Arabian Gulf corals alive and regenerating

The corals of Abu Dhabi still live…and grow. Although overall coral biodiversity remains depressed, the reefs show active signs of regeneration and, given protection, may fully recover from the havoc wrecked by unusual temperature fluctuations.

Coral reef project

The above are first-quarterly findings of the project 'Inventory and Map: Coral Reefs of Abu Dhabi and Eastern Qatar,' under implementation since January 2005. It involves recording and mapping coral reefs between Abu Dhabi and Qatar, assessing the condition and potential for recovery of degraded systems and, at the same time, building capacity of national researchers. The overall goal is development of a conservation and management plan for the coral habitats under study.

Sponsored by Dolphin Energy Ltd., the project is a partnership between Emirates Wildlife Society and World Wide Fund for Nature - UAE (EWS/WWF-UAE), Environmental Research and Wildlife Development Agency (ERWDA), Abu Dhabi and Supreme Council for the Environment and Natural Reserves (SCENR), Qatar. The executants are National Coral Reef Institute, Florida (USA).

Biological significance of Arabian Gulf corals

The offshore islands and banks of Abu Dhabi emirate harbour some of the most extensive and biologically important coral reef resources of the entire Arabian Gulf. They have also proven to be highly resilient to sea-surface thermal anomalies that are known to have caused extensive coral mortality.

The Arabian Gulf is a stressful environment for coral growth. Here, temperature variation between summer and winter exceeds 20 degrees C. Thus both upper and lower lethal temperatures for corals (on a decadal scale) are attained relatively frequently.

Stress events occurred in 1996, 1998 and 2002, in what was perhaps, the strongest such disturbance spanning a century. But the corals survived. That apart, their active reproduction indicates they remain in good health.

Several thermal anomalies have been recorded historically from the area and, it is now believed, that Arabian Gulf coral communities represent a very dynamic system that shrinks and expands in response to mortality events triggered by temperature variations. This is a biologically significant characteristic of Arabian Gulf coral reefs.

Work completed so far

Since its initiation, the project has undertaken large-scale mapping using satellite imagery, ground verification at several points, fieldwork around six islands off the Abu Dhabi coast, and training (theoretical and practical) of scientific personnel at SCENR, Doha as well as ERWDA, Abu Dhabi. Corals have been studied, mapped and photographed; species identified; and inferences drawn.

Hope for full recovery

The project assessment is: Abu Dhabi coral reefs are not dead. Active recruitment and reproduction is taking place which indicates that surviving corals are healthy. Given protection, there is expectation of a complete revival of these valuable ecosystems.