June 10 UAE Marine and Volunteerindubai.com

Hour 1 Dr. John Burt spoke to us about the marine environment in the UAE and why we need to wake up.

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?section=theuae&xfile=data/theuae/2007/september/theuae_september486.xml

Expert highlights threat to UAE coral reef population

By Criselda E. Diala

19 September 2007

DUBAI — Global warming and man-made stressors could pose a serious threat to the UAE’s marine eco-system, a lecturer from the Zayed University Dubai stated on Sunday.

Following years of research, which assessed the emirates’ marine ecology, particularly along the coasts of Abu Dhabi and Dubai, lecturer and marine biologist John Burt said that future increases in temperature may test the survival of coral reefs and eventually other marine life in the UAE.

“The reefs hold a huge economic and ecological importance because they serve as habitat for juvenile fish and other marine life. The diminishing number of reef species due to environmental disturbances would result in an imbalance in the marine eco-system,” Burt pointed out.

Speaking during a meeting hosted by the Dubai Natural History Group, Burt said that in a span of nearly 10 years, following the El Nino phenomenon of 1998, marine researches have showed that a “mass die-offs” or bleaching of corals have occured across the world.

Bleaching, Burt explained, results in corals literally turning white due to the absence of algae or one-celled organisms. “This was a serious concern because corals that have died can’t get replaced quickly,” he said.

In the UAE waters alone, the presence of a certain species of coral called “acropona” used to be 62 per cent of the coral population before the 1998 bleaching of the Arabian Gulf. However, only 22 per cent of the same species exist today.

Burt also highlighted that coastal developments in Dubai that paved the way for the construction of man-made breakwaters have served as artificial reefs. “Breakwaters are distinct because the materials used in its construction have been suitable to a certain species of fish. But most marine life still prefers natural reefs,” he pointed out.

Aside from global warming, a concern that Burt also raised was the potential danger to the marine eco-system from a desalination plant being constructed near the coast of Abu Dhabi. Once operational, the desalination plant may contribute to the increase in the salinity of UAE waters.

Hour 2 www.volunteerindubai.com with Lola Lopez, change your world.

Volunteering your time to assist any non-profit aid organisation is the most rewarding way to give back to society.

Relief and Aid Organisations rely on volunteers to keep overheads at a minimum, thus ensuring that every penny possible goes to those who need it.

This group is aimed at bringing together ANY organisation, good cause or individual effort in the UAE, with people willing to help out. Even if only for ONE HOUR and even if it’s infrequent, it makes an enormous difference.