Abu Dhabi to breathe life into coral reefs

Abu Dhabi: On a mission to breathe life into degrading coral reefs, the Environment Agency, Abu Dhabi (EAD) has embarked on a two-year project to learn more about the colourful world of corals.
The Coral Reef Restoration programme was launched in March this year in association with Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology (TUMSAT) and Japan Oil Development Company (JODCO).
Scientists on the programme are interested in gathering information about two aspects — the reproductive cycle of coral reefs and information that would help in restoration of damaged reefs in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
Experts have been diving into the waters close to Saadiyat Island and Al Dhabeiyah to install devices that would help them explore the world of corals.
Separate devices are used for each purpose.
"We have installed coral settlement devices with the hope that they will eventually help us with restoring degrading coral reefs. And marine blocks have been installed to throw light into their reproductive cycle", Suaad al Harthi, a scientist with the EAD's coastal zone management division said.
The coral settlement devices were developed by Dr. Mineo Okamoto of TUMSAT. The devices have proven successful in rehabilitating corals in various parts of Japan including one in Sekisei Lagoon, the largest coral reef in Okinawa Prefecture-Japan.
Whether the success can be replicated in Abu Dhabi can only be found out by the end of the project, in two years, as coral reefs are very slow growing, Al Harthi explained.
"These resemble stacked trays and are made up of calcium carbonate and other materials", she said.
Settlement devices
In nature, the coral larva settles on any hard substrate and they grow by building several colonies over that. The settlement devices are meant to replicate this environment.
"Typically they tend to settle in little crevices".
Once the devices become homes to corals, they can easily be transferred to labs to be studied closely for the types of species that have settled, their growth pattern etc. These could then be moved to a nursery site where they could be cared for until they are installed at sites with damaged coral reefs, thus help restoration.
Presently no such nurseries have been set up. Based on the success of the project EAD will decide on setting up nurseries at a later stage, Al Harthi said.
The second device, called marine block, resembles bricks and has hundreds of holes in it. "These were installed in phases in March, April and May, during the expected spawning period of corals".
By installing in phases, the reproductive cycle of corals could be better understood.
The holes in the blocks reveal the actual growth rate, she added.
EAD first began monitoring coral reefs in 2005. Ten permanent monitoring stations have now been established. Coral reefs in waters off Abu Dhabi survive in stressful conditions. This is due to extreme seasonal temperature variations and very high salinity levels.(Gulfnews)