Emirates Diving Association leads initiatives to save marine life in the Gulf
Dubai, UAE -In a bid to preserve marine life in the Gulf, Emirates Diving Association, with the help of Shell, has launched a new marine environment protection scheme, the Coral Monitoring Project. Its focus is on two major threats to coral reefs around the UAE coastline pollution and crown-of-thorns starfish.
“Shell is committed to conducting its business in an environmentally sustainable way”, said Hussain Al Mahmoudi, External Affairs Manager, Shell Markets Middle East. “Therefore we are eager to become involved in initiatives to conserve the environment. Our support for the Coral Monitoring Project is one important way through which we can demonstrate how serious we are about environmental issues.”
The team at the Emirates Diving Association will be examining the various sources of pollution that are attacking the UAE’s coral reefs. In addition, the project aims to control a further threat to the UAE’s vibrant marine life by removing crown-of-thorns starfish from the east coast where most of the coral reefs of the UAE are located.
Emirates Diving Association has set up a special “Coral Monitoring Committee” to monitor marine life on the coasts of the UAE and to document negative effects on the corals. “There isn’t enough information available on pollution nor on the harm that species such as crown-of-thorns starfish can do around the UAE’s reefs,” said Essa Al-Ghurair, Vice Chairman, Emirates Diving Association.
“It is necessary to dive on each major site several times a month to get an overview of the situation and make recommendations for improvement. Companies such as Shell who support these projects, play a huge part in preserving marine life for future generations.”
Shell is supporting the project not only financially - which enables the Committee to purchase vital equipment – but is also providing the project with scientific help such as analysis of the results of the Association’s findings.
Coral reefs are the world’s most biologically diverse marine ecosystems. Not only important assets to local and national economies, they provide materials for new medicines and income from tourism and recreation as well as protecting coastal communities from storms. Corals are suffering not only from industrial development, pollution and diseases but also from animals that feed on them such as the crown-of-thorns starfish.
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© Press Release 2004
