches from the Naqura Cliffs to the Tyre Reserve a nationally protected area.

“Endangered species of turtles have been coming from all around the Mediterranean for thousands of years to lay their eggs and reproduce on these beaches [Mansouri beach and Kolaila beach],” explains campaigners.

According to the campaign material, the Lebanese coast is not more than a mere 210km long. Many parts of the coast are polluted and/or affected by illegal constructions. Less than 5 % of the coast remains clean and untouched. As such protecting this section currently under threat is of extreme importance as it is one of the last remaining natural spots on the historic ancient Phoenician coast.

The ancient Phoenician coast with its unique rock formation at the Naqura Cliffs is being endangered by a port project. A project campaigners are calling absurd and destructive.

You can help support the campaign by following developments here and also signing this petition. So far, over 7000 people have signed the petition bringing them pretty close to their 10,000 target.

For more on environmental issues in Lebanon see: 

Lebanon Joins CITES: Can We Stop Killing Everything Now?

Vertical Gardens Green Lebanese Restaurant

World’s Oldest Living Olive Trees in Lebanon

Live Art and Polemical Politics on the Lebanese Coast

The post Sign to Save Lebanon’s Turtles! Ancient Naqura Coast on Mediterranean Sea At Risk appeared first on Green Prophet.

The Mediterranean Sea basin, especially that bordered by Greece, Turkey, Lebanon and Israel will soon have a new Marine Center that will help to reveal some of the secrets   of this ancient and historical body of water. This includes the ancient seaport of Ceasarea, which was built and made famous during the reign of King Herod the Great and was partially destroyed by earthquakes and subsequent tsunami  tidal waves such as those  caused by mega volcano eruptions in Greece, Crete and Turkey more than 3,000 years ago.

Much historical romanticism surrounds the destruction of the ancient city state of Atlantis; the exact location of which has been said to have been anywhere from islands in the Mediterranean, to an actual continent  in either the Atlantic or Indian Oceans.

The mention of Atlantis was written by the Greek poet and historian Homer, who placed the location of Atlantis as being in the present day Greek island of Santorini, which is actually a large and presently dormant  “super volcano”.

Santorini is located about 120 km north of Crete, another island whose ancient Minoan culture was said to have been destroyed in the 15th century BCE by a massive volcanic eruption on Santorini, then known as Thera. Santorini’s main town is also named Thera; perhaps out of reverence to what was once a major part of the Minoan Empire.

Whether Atlantis ever existed is still shrouded in mystery and has been the topic for several Hollywood films. What is undeniable fact, however, is the demise of the Crete based Minoan civilization, attributed at least in part by the massive volcanic eruption on Santorini. Recent studies of the Santorini volcano indicate that substantial sub-terrain seismic activity is now occurring there; with a large build-up of magma, a mixture of  molten lava and semi-molten rock that has pushed the undersea volcano and island up at least 14 cm (5.5 inches) in the past one and a half years.

The volcano, which has been inactive for the past 25 years, had its last significant eruption in 1950. Area earthquakes, including a serious one in 1956, have been attributed to movement of magma and other volcanic material under the earth. The circular bay between Santorini’s two major islands is actually the Chaldera or submerged cone of the volcano itself.

The Santorini volcano is not the only major volcano to be found in the Mediterranean basin. Italy has three major volcanoes: Vesuvious ( near Naples and the site of the fatal eruption in Roman times that covered up the cities of Herculaneum and Pompei  in 79 CE;  Mt. Etna in Sicily,  still the scene of frequent eruptions. Last, but certainly not least, is the massive Ila Stromboli underwater volcano off southern Italy. This less publicized volcano has erupted continuously for the past 2,000 years.

So much for historical elements. While not that much media attention has so far been given to the current magma build up under the currently sleeping Santorini volcano, a significant eruption complete with earthquakes and huge evictions of volcanic ash and lava would be disastrous for countries in the region.

This especially pertains to Greece, Turkey, Croatia and Montenegro, Cyprus, France, Italy; and also for countries further away. Some of these include Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and all North African countries, including Egypt. Aircraft would not be able to fly in and out of regional airports; and earthquakes caused by the volcano’s eruption could cause serious tsunami tidal waves that haven’t been seen in this region since ancient times.

One might well imagine the effect of 10 to 15 meter high tidal waves on coastal cities like Beirut, Haifa, Tel Aviv and Alexandria. Ancient cities such as Caesarea, Tripoli and Alexandria have all been struck by such waves during their long histories. Such waves, along with the affects of volcanic ash (which blocked out the sun for long periods of time) contributed greatly to the fall of civilizations such as the Minoan one of Crete.

Therefore, what is occurring  under the placid sea at Santorini should not be taken lightly.

More about  issues affecting the Mediterranean, including earthquakes and volcanoes:

Israel’s Marine Center Will Reveal Sea Secrets

Will Israel’s Undersea Pipeline Increase the Mediterranean’s Already Polluted State?

Ancient Caesarea Needs Every Grain of Sand

Photo of Santorini from Shuutterstock

The post Will Submerged Atlantis Super Volcano Cause Giant Tsunami? appeared first on Green Prophet.

Although grey whales have occasionally been spotted in the Mediterranean and bottle nose dolphins are often seen following commercial fishing trawlers, neither of these marine mammals are now commonplace in the Mediterranean; especially along Israel’s shoreline.

The Mediterranean Sea is feared by oceanographers and marine life ecologists as becoming increasingly more polluted and less able to support such creatures as whales and dolphins which depend on an ample amount of fish and crustaceans to feed on.

It’s even thought by some marine biologists that the Mediterranean may be harboring a giant plastic garbage patch similar to the one present in what is known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch which is said to compose nearly 10% of  the world’s waste items.

A recent Jerusalem Post article reported on the rare sighting of a baby dolphin swimming alongside its mother of Israel’s Mediterranean shoreline. While this sighting was good news for marine biologists, it was also noted in the article that an unusually large number of  carcases of dolphins and whales have washed ashore, with a total of 16 already found by mid August. This is a much larger number than the annual average of 15 that usually come ashore.

With around 300 to 400 dolphins being in permanent residence in the eastern Mediterranean, losing a larger number of these creatures could be an ominous indication that the waters of the Med, which are also becoming warmer and more saline, may be less able to support such creatures.

This is especially so for occasional whales that wander into this sea via the Straits of Gibraltar.

Commercial fishing often involves boats using large “drift nets” that float near the surface and are supported by buoys. Fish and sometimes dolphins get caught up in  these nets. In the case of dolphins, the poor creatures wind up suffocating.

According to Dr. Aviad Scheinin, chairman of the Israel Marine Mammal Research & Assistance Center, “fishing boats are the most dangerous cause of death for the local dolphin population.”

This danger is in addition to the sea’s increasing state of pollution and salinity. The salinity increase could be partially attributed to the growing number of desalination plants along the  shorelines of Israel.

Dr. Scheinin and his Center are now working of trying to find the main cause of the increase in  dolphin deaths, especially among the common dolphin species. The common dolphin used to inhabit an area off the Sinai coast  that had been formerly declared as a nature reserve. They have been venturing north along Israel’s coast in search of food. Dr. Scheinin is very interested in finding out why “so many Israeli common dolphins are dying along Israel’s coasts.”

More articles on Mediterranean environmental issues affecting dolphins:

Commercial Fishing in Mediterranean Endangering Dolphins

Is Willie the Grey Whale Lost or Looking for Club Med?

June 8 is World Oceans Day – Be a Changemaker!

Is Mediterranean Sea Harboring a Giant Plastic Garbage Patch?

The post Why Dolphins Have Disappeared from Israel’s Shores appeared first on Green Prophet.

But KAUSTs scientific research potentials are also partially leveraged due to its unique location. On the coast and half way between the two extremes of the Red Sea, KAUST has access to a significant wealth of undiscovered treasures floating- no, better – marinating right in front of them. The microorganisms of the Red Sea.

Dr. Feras Lafi, a scientist in the KAUST Red Sea Laboratory of Integrative Systems Biology (left), is among those investigating the unusual microbial communities in Red Sea sponges. Here are two examples of how these little animals can become pivotal for the advancement of marine science.

The Extremophiles:

The deep-sea anoxic brines of the Red Sea are considered to be one of the most remote and extreme environments on Earth, while remaining one of the least studied. Approximately 25 such brine-filled pools are currently known in the Red sea, all of them are anoxic, highly saline deep-sea water bodies with elevated temperatures and heavy metal concentration. Given that very few studies have focused on the microbiology of these particular deep-sea brines, and none have concentrated on their biotechnological applications- KAUST is seizing this opportunity to uncover the enormous scientific and commercial potentials behind the extremophilic microorganisms of the Red Sea.

Initial studies have revealed a significant  biodiversity of microbial communities, and several new groups of extremophilic microorganisms have been identified many of which have developed novel metabolic pathways, enzymes, and chemicals due to the unparalleled harsh conditions in which  they live in. KAUST believes that developments in the understanding of the genetics and biophysical processes behind these microbial communities will result in a multitude of new biotech applications of great scientific and commercial value for the Middle East.

An example of  current biotech applications through marine microorganisms is from salt-tolerant microbes (halophiles). Halophiles provide an extremely valuable source of new proteins and enzymes adapted to extreme conditions which are used for the production of food additives, natural food colorants (e.g. β-carotene), as well as the production of alternative, biodegradable, bioplastic (Polyhydroxyalkanoates), and bacteriorhodopsin, a molecule with wide applications ranging from artificial retina to neural networks  and optical computing. Further examples include the bioremediation of contaminated soils and waters, microbially-enhanced oil recovery processes and the recovery of saline soils for agriculture. As is evident, the potential for new biotech applications and discoveries are great thanks to the Red Sea.

Tistrella mobilis, and Didemnin B – the anti-cancer drug:

Another international team of scientists at KAUST, is advancing research on the anticancer drug didemnin B, a strong antiviral, immunosuppressant compound that could potentially cure cancers such as adenocarcinoma of the kidney, advanced epithelial ovarian cancer, and metastatic breast cancer.

The compound didemnin B , was discovered in the Caribbean colonial tunicate Trididemnum solidum over 30 years ago, however the high cytotoxicity of the compound, and the complex pharmacological activity have hindered its development as a potential anti-cancer drug.

However, researchers at KAUST have now been able to isolate another species of bacteria from the Red Sea: Tistrella mobilis and found that it produces compounds that are identical in structure to didemnin B, which were originally isolated from T. solidum. A complete genome sequencing of the T. mobilis bacteria revealed a cluster of 10 genes encoding an enzyme complex that synthesizes two types of didemnin, didemnin X and didemnin Y into didemnin B. This mechanism of conversion is still not fully understood, however the results from KAUSTs research suggest that didemnin B could be produced by other bacterial species, as the gene cluster encoding the didemnin B-synthesizing enzyme is better understood.

Significantly, the discovery of the didemnin biosynthetic gene cluster may provide long-term solutions to renewable supplies of didemnin b and pave the way for the genetic engineering of new didemnin congeners.

In short, this is good news for the development of biotechnology and marine pharmacology in the Middle East.

Image via KAUST

The post The Red Sea is Filled With Tiny Treasures – Saudi Researchers Intent on Discovery appeared first on Green Prophet.

Plans to build a Red Sea bridge connecting Saudi Arabia and Egypt have been revived but there are some serious environmental concerns

More than two decades after it was first planned, Egypt and Saudi Arabia may be about to start work on a land and sea bridge connecting the two countries. The proposed bridge would run 50 kilometres from the Tabuk region in Saudi, across the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba in Egypt. Conservationists in Egypt have however raised concerns about the possible destruction of coastal and marine environments in the process of building the bridge. Some explain that the bridge could negatively impact protected areas including coral reefs, the nesting grounds of turtles and the Tiran Island sea birds.

According to local news sources, Egypt and Saudi Arabia will be meeting in the next few week to discuss the technical details of project. Costing an estimated US$3 billion, the project is by no means a small undertaking. In fact, the size and scale of the project is what concerns conservationist as there appears to be very little in the way of environmental assessment.

Smaller proposals to build artificial islands and bridges in the region have been criticized in the past for their potential environmental damage to the coastline and marine life. In Egypt, there is a constant threat to pristine ecosystems due to tourism industry and efforts to grow the sector following the Arab Spring. However, there should to be clear balance between the environment costs and the economic benefits and at the moment that balance is missing.

Speaking to a conservationist in Egypt, there are concerns about the impact the actual construction of the bridge will have on the marine environment. Building around sensitive marine ecosystems is deeply problematic and there could be long-term implications on fisheries, corals, the sea floor and water quality. Bringing a whole new trading centre to the region will also put pressure on the marine environment and its resources.

And all those in the tourism industry need to bear in mind the impact of this environmental degradation on their sector as the diving and beach industry could be negatively affected. The disruption to those currently living in the area such as local bedouins is another issue which needs to be addressed.

The bridge is designed to facilitate the movement of goods and also pilgrims during the hajj season by reducing the time it takes to cross the borders. Indeed, the bridge would serve as a connection between two continents and it is believed that the cost of the project would be recovered in 10 years through tolls and fees.

::Egypt Independent

Top Image via vigour/flickr.

For more on Egypt and marine protection see:
Israel Considers Building An Artificial Island Off Gaza
When Tourism and Nature Collide- Protected Land Under Threat In Egypt
‘There is Hope Now’- Conservationist On Egypt’s Post Revolution Future

The post Land and Sea Bridge To Connect Saudi Arabia and Egypt appeared first on Green Prophet.

Like 0ther-energy poor countries in the eastern Mediterranean basin, including Israel and Lebanon, who are now in a  serious dispute over energy reserves located there, the Republic of Cyprus has shown interested in exploiting the undersea natural gas fields that lay near its shores. Last July,  the Republic of Cyprus’s Commerce Minister Antonis Paschalides expressed his concern involving his country’s exploration for natural gas in what is known as the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) south-east of Cyprus, otherwise known as Block 12. In an interview in the Cyprus Mail, Paschalides expressed concerns that drilling for natural gas could result in severe environmental damage.

Map of Cyprus EEZ and Israeli gas fields

Now it appears the university researchers like Dr. Constantinos Hadjistasou of the University of Cyprus, are expressing fears that drilling for natural gas in the Cyprus Exclusive Economic Zone (EEC) does pose “serious threats to marine flora and fauna.”

Dr. Hadjistasou who specializes in conventional energy and low carbon release technologies warns that: “Bearing in mind that the potential hydrocarbon reserves are offshore and rather deep, this makes the task of protecting the marine environment even more difficult in the case of an accident. The exploitation of natural resources is inextricably linked with the environment, the food chain and sustainable development.”

Dr. Hadjustasou went on to say that due to these concerns, “we rate the protection of the natural environment as high as the rational exploitation of the mineral wealth of a country.”

Indeed the researcher’s concerns have grounds for validity as the Republic of Cyprus depends a lot on the sea for both food sources and for the country’s important tourism industry. Concerns for marine life on the Mediterranean seabed have also been expressed by marine ecologists and oceanographers Israel who have been involved in projects to explore and map the eastern Mediterranean seabed in a joint project carried by the University of Haifa’s marine ecology and oceanography departments, and researchers with the American Nautilus marine exploration projects, whose various undersea explorations include finding the remains of the ill fated passenger vessel H.M.S. Titanic .

Another well known Israeli marine ecologist is Dr. Ruth Yahel who carries out undersea ecological research for the Nature and Parks Authority (NPA). Her concern for the state of the eastern Mediterranean’s undersea ecological environment is such that she was quoted as saying that:

“Either we can improve the Med’s overall condition, or we will wind up losing control of the sea’s environment, which will have a major impact on us, from both a health as well as economic standpoint.”

Like Dr. Hadjistasou, Dr. Yahel is also concerned about the impact caused to the marine life by undersea energy exploration and drilling. As both Cyprus and Israel have long Mediterranean coastlines (Cyprus is completely surrounded by the Med), the future of the Mediterranean Sea’s “flora and fauna” is an issue that could eventually be much more important than any energy supplies brought up from it.

::Cyprus Mail

Read more on eastern Mediterranean environmental and energy issues:

Cyprus Fears Environmental Impact of Undersea Gas Drilling

Lebanon Challenges Israel’s Natural Gas Borders at Sea

Israel Ecologist says Mediterranean Needs More Environmental Protection

Titanic Ship Leads Mediterranean Sea Floor Research Mission From Israel

The post Cyprus Researcher: Protect Sea from Natural Gas Drills appeared first on Green Prophet.

Ever since new species of jellyfish, such as one known as Marvigaria Stellata began to appear in the Mediterranean,  numerous warnings have been issued by media sides concerning this “plague” that is getting worse. Some say this partially being attributed to global warming. Jellyfish have been residents of the Mediterranean for years – and many entered the invasive mode after the Suez Canal was open, allowing them to seep in from the Red Sea. Every year, great numbers of them wash up on various beaches in both Israel and Lebanon, and previous Green Prophet articles have even offered tips on how to deal with the gelatinous blobs that to some people are very painful if stung by them.

Cleaning up the mess, a 27/7 ongoing operation

One species in particular, a relatively new one to the “Med” is causing a lot of headaches to employees of Israel’s Hadera Electric Power Plant, according to an article published a few days ago in the Jerusalem Post.

The article, entitled Photo Gallery: Attack of the Jellyfish

reports that the new species is one of four alien jellyfish species said to have come into the Mediterranean from the Suez Canal. Although not a threat to humans, the jellyfish are being sucked into the filters for the plant’s sea water intakes. They clog up the mesh filters and have to be cleaned from them constantly, according to plant spokesmen.

The invasion of the jellyfish is just one on a number of ecological problems plaguing the Mediterranean, some of which include large amounts of plastic material and other debris, some which also clogs up the plants water intake filters.

According to marine biologists, two of the main reasons for such a large number of jellyfish are global warming causing sea temperatures to rise and resulting in a reduction of some fish species; and over-fishing which eliminates many of the jellyfish’s natural predators.

Recent jellyfish attacks to the power plant mesh filters has been so bad that according to Dr. Anat Glazer,  the Israel Electric Corporation’s marine ecologist, the mechanical rakes used to clean the filters “have to be in operation 24 hours a day”.

Results of one day’s jellyfish ‘raking’

The outlook is not very optimistic, due mainly to the previously mentioned reasons. The jellyfish lay “thousands of eggs” and when mature, the jellyfish simply float on the currents and wind up virtually everywhere, including beaches and of course the power plants.

Dr. Bella Gallil, a senior researcher for the Institute of Oceanography, says that:

“Once jellyfish become dominant in a region, annual cycles of strong jellyfish production may inhibit the revival of some depleted fish stocks since they routinely compete for plankton prey with juvenile, and many adult, pelagic fish.”

::Jerusalem Post

More articles on jellyfish and other Mediterranean pollution issues:

New Jellyfish Species Tells a Tale of Global Warming

Tips Against Jellyfish Invasion for Israeli and Lebanese Coasts

Is the Mediterranean Harboring a Large Plastic Garbage Patch?

The post Jellyfish Attack on Israel Power Plant A Clear Sign of Global Warming? appeared first on Green Prophet.

The city of Abu Dhabi has become the first Arabian Gulf location to gain a Blue Flag environmental award for one of its beaches.

The certification has been awarded to the famous Abu Dhabi Corniche, a four mile stretch of coastline which is also a major tourist attraction, featuring big-name hotels as well as amenities such as cycle tracks, volleyball courts, children’s playgrounds and secure swimming areas. According to the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA), the Corniche was recently ranked amongst the top ten visitor attractions in the Emirate in a tourist poll.

Green Prophet has recently reported on schemes to improve Abu Dhabi’s environmental record, especially amongst its marine habitats, and to educate local schoolchildren about conservation. But the Emirates region also faces ongoing challenges to the marine environment, including illegal shark fishing.

Blue Flag accreditation involves a series of environmental criteria in areas such as water quality, environmental management and education, as well as human elements such as public safety and services. The award was made by the Emirates Wildlife Society–World Wildlife Fund (EWS-WWF), an NGO which acts as the national coordinator for the Blue Flag Programme in the UAE. Accreditations are overseen internationally by an umbrella body, the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), a “non-governmental, non-profit organisation promoting sustainable development through environmental education”.

Mubarak Al Muhairi, Director-General of the ADTA, said in response to the accreditation that: “This award reflects the hard work Abu Dhabi has put into ensuring our beachfront is sustained to international standards for the enjoyment of residents and visitors alike. It’s a cause of double celebration to secure Blue Flag status ahead of the arrival of the Volvo Ocean Race, as we’re anticipating welcoming thousands of international visitors, here to witness the flotilla and enjoy a packed programme of entertainment.”

Launched in 1987, Blue Flag is a voluntary eco-label run by the non-government, non-profit organisation the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), and is acknowledged by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). Abu Dhabi’s Corniche joins beaches and marinas in just over 40 countries worldwide to have won the accolade.

Other countries in the Middle East and North Africa which already have Blue Flag awards for their beaches include Cyprus, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia and Turkey.

[Photo by Mark Kirchner]

Read more about Abu Dhabi’s environmental record on Green Prophet:
Feeding Abu Dhabi With Water From Air
The UAE’s Plastic Bag Story Isn’t Eco-Happy Yet
Abu Dhabi Cyclists Are A Riding Target

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