It is high time we take steps to protect our marine environment and species. There is a lot of pressure which we are inserting on our seas and it is taking a heavy toll on our marine species. Seas and oceans have valuable resources. It provides us with food, transport, energy and stabilizes our climate.

We live on a blue planet, with oceans and seas covering more than 70 per cent of the Earth’s surface. Oceans feed us, regulate our climate, and generate most of the oxygen we breathe. Oceans are facing threats as a result of human activity. Every year, an estimated 8 million tons of plastic waste end up in the world’s oceans.

The forefathers of Abu Dhabi owed their living to the waters of the Arabian Gulf and it continues to teem with life. One of the world’s largest and densest colonies of dugongs live here, as do many seabird colonies. Several hundred thousand migrating shorebirds visit each year. Abu Dhabi also hosts approximately 110 km² of mangroves. But these waters and the plant and animal species within them now face immense threats, on several fronts due to plastic pollution.

As United Arab Emirates is famous for the desert and arid region, most of them assume that the natural environment will be suitable only for animals capable of coping with the hot climatic condition, barren desert and lack of water. But the actual fact isn’t that. UAE is home to a wide variety of marine animals.

Marine animals such as sea snakes, dugongs and green turtles are found in the Southern Gulf waters. Although a wide variety of marine life do exist in UAE but only a few people living here actually come to know or see the sea life. The extensive seagrass beds of UAE is a favorite habitat for many marine species.

Aquatic animals are useful to us many ways. They supply compounds that could treat many diseases and infections.

Some of the activities which has lead to the diminishing of the marine ecosystems are over fishing, litter dumping, careless disposal of wastes by companies and individuals, oil spillage,…And also pesticides are killing thousands of the marine species. The surface water is becoming acidic due to the results of global warming. This has led to quite a lot of changes in our food supply and our habitat.

A few measures taken by entities are to spearhead regional collaboration to conserve endangered species, follow responsible practices and promote marine management in an integrated manner. Now the government and private entities have taken the issue seriously and are taking precautionary measures to protect the marine ecosystem. The goal is to protect our marine habitats by 2020, address the major threats, and plan for a healthy marine ecosystem.  

Photo courtesy: http://darkroom.baltimoresun.com/2014/07/severe-water-pollution-in-china/dead-fish-are-seen-at-a-pond-on-the-outskirts-of-wuhan/

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