Saturday, 02 February 2008: JEDDAH - The undersea intercontinental cable in the Red Sea could negatively affect the marine environment along Saudi beaches, according to a Saudi marine expert here.
Dr. Abdul Mohsin Al-Sofiani, professor at the Marine Science Faculty in King Abdul Aziz University, and member of the commission in charge of intercontinental cable observation, told Arabic daily newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat that the marine cables cause temperature changes that could affect up to 230 coral reef clusters in the Red Sea.
The perfect temperature for coral reef growth is between 25 to 32 degrees centigrade.Al-Sofiani said the company that had installed the marine cable had asked the Science Faculty about the kind of fish that could attack the marine cable. He said the company suspected sharks because of the frequencies emitted by the cables.
Al-Sofiani said he had advised the company to bury the cable under muddy seabed.
Specialists from the Marine Science Faculty are studying the environmental effects of the marine cables on Jeddah's coast.
Measures are being implemented to guarantee the safety of its sea life, including 1,300 kinds of fish, he said.
Al-Sofiani said the environment would need 300 years to recover from the effects of the cable.
Reefs, for one, grow very slowly at an annual rate of 0.2 to 0.7 centimeters, he said.
A report issued by the Regional Commission for the Red Sea Environment Preservation noted that coral reefs contain more diverse groups of sea creatures than any other environment. It is an important environment for the growth, feeding and reproduction of fish, seaweed, sea worms, crustaceans and other kinds of animals, said the report.
The report estimates the productivity of a healthy coral reef at 35 tons of fish a year for every square kilometer.
It stated that reefs provide protection for coasts as they work as natural barriers against erosion factors such as waves.
© The Saudi Gazette 2008
