Just at the surface of the shores in the UAE , we can already see a vast number of marine species , but when you dive down deep into the ocean there is a whole host of other marine inhabitants . The UAE coastline measures 1,318 kilometres and has a maximum depth of 150 metres . The water temperature can reach up to 35 degrees Celsius in the summer , when the air temperature reaches over 40 degrees Celsius , and drops to around 15 degrees Celsius in the winter . These extreme conditions , along with significant urban development , pose a hug threat to the sea life .
After the massive , and reportedly harmful growth of Dubai at the beginning of this millennium , the UAE , in partnership with the Emirates Wildlife Society ( EWS ), has now established 60 protected marine areas along the coastlines of Abu Dhabi , Dubai ( where I used to live ), Sharjah and Fujairah . They are c o m m i t t e d t o c o n s e r v i n g h e a l t h y m a r i n e environments within their development plans .
In the Jumeriah area of Dubai , there is a turtle rehabilitation project , which has been running since 2004 . This project has overseen the release of over 1,950 rehabilitated turtles back to their natural habitat . After their treatment at the Burj Al Arab ’ s aquarium , they are brought to high level health at the Rehabilitation Sanctuary at Al Naseem . The Hawksbill turtle , native to the Middle East , is listed as critically endangered , with only an estimated 8,000 nesting females left worldwide . This programme has collaborated with Dubai ’ s Wildlife Protection Office and veterinary support by The Dubai Falcon Clinic and the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory . This is only one example of a species that is endangered , but this project is currently the only project of its kind in the Middle East and the Red Sea region .
Over the next ten years , our focus must be on responsible development so that cities can continue
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to grow and thrive , but with the impact on the marine environment minimised . One aim includes rolling out the successful turtle conservation programme globally , mainly to help endangered migratory animals and environmentally responsible tourism . The challenges that we will face are the extreme surface temperatures , abandoned fish traps and historically poor planning , which has resulted in unsustainable coastal development .
Natalie Banks left her job as a marine conservationist and scuba diving instructor in Australia in 2016 to follow her husband to Dubai , but still held a deep passion to continue her work in Dubai . Four months of attempting to find a secure position in marine conservation with no luck inspired her to do exactly what she had done in Australia : start from scratch and work her way up to the top . She founded a non-profit organisation called Azraq , meaning blue in Arabic . This is symbolic of the environment they are trying to preserve for the future . This team is a uniquely United Arab Emirates focused campaign . They are fighting to promote the values Sheikh Zayed brought to the nation including tolerance , environmentalism , leadership and charity and they hope to upkeep these values through education , motivation and action .
To conclude , Marine biology is a big part of the UAE ’ s past , present and future . Its joy and wonder brings in revenue through tourism , but most of all , the preservation of the essential ecosystems . To conserve this underwater beauty , we must think globally and act locally . There are many animals under those hot waters , such as : rays , the second largest population of dugongs in the world , dolphins , the endangered hawksbill , green and loggerhead turtles , over 40 species of sharks , jellyfish and over 500 species of fish . We must strive to protect them and continue to push to save our marine biology ecosystem .