Sunday 20 July 2025 Abu Dhabi UAE
Prayer Timing
Today's Edition
Today's Edition
UAE

Abu Dhabi’s ambitious coral restoration project: A beacon of hope amidst climate challenges

Abu Dhabi’s ambitious coral restoration project: A beacon of hope amidst climate challenges
9 Nov 2023 08:40

MOHAMMAD GHAZAL, AMEINAH AL ZEYOUDI (ABU DHABI)

In the warm, turquoise waters off the coast of Abu Dhabi, work is ongoing to restore the Emirate’s diverse coral reefs with one of the largest restoration projects in the world. Abu Dhabi’s coral reefs, like elsewhere in the world, have been facing several challenges amidst the increasing repercussions of climate change, with bleaching events and seawater temperature rise becoming more frequent and severe. The last six years have witnessed three major bleaching events, in 2017, 2021, and now in 2023, according to Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD).

The EAD has been rehabilitating and restoring coral reefs since 2021, when reefs off the UAE’s coast faced their second bleaching event in just five years. To combat this event, the EAD launched the largest coral restoration project in the region, which is among the largest in the world. The project has so far transplanted 312,025 coral fragments across four different sites, covering roughly 71.8 hectares or 718,000 square metres.

  • Abu Dhabi’s ambitious coral restoration project: A beacon of hope amidst climate challenges
    Abu Dhabi’s coral reefs get a fresh lease of life in massive restoration project

 


Abu Dhabi’s 200 islands and approximately 700km of coastline are home to some of the region’s richest coral habitats, measuring approximately 350 square kilometres. According to the UAE National Red List of Reef–Building Corals 2021, 66 species of reef-building corals have been recorded in UAE territorial waters to date. 

Reef-building corals offer many benefits, such as wave reduction and shoreline protection, providing habitats for marine life, and supporting commercial and subsistence fisheries, in addition to their role as an important component of the UAE’s rich natural heritage.

Climate change has a detrimental effect on the environment in Abu Dhabi, and more so on the Emirate’s marine environment. The sea in Abu Dhabi is naturally on the upper extremes of temperature and salinity, and consequently, its marine life is already at its natural physiological limit. Therefore, any added pressures, both those directly anthropogenic or resulting from climate change, can cause the entire balance to collapse.

Among the most notable environmental pressures caused by climate change has been an increase in seawater temperatures. The most notable pressure from climate change is an increase in seawater temperatures. In 2021, the highest temperature ever recorded in waters surrounding the UAE’s reefs was 38.8 degrees Celsius, which is incredibly high for any marine life to handle, EAD said in remarks to Aletihad.

Coral rehabilitation efforts in Abu Dhabi are unlike those anywhere else in the world. Due to harsh conditions, preservation brings about a host of uniquely difficult challenges, such as high turbidity and biofouling, caused by the characteristically nutrient-dense
waters of the southern Arabian Gulf. Other environmental challenges include sedimentation, dredging, land reclamation, and run off and outflow from desalination plants and other industrial factories, according to the EAD.

On the national level, the UAE’s coastlines rank 38th in the world in terms of coral reef size, hosting approximately 1,190 square kilometres of coral reef assemblages, the majority of which are located in Abu Dhabi. The UAE’s local coral species diversity is among the richest in the Arabian Gulf, with around 34 hard coral species.

Global Challenges
Some of the issues affecting the UAE’s coral reefs are similar to those faced by other reefs around the world.

“This is a global issue that all coral reefs around the world are facing, and it only seems to be increasing. Unfortunately, coral reefs in Abu Dhabi and the gulf have taken a large blow from climate change, especially in recent years,” the EAD said in statements to Aletihad.

Since 1950, half of the world’s coral reef systems have been destroyed at the hands of climate change and overfishing. Recovery may be possible, but it will require a concerted effort to protect reefs from overfishing and to ease the brunt of climate change, according to a University of British Columbia-led research paper published in the journal One Earth.

United Nations Development Programme’s Ecosystems and Biodiversity programme predicts a bleaker future for the world’s reefs, estimating that by the year 2050, more than 90% of the world’s coral reefs will perish.  The Global Fund for Coral Reefs (GFCR), backed by UN agencies, said that coral reefs are in “grave peril”. Given that coral reefs support more than a quarter of all marine life, the consequences of their extinction could be catastrophic, according to GFCR.

By the end of the century, every coral reef in the world could bleach unless there are drastic reductions in greenhouse-gas emissions, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) warned in its report, “Projections of Future Coral Bleaching Conditions”.

The “Sixth Status of Corals of the World: 2020 Report”, which collected data from more than 300 scientists from 73 countries over a span of 40 years, resulting in two million individual observations.

  • Abu Dhabi’s ambitious coral restoration project: A beacon of hope amidst climate challengesCoral rehabilitation efforts in Abu Dhabi are unlike those anywhere else in the world

 

The report revealed that almost invariably, sharp declines in coral cover correspond with rapid increases in sea surface temperatures, suggesting an acute vulnerability to temperature spikes. The study found that this phenomenon will likely escalate as the planet continues to warm.

Benefits of Restoration
Coral reefs exist in more than 100 countries and territories. While they cover only 0.2% of the seafloor, they support at least 25% of marine species, and provide  for the safety, coastal protection, well-being and food and economic security of hundreds of millions of people, according to the UNEP report. The value of goods and services provided by coral reefs is estimated at $2.7 trillion per year, including some $36 billion in coral reef tourism, the report said.

Reefs also contribute to carbon sequestration, although to a small extent, and ensure costal stabilisation by lessening damage from storms and mitigating rises in seawater levels.
There are many socio-economic benefits of coral restoration, such as increasing fish populations, thereby benefiting fishermen with better catches. Further, coral reefs provide natural protection along coastlines as barriers to wave erosion, which safeguards properties.

Healthy reefs also serve as  touristic attractions, supporting local economies.
These marine systems also provide a stable food source for coastal populations, and promote increased biodiversity, which in itself leads to a range of benefits.
Reefs also play an important part in Emirati culture, maintaining the country’s strong maritime heritage ties.

Restoration Projects
As coral reefs in the Emirate began to buzz with life once more, the EAD’s restoration project is working on realising several objectives that would preserve the marine ecosystems and beyond.
The idea for the comprehensive coral rehabilitation programme came after the coral reefs in the southern Arabian Gulf underwent two major bleaching events, which resulted in the loss of roughly 63% of corals in Abu Dhabi, according to the EAD.

The EAD initially aimed to reach one million coral within a three-year timeframe. This target has been slightly modified, as the Department now focuses on planting types of corals that are the most resilient to climate change. The Department is currently planting as many of these coral types as possible in reefs throughout Abu Dhabi’s reefs.

“There is a need for a more hands-on approach to help corals in Abu Dhabi bounce back and become more resilient to climate change,” EAD said.

The methodology for the restoration is “quite simple”, said EAD, who explained that their process, termed “Active Restoration Through Adaption”, is accomplished in six steps.

First, the Department identifies and selects genetically strong, resilient coral types, with a particular focus on types that have survived back-to-back bleaching events and high temperatures. The corals are then fragmented for relocation, and are moved to nursey sites that provide ideal conditions for growth. The coral, stored in special containers in the nurseries, are maintained and given all necessities conducive to their growth. Degraded coral reefs are then identified, and the nursery corals are transported to the degraded reefs. The health of the newly transplanted corals is monitored, and the steps of the process are repeated as needed.

Raising Awareness
According to the EAD, raising awareness is a critical part of the process, as it motivates the community to take action to preserve marine biodiversity, leading to greater involvement and support for conservation efforts.

The EAD has given the following recommendations for members of the public and businesses that wish to support coral reef rehabilitation: learn about coral reefs and teach others; contribute financially to coral conservation organisations; use reef-safe products and reduce pollution; take part in volunteer reef cleanups and restoration activities; choose eco-friendly travel and business practices that protect reefs; support policies and laws that aim to protect coral reefs; eat seafood from sustainable sources; implement energy-saving and carbon-reducing measures; and join community-based reef conservation efforts.

  • Abu Dhabi’s ambitious coral restoration project: A beacon of hope amidst climate challenges
    Abu Dhabi’s ambitious coral restoration project: A beacon of hope amidst climate challenges

 

 

Copyrights reserved to Aletihad News Center © 2025
We use "Cookies" to give you the best personalized experience. "Click Here" to know more about how it is used
Accept Reject