Safeguarding valuable marine resources in the Arabian Gulf
An exciting project to map the entire seabed within Qatari waters, the first time that this will have been achieved in the Arabian Gulf, is one aspect of a new partnership between leading marine scientists from the renowned School of Ocean Sciences at Bangor University in the UK and the University of Qatar Environmental Studies Centre.
The first phase of mapping, using seabed cameras and sonar imaging, was conducted on the RV Janan, the new 43m multipurpose research vessel operated by Qatar University, and will provide valuable information to the research partners.
This is one of the joint research projects addressing some of the challenges facing rapidly growing Gulf States such as Qatar: in this case, how to balance growth against environmental conservation and sustainable management of the region's unique marine ecosystems and resources. Twin pressures of development and climate change need to be managed without jeopardising existing valuable natural resources which support industries such as fishing that are important to food security.
International research projects, the first fruits of the partnership, will provide the information to develop policies which will safeguard the sustainability of Qatar's marine resources.
A desire to ensure the sustained and healthy survival of a Qatari fishing industry is also behind a recently announced research programme funded by the Qatar National Research Fund. Under the programme, the Centre for Applied Marine Sciences at Bangor University and the Environmental Studies Centre at Qatar University will work with the Ministry of Environment Department of Fisheries to study how different seabed environments in the deep Gulf waters support different fish communities.
Qatar's inshore and coastal marine habitats such as sea grass and mangroves also provide important nursery grounds for fish and are therefore an economically important resource to the fishing industry. However, shoreline developments pose a threat to these habitats and ultimately to the viability of commercial fisheries. Ongoing work is studying the ecology of these coastal ecosystems to better understand how they function in the Arabian Gulf's unique marine environment and to develop an evidence base to inform strategies for their future management. Dr Lewis Le Vay of Bangor University explains the main thrust of current research interests:
"The Gulf region has seen extensive and rapid modification of large areas of coastal habitats for developments in recent years, with the loss of over 40% of natural coastline in some Arabian Gulf States, as well as offshore impacts and construction of artificial islands. The question is how and to what extend such developments affect fisheries. We understand the impact of the loss of shallow nursery grounds, but much less is known about condition of deeper offshore habitats which also support large numbers of fish." In addition to joint research spanning fisheries, aquaculture, oceanography and marine geochemistry, the partnership will provide postgraduate training opportunities, as well as an accessible resource of world-leading expertise and facilities to conduct multi-disciplinary research and consultancy in Gulf waters. For example, two new PhD research projects starting in 2013 will assess long-term changes in marine pollution levels in the Gulf.
The partnership is to be highlighted at a Workshop at the prestigious Gulf Education Conference taking place in London on 19 June 2013.
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Further information:
Dr Lewis Le Vay, Centre for Applied Marine Sciences, School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University (+44) 1248 388115 e mail l.levay@bangor.ac.uk
The following images are available to accompany this release from press@bangor.ac.uk
1. Dr Lewis LeVay and Dr Gwyladys Lambert (Bangor University) setting up the camera sledge ready to deploy off the ship. In the foreground, Dr Mehsin Al-Ansi - Director of the Environmental Studies Centre at QU.
2. Qatar University's RV Janan
3. Doha seen from the deck of RV Janan
Bangor University
Bangor University has a long record of academic excellence and appears among the top 300 universities worldwide in the Times Higher Supplement World University Rankings (www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/2012-13/world-ranking/institution/bangor-university). The University currently has 11,000 students and offers 500 degree programmes, with particular strengths in the fields of Environmental Science (including Ocean Sciences), Health (including Psychology, Neuroscience and Sports Science), Humanities, Physical Sciences, Business, Law, Social Sciences and Education. It is a research-led university, and the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise demonstrated that it had 'world-leading' research in every subject area assessed. Visit the University website at: www.bangor.ac.uk
The School of Ocean Sciences at Bangor University is one of the largest university marine science departments in Europe, with an excellent track record in multidisciplinary marine research and with historical and current connections with universities and governmental institutions in the Gulf region.
The Centre for Applied Marine Sciences is the applied research division of the School of Ocean Sciences with a specialist team of researchers conducting applied and international research projects, as well as drawing upon the multi-disciplinary skills of over 100 members of staff at the School of Ocean Sciences.
About the Gulf Education Conference & Exhibition:
Now in its third year, the Gulf Education Conference and Exhibition creates a unique opportunity for the educational leadership of Arabia Gulf, MENA, UK and U.S. as well as international education professionals to gather in a single location for network, exchange ideas and create new partnerships.
For more information about the 3rd Gulf Education Conference and Exhibition please contact the Gulf Education team on Tel: 0203 597 7034 or email: info@gulfconferences.co.uk
© Press Release 2013
