Today's Edition
ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)
With fluke-shaped tails and paddle-like flippers, some 3,000 dugongs throng the UAE’s waters, a safe and supportive sanctuary for the marine mammal affectionately known as the “sea cow”.
It’s the second largest population of dugongs in the world, categorised as vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and a key focus of the UAE’s efforts to protect its coastal and marine ecosystems.
Since 2008, the UAE has been a key sponsor of the Species Survival Commission – which maintains the IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species – and has prioritised protecting dugong habitats and ecosystems.
As the entity responsible for stewarding the natural resources, climate, and biodiversity in Abu Dhabi, the largest of the UAE’s seven emirates, the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) has played a significant role in supporting dugongs by preserving their habitat. Its work towards coastal habitat rehabilitation received global recognition at the 2022 United Nations Biodiversity Conference, highlighting the emirate’s instrumental role in pushing for the ratification of the 30x30 initiative, which calls for 30% of the planet to be designated a protected natural area by 2030.
Underwater Meadows
Found mainly near Abu Dhabi’s Bu Tinah Island, part of EAD’s Marawah Biosphere Reserve, and Al Yasat Marine Protected Area, dugongs rely on seagrass as their primary source of food, eating up to 30kg of the nutrient-rich plant for their diet daily. Unlike algae, seagrass are marine plants that produce seeds and flowers to form dense underwater meadows.
While estimates say that seagrass accounts for less than 0.1%-0.2% of sea floor cover, they are considered some of the most efficient natural carbon sinks on earth - sequestering around 10% of the carbon in the world’s oceans. As a result, underwater seagrass beds are considered among the most valuable ecosystems in the world, after estuaries and wetlands. Without them, dugongs would struggle to survive.
Protecting these valuable seagrass beds are coral reefs, which serve as a natural barrier in the areas where the dugongs live and feed. In recognition of the intertwined nature of the marine ecosystem, EAD has launched the region’s largest coral reef rehabilitation project. The project will preserve this essential ecosystem through a replanting programme to increase the emirate’s total coral reef area, ensuring the sustainability of more than one million coral reef colonies. With 34 different types of hard corals in Abu Dhabi, EAD’s work to develop reef nurseries will also reduce the impact of climate change and temperatures on the sea floor.
Maintaining Marine Reserves
EAD’s efforts to ensure dugong survival are aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 (to ensure availability and sustainable management of water) and SDG 14 (to conserve marine resources in oceans and seas for sustainable development). As part of its commitment to maintaining marine environments, EAD manages six marine reserves within the Sheikh Zayed Protected Areas Network, which represent 13.9% of Abu Dhabi’s total marine environment, which provide sustenance and shelter for dugongs.
These include Bul Syayeef Water Reserve, which features significant seagrass beds and intertidal mud-flats, and Ras Ghanadah Marine Reserve - Abu Dhabi’s largest area of healthy coral habitats.
Tech-powered Research
Supporting efforts to preserve healthy aquatic ecosystems and marine biodiversity, EAD has also developed Jaywun, the Middle East’s most advanced marine research vessel. Named after one of the most valuable pearls found in the Arabian Gulf, Jaywun carries cutting-edge research equipment and six fully-equipped laboratories run by a specialised team of experts and researchers to monitor and analyse marine biodiversity - including seagrass habitats, and strengthen research globally in the field. The vessel plays an important role in developing management plans to ensure the recovery and sustainability of marine life, including dugongs.
Sustaining Water Quality
This year, EAD issued a policy on sustaining marine water quality by limiting practices that could deteriorate or cause adverse effects to Abu Dhabi’s marine biodiversity, or could impact the population of vulnerable species like the dugong. The policy also aims to develop legislative and regulatory frameworks to foster a culture of recycling, and stipulates for a programme to improve responses to incidents that are potentially harmful to marine water quality.
Community Tools
Beyond the EAD’s diligent marine rehabilitation and conservation work, the Agency is also implementing environmental awareness programmes, such as the recently launched Abu Dhabi Nature Species app, a free educational tool covering the approximately 4,000 fauna and flora living in the emirate, including marine species. One of the app’s key features is Citizen Science, a tool for users to submit reports on species they have seen in the wild. Using the exact GPS location of an observation, EAD’s team of experts can review submissions and add any new species or habitats to their existing database. Through the app, EAD aims to inspire sustainable action to help protect the UAE’s terrestrial and marine biodiversity.
A Bright Future
With the UAE hosting the next World Conservation Congress in 2025, the country’s success in the preservation of dugongs will highlight how a culture’s respect for the environment and conservation efforts, rooted deeply in its identity, are ensuring the long-term survival of a cherished species.
