EDA, together with Qasim Barwani of the Dibba Marine Environment Research Center of the Ministry of Environment, and with help of the dive team of Freestyle Divers, recently released mooring buoys in Dibba’s marine reserve areas, as part of its ongoing mooring buoy project called “Adopt a mooring buoy”.
Three of these buoys were installed in Dibba Rock and one in Inch cape 1.
The new mooring buoys, made of luminous material, which makes them visible during night time, display the names of both EDA and Earth watch. Earth watch supported the first phase of the EDA’s mooring buoy project for 2007.
Earth watch Institute is an international non-profit organization that brings science to life for people concerned about the Earth's future. Founded in 1971, Earth watch supports scientific field research by offering volunteers the opportunity to join research teams around the world.
The grant from Earth watch enabled EDA to purchase the buoys, steel chains and the other necessary material to ensure the successful and safe release of the buoys in the reserved marine areas of Dibba.
The mooring buoy concept is simple: install a mooring buoy close to or over a site where boats traditionally anchor. Instead of anchoring, boat users tie off to the mooring and this lessens damage to the coral reef. Mooring buoys are also used as an ongoing aid to coral reef conservation. They may be used to zone an area for a particular activity and help avoid conflicts between fishermen and divers, for example. Installing mooring buoys requires professional expertise at all phases of project planning and implementation. Funding for installation and ongoing maintenance (a crucial element of any mooring buoy system) must be organized. Educational programs must be undertaken to ensure that private users understand what the buoys are for and adequate arrangements for enforcement of the project or site regulations need to be in place. Despite the effort involved in a mooring buoy planning and installation project, the benefits far outweigh the work involved. Mooring buoy projects are firmly fixed as a healthy element in the future of the world’s coral reefs.
EDA plans to release more mooring buoys in the next coming months to cover various marine protected areas in the UAE. This project requires ongoing funding support, so please contact EDA for further details on how you can contribute to the project and “Adopt a mooring buoy”!
