The Environmental Atlas of Abu Dhabi Emirate

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O FFSHORE W ATERS The offshore marine environment in the Gulf is extensive and quite diverse. It contains a rich and increasingly rare variety of species ranging from the microscopic to the truly massive, all playing integral roles within the marine ecosystem. The Arabian Gulf offers a unique and challenging environment for its deep water inhabitants. These range from the microscopic ‘forests’ of phytoplankton converting the sun’s energy into food; the ‘grazers’ that harvest the plankton, including small jellyfish and massive whale sharks; and finally,

Deadly Invaders T The heavy reliance on ship transport from overseas has resulted in many marine pests arriving in the Gulf. The adverse impacts of invasive species are not only ecological but also economic, amounting to billions of dirhams of losses to fisheries and aquaculture alone, including costly efforts to eradicate and mitigate often persistent and devastating effects. Every year, an estimated 400,000 to 750,000 cubic metres of ballast water and other oily water is discharged from tankers and ships that enter Arabian Gulf waters, potentially releasing harmful invaders such as alien fish and jellyfish, crabs, toxic phytoplankton, worms and shellfish.

predatory creatures such as sharks, dolphins and sailfish that use stealth, speed and strategy to hunt their prey. The relative numbers of species may be quite small but the interdependent web of life sustained within the deep waters of the Gulf is intricate and essential to the vitality of the entire sea.

Lesser CrestedTern Sterna bengalensis

Beware of Harmful Algal Blooms T Commonly known as algae, phytoplankton are usually a healthy green colour. Changing conditions in the environment, however, can cause rapid deterioration into a heavy green, brown, yellow or red discolouration with the

appearance of an oil slick. This is termed a Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) that has negative impacts on other marine organisms and even humans. Sometimes known as ‘red tides’, HABs can stretch for many kilometres and are especially damaging to marine life in the shallower

Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins W Curious, gentle and social, the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) is the most common cetacean in the Gulf waters, making up about 70% of groups and individual marine mammals. Recognisable by their elongated snout or rostrum, bottlenose dolphins travel in groups or ‘pods’ ranging from a few to several hundred individuals and will often swim alongside the bow of a moving boat. Their practice of ‘porpoising’ or leaping out of the water while swimming can be dramatic and is thought to improve efficiency of locomotion.

Lungs of the Ocean - Phytoplankton Revealed T Phytoplankton are microscopic single cell tiny plants that might not seem very important, but they are probably the most critical component of the ocean food web. During food production (photosynthesis) using sunlight as their source energy, they fix carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) into organic compounds. During this process, these microscopic plants consume large amounts of carbon dioxide from atmosphere and release oxygen. It has been estimated that phytoplankton produce more

Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin Tursiops aduncus

waters prevalent along the Abu Dhabi coast. Under such conditions, HABs deplete the dissolved oxygen in water and release toxins, resulting in mass fish kills and serious economic losses for fisheries.

than half of the oxygen we breathe. Since the phytoplankton are removing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen into the atmosphere, they are sometimes referred to as lungs of the ocean.

Yellowstripe Scad Selaroides leptolepis

Narrow-barred Spanish Mackerel Scomberomorus commerson

Whale Shark Rhincodon typus

Indo-Pacific Sailfish Istiophorus platypterus

Blue Jellyfish Catostylus mosaicus

Sailfish Distribution and Migration X Sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus) are perhaps the most distinctive fish in Abu Dhabi’s waters. The dorsal fin running down the length of its spine resembles a sail, which is a defence mechanism that it erects to frighten would-be predators, or on occasion, to corral its own prey. Elongated, sharp bills are another distinguishing trait of sailfish, one which they share with their relatives, the marlins. Sailfish use these bills like a club or bat, stunning their prey by slashing back and forth. But the most remarkable talent of the sailfish is the one you’re most likely to miss – sailfish have been clocked at speeds exceeding 110 km/hour, the fastest recorded speed of any marine species! Blink once and they are gone!

Carbon Catchers S Phytoplankton influence the global climate. With two- thirds of the Earth’s surface covered by seawater, phytoplankton photosynthesis removes a massive three billion tons of the ‘greenhouse gas’ carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) from the atmosphere each year. This process helps to slow down the warming of the planet. In addition, phytoplankton not only consume carbon dioxide to produce life-sustaining oxygen, but also produce a chemical called Dimethylsulphide (DMS), which aids cloud formation and helps to regulate the climate.

Sea to Summit › Offshore Waters

Genetic analyses and tagging programmes indicate that the Gulf sailfish show minimal genetic mixing with sailfish outside the Gulf. The reasons for their restricted movements are not entirely understood, but may be related to this population’s adaptive preference for the environmental conditions found within the Gulf. Whatever the reasons, their restricted range and genetic isolation make them a unique feature of Abu Dhabi’s coastal waters. Studies indicate these sailfish remain inside the Gulf year-round, but migrate north-westward during the spring into deeper waters.

Orangespotted Trevally Carangoides bajad

Moon Jellyfish Aurelia aurita