CAIRO: Marine ecology is in danger in the United Arab Emirates. A new report suggests that the region is facing potential crisis if the current status quo in coastal waters remains. Gulf News reported that “the marine ecology of the Arabian Gulf is already under threat from over-fishing, heavy use of desalination plants and energy production operations.” Human impact on the Gulf is also causing increasing amounts of pollution. Charles R.C. Sheppard, a biological scientist from the UK, argues that the Gulf is especially vulnerable because of its physical aspects. He reports, in a study titled “Physical Environment of the Gulf Relevant to Marine Pollution” that the water is shallow, has few growing reefs, and has a low rate of water exchange. There is also a very low biotic diversity due to the relatively short existence of the water after it “suffered complete drying out in the late Pleistocene” as well as the “extremes of the environmental conditions.” In a 1996 ecology report, there was mass mortality of coral in the shallow regions of the Gulf. In fact, the report claims that the water consisted of 34 species compared to 27 after the event. This decline in species threatens the future of the water. According to the research, the main triggers of the mass mortality, was extreme water temperatures and human influence, such as “sediment plumes from nearby dredging.” These issues in the UAE caught attention on June 17 after an oil tanker, The White Whale, was successfully recovered from the bottom of the sea. According to the country's official news agency WAM, this job was complicated and there was tremendous pressure because if the mission failed, 100 tons of oil would have been spilled into the already suffering marine ecology. The marine ecology crisis in this region of the world has caught global attention. In fact, New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) is seeking a Marine Ecology Research Assistant. This position will implement field and laboratory studies to improve the environment. According to WAM, “the UAE is taking a leading role in maintaining its marine environment. Sadly, though, fragile sea life is at risk from over-fishing.”
