ADQ, an Abu Dhabi-based investment company, the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD), the region’s largest environmental regulator, and Archireef, a climate technology company based in Hong Kong, have deployed artificial 3D printed terracotta reef tiles to aid coral restoration in the Persian Gulf off the shore of Abu Dhabi.

The tiles were designed by a team of marine biologists and architects and produced through custom 3D clay printing in Archireef’s new production facility.

The partnership between ADQ and Archireef funds research and development of eco-engineering solutions for marine biodiversity restoration – combining scientific research with the use of the latest technologies in 3D printing, IoT, and AI.

Related: Artificial Reefs in the Red Sea

“Our partnership with Archireef brings a unique and innovative coral restoration method to Abu Dhabi to safeguard our Emirate’s natural environment and promote sustainable development. It is a memorable moment for ADQ to be part of this project providing a lifeline to endangered coral reefs, which is the first of its kind in the UAE and the wider region.

Underlining our commitment to adopting practical solutions powered by R&D and innovation to address environmental challenges, this biodiversity restoration initiative aligns with our ESG aspirations, and we believe it will have a positive impact not only on our planet but also on local communities we operate in,” said Anas Jawdat Albarguthi, Chief Operating Officer at ADQ.

In contrast to other types of artificial reefs, the 3D printed terracotta reef tiles are environmentally friendly and engineered to closely mimic the natural pattern of corals and prevent sedimentation build-up, which is a major threat for corals. It basically chokes them.

The plantation site is at Um Khorah Island in the Al Dhafra Region, in Abu Dhabi, housing around 1,200 coral fragments grown in specialized nurseries, owned by EAD.

Abu Dhabi waters are home to 34 different types of hard coral. In 2017 alone, the Emirate lost most of its corak, 73% of its reefs, due to mass coral bleaching, caused by an increase in water temperature due to climate change, manmade coastal disruption and the shipping industry and pollution.

::Archireef

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Some people make injured sea turtles human-engineered solutions like this turtle that got new flippers but most sea turtles are just getting caught in fishermen’s nets or choking and dying from plastic without us even noticing. World sea turtle populations are steadily declining, but at some amazing sites in Abu Dhabi we still have hope. 

Abu Dhabi has wildlife refuges such as the Bu Tinah Island Atoll, that is home to populations of rare sea turtles. Abu Dhabi is now going one step further to have these sites included in a UN sponsored list of locations which are vital to the preservation and well being of a number of endangered sea turtle species.

Abu Dhabi’s Environment Agency recently submitted a proposal to the Indian Ocean and South East Asia (IOSEA) Secretariat to include the Bu Tinah and Zirku Islands in the Secretariat’s network of locations vital to the survival of endangered sea turtle species.

The Bu Tinah Island Archipelago was particularly singled out due to its favorable conditions.

The Agency has been studying the sea turtle populations at Bu Tinah and Zirku islands since 1999 and has closely monitored the wildlife populations; including critically endangered sea turtle populations such as the hawksbill sea turtle.

Being listed by the IOSEA Secretariat will enable the Environment Agency of Abu Dhabi to receive more attention to help preserve their sea turtle populations, which number as many as 5,750 sea turtles inhabiting the waters during winter season and 6,900 during the summer.

Thabit Al Abdessalaam, the EAD’s senior adviser on terrestrial and marine biodiversity, said that being registered in the IOSEA’s network will help insure the island’s long-term conservation; particularly in regards to cleaner coastal waters and protecting these locations as nursery grounds for sea turtles and other wildlife species.

More articles on efforts to preserve sea turtles and other wildlife in the Arabian and Persian Gulf:
Rare Sea Turtles and Other Wildlife Living Happily on Persian Gulf Atoll
Greater flamingos return to Abu Dhabi Wetlands and hopefully to Bu Tinah
Protect the Middle East’s Natural Wonders – vote Today!
Persian Gulf Mermaids Face Man made Environmental Threats

Photo of hawksbill sea turtle by Wikipedia

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Among nature’s most frail ecosystems, coral reefs usually thrive in clear water with ambient temperatures and little salinity, but the recent find by scientists from Germany’s Institute for Geology Scientific Diving Center suggests that some reefs are more resilient than previously thought.

Not only is the mouth to the Shatt al-Arab River cold, polluted and turbulent, conditions that are typically unfavorable to coral reefs, but it has also been the site of considerable political instability.

The only waterway in Iraq that empties into the Persian Gulf, the confluence of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers also forms a natural border with Iran, making it of critical strategic importance to both countries.

Wars have been fought over the river, and during the American invasion and subsequent years, it was particularly integral as a means to deliver humanitarian aid and munitions to the interior.

Under these conditions, even the most devout researcher would be forgiven for overlooking the area. But the group led by Thomas Pohl persisted and for their efforts they were rewarded with the discovery of a 2.5 by 4.4 mile Palinurs Rock Reef previously unknown to science, according to Discovery News.

Related: The Marsh Arabs Who Restored a Global Ecosystem

“We were entirely surprised to find a living coral reef under such harsh conditions,” lead author Thomas Pohl of Germany’s Institute for Geology Scientific Diving Center and his colleagues wrote in the journal Scientific Reports.

While visibility was low at just three feet or less and the research team battled to study the reef, they found a fairly diverse ecosystem with a variety of hardy corals species and sponges.

“The authors identified a number of living stony corals and octocorals (which lack a stony skeleton),” writes Discovery News, “as well as sponges and aquatic mollusks that may compete with the corals for space on the reef — or that may cause the coral structure to erode.”

Like Nature Iraq, the group has struggled to mobilize the international community to take more interest in the region, which is consistently beset with political strife. They hope that this recent find will change that, Discovery reports.

“These habitats urgently need protection, conservation and research, especially given their location in areas of oil and gas exploration…”

:: Discovery News

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Italy’s RRC Studio has developed a master plan for Al Dhakira’s impressive expansion, which is expected to double the city’s size.

Coastal development throughout the Gulf region, including Abu Dhabi, Kuwait and Qatar, have had serious ramifications for the Persian Gulf’s ecosystems. Coral reefs have been wiped out, and mangrove forests have taken a hit as well.

Either Qatar seems to have learned from past errors, or RRC Studio has taken ecological matters into their own hands with a design that specifically makes room to leave the protected mangroves unharmed.

A continuous strip of green space will connect the two protected areas, creating a buffer zone between them and the city’s nucleus, which is organized around a renovated stadium and commercial district.

The design brief also calls for new housing units and villas that will be modeled after existing structures and the local landscape.

Density and a pedestrian-friendly layout are thought to be the holy grail of sensible urban design, but too much density often puts great strain on ecosystems.

RRC Studio has taken pains, at least in their plan, to ensure the density occurs away from the coastal area – further inland. Whether or not the rapid expansion will be able to keep pace with these honorable ideals remains to be seen.

:: Arch Daily

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“At its narrowest, the Strait of Hormuz is only 39 kilometers or 21 nautical miles wide. At its widest, a world apart,” writes the Gulf Architecture Biennial organizers in an international design competition brief.

One fifth of all oil shipments pass through the Strait, which is bordered by Iran in the North and the United Arab Emirates and Musandam in the South.

In 2011, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the Strait saw an average of 14 tankers per day carrying 17 million barrels (2,700,000 m³) of crude oil, which is part of the reason that it is such a strategic political tool for Iran.

“On 29 June 2008, the commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, Mohammad Ali Jafari, said that if Iran were attacked by Israel or the United States, it would seal off the Strait of Hormuz, to wreak havoc in oil markets,” according to an entry in Wikipedia.

As a thinking experiment, the Gulf Architecture Biennial invites designers from around the world to envision a way to bridge the two sides of the Gulf. Proposals don’t have to interpret the bridge concept literally; rather, they are seeking ideas that are “new, new, new.”

“Speculation and design fiction are welcome. Entries should keep in mind the traces of a post-petroleum future.”

Head over to Gulf Architecture Biennial’s website for the details; proposals are due by 12 January, 2014 and the winner receives $750.

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Property developers have taken a lot of heat for ruining Dubai’s coral reefs after a few decades of rapid expansion all along the Arabian/Persian Gulf coast, so in 2008, Nakheel worked with conservationists, ecologists, engineers and others to relocate nearly 24,000 square feet of coral reef about 11 miles.

“This was one of the largest coral relocation projects ever conducted globally, with over 20,000 coral colonies spared from the effects of infrastructure development,” Marine Biologist John Burt told Gulf Today.

It wasn’t easy.

“Our coral move was an engineering first,” said Ali Saeed bin Thalith, Director of Development and Operations at Nakheel Marine Group. “We were in unknown territory when we undertook the exercise, which involved moving more than 1,100 coral-encrusted rocks, each weighing about five tonnes.”

The group had to use non-toxic glue to attach metal rods to each coral-encrusted rock and then hook that up to a sling. Each rock was then hoisted onto a 295 foot barge without leaving the water and transported to its new home – the controversial World Islands’ breakwater.

“The techniques used to transport the corals underwater with minimal handling were a world first and showed the creativity and ingenuity that can arise when engineers and ecologists work together for conservation purposes,” said Burt.

Remarkably, the coral has thrived in its new home. Gulf Today reports that the 20,000 coral colonies moved in the process have expanded by roughly 20 percent, and has even attracted fish species that have never been seen in the region before.

Nakheel’s engineering feat was the subject of a recent Discovery Channel documentary.

Meanwhile sunken art is helping to rejuvenate coral reefs in Qatar. Coral reefs around the globe are deeply vulnerable to changing pH levels and bleaching as a result of higher water temperatures.

Some reefs have shown themselves to be more resilient than others, and Abu Dhabi’s corals are said to be tougher than the rest, but any kind of loss threatens marine ecosystems.

:: Gulf Today

Image of tropical fish, Shutterstock

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Masdar’s research wing is less popular than its world-changing renewable energy initiatives, but they’re the first government-backed organization to dig deeply for causes of and cures to so many of Abu Dhabi’s self-inflicted “eco-woes.”

Bringing great transparency to the nation and indeed the entire Arabian peninsula, Masdar has helped to launch Abu Dhabi’s image as one of the few Islamic nations to tackle its previously neglected environmental responsibilities – and with great haste at that.

Pioneers of the first ultra-modern solar-powered desert community in the Middle East and North Africa, Masdar has also branched out to Spain and the UK, along with several developing countries, in order to fund and develop solar and wind-powered plants with varying generation capacities.

They’ve helped Mauritania, the Seychelles and may head into Egypt (if the country ever stabilizes), and have plans to extend their reach even further, but in the meantime, all kinds of very important research is taking place back home.

Most recently, Masdar Institute announced that it has partnered with Bayanat to “develop water quality monitoring tools in the Arabian Gulf using the satellite receiving station at the research-based institution.”

Detecting red algae blooms before they strike is one of the most important issues MI and Bayanate hope to address.

Like early warning systems for earthquakes and hurricanes, this satellite-fed information data will allow researchers to warn coastal communities and fisherman when it is necessary to protect their marine environment against an incoming algae bloom.

“The project, which uses satellite imagery from Europe’s Meteosat and Nasa’s MODIS satellites, also aims to forecast and monitor other environmental hazards such as oil spills, water turbidity – or cloudiness due to particles – and high chlorophyll concentrations,” writes The National’s Vesela Todorova.

Also crucial are desalination plants.

With just a few days worth of fresh water in reserves, Abu Dhabi’s population would suffer a great deal if its water-purification facilities were compromised by algae blooms. Knowing that they’re about to strike would prevent damage to the plants and secure the emirate’s water supply.

Led by the Ocean Color Research Group at Masdar’s Earth Observation and Hydro-Climatology Lab, the project team is also studying the impact of desalination plants on the Gulf’s marine ecosystems. Research conducted elsewhere suggests that they should be a last ditch solution given the toll they exact.

Within just years of starting my work at Green Prophet, it is very encouraging to see the progress that has taken place in Abu Dhabi with respect to its willingness to become accountable for the well being of its natural resources, and therefore, by extension, its people.

:: The National

Image of red tide, Shutterstock

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Since Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates all share the Arabian/Persian Gulf with Iran, a radioactive leak from the Bushehr plant constructed in 2011 could potentially effect all seven countries.

Some of the GCC member countries raised their concerns last month at an annualInternational Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) meeting in Vienna, Austria.

Spooked by the April 9 earthquake in Southwestern Iran, the GCC countries formed an emergency meeting to discuss the potential ramifications of radioactive material leaking in the water than binds them all.

Mohammad Ahmadian, the deputy director of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, brushed off their worries in a televised interview, according to Scidev.net.

Later, in an interview with local press, Ahmadian claimed that the Bushehr plant was constructed to withstand earthquakes with a magnitude of up to 8 on the Richter scale. He also said that it will shut itself down in the event of any earth movement.

Despite claims that the plant is perfectly safe, GCC’s assistant secretary general Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg is not convinced, and implored Iranian officials to allow an international team to inspect the site.

“Iran should be more forthcoming in allowing international inspection of Bushehr to reassure its own citizens and neighbours about the safety of the plant,” he told Arab News.

Farouk El-Baz, director of the Center for Remote Sensing at Boston University, warns that the environmental impact of the Bushehr plant could be devastating if it is neglected.

He told Scidev.net that the Gulf countries are well within their rights to expect safety assurances from IAEA experts given that some of the components of the Iranian nuclear plant are quite old. But another expert, Mohamed Salama, emeritus professor at Egypt’s Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Authority, urges calm.

Citing the Fukushima disaster in Japan, Salama notes that the plant survived the earthquake, but that the resulting tsunami caused most of the damage to the reactor.

“The real disaster came from the tsunami that swept over the sea wall and knocked out the backup generators, leaving the reactors without their cooling systems. The reactors then overheated, there were explosions and radioactive material escaped.”

He also told the paper that Iran wouldn’t have spent $10 billion on a plant that would be vulnerable to seismic activity.

:: Scidev.net

Image via Telegraph

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“Corals have a symbiotic relationship with algae that live within their tissue and provide them with food,” Dr John Burt, head of the marine biology laboratory at NYUAD, told The National.

There are a variety of algae that have varying levels of heat tolerance, he added. So he and other researchers involved in a study initiated in 2011 expected to find that the algae within Gulf coral would be somehow different from other algae.

Such a determination might have explained why Gulf coral is unusually resilient. But that isn’t how the story unfolds.

It turns out that the study published in Marine Pollution Bulletin reveals algae that is the same as that found in other climates where coral has a low threshold for heat.

Speaking to Vesela Todorova with The National, Dr Joerg Wiedenmann, head of the coral reef laboratory at Nocs said, “We see that the algae are indeed special in Gulf corals but in a way that we did not expect.”

“Our results suggest that the algae are not solely responsible for the heat resistance of Gulf corals and that we need to look closer into other mechanisms that might render the corals more resilient,” he added.

In other words, Gulf corals are special. But nobody knows why.

Meanwhile, check out how underwater art is rejuvenating coral reefs in Qatar.

:: The National

Stock image of coral and scuttlefish, Shutterstock

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Last week the Emirates Wildlife Society – World Wide Fund for Nature (EWS-WWF) recognized five firms in particular for exceeding energy and water conservation targets set as part of the Heroes of the UAE (United Arab Emirates) environmental initiative in a country that currently has one of the world’s highest per capita carbon footprints, The National reports.

A total of 50 companies voluntarily signed on to the Heroes of the UAE program, which requires that they reduce both their energy and water consumption by at least ten percent.

They are also asked to document and share every step of the process in order to establish permanent reductions and encourage other institutions to do the same.

In addition to enumerating energy and water savings, each company volunteers to compile a case study and develop a plan for future carbon emission reductions, according to The National.

Then they are subjected to Ernst & Young’s independent auditing program to ensure that each company’s reported numbers are consistent with unbiased findings. And so far, those numbers are outstanding.

“The five organisations all surpassed the target,” writes Vesela Todorova, “achieving savings of between 11 per cent and 55 per cent in energy use, and 28 per cent and 89 per cent in water use.”

The EWS-WWF honored the first firms that submitted their case studies at a recent ceremony that was attended by the Minister of Environment and Water, Dr Rashid bin Fahad.

It’s not easy to get UAE residents excited about slashing energy or water use when it is government subsidized, but for companies working to increase their bottom line, it makes economic sense not to mention the happy side effect of fewer greenhouse gas emissions entering the atmosphere.

Of the interventions used to reach these targets, the simplest and arguably one of the most effective includes setting air-conditioners at higher temperatures – a welcome move given that sitting in most buildings in Dubai or Abu Dhabi is akin to socializing in a refrigerator.

:: The National

Image of Dubai, Shutterstock

Looking for more ways to dive into renewable energy in the Middle East? Visit the 5th MENASOL Middle East & North Africa Solar Conference & Expo; 14-15 May, Dubai. Click here for the MENASOL website.

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