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EAD considers new ways to remove algae
ABU DHABI - Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi (EAD) is navigating the feasibility of removing algae from water and wastewater by chemical flocculation techniques,
- PUBLISHED: Fri 2 Jul 2010, 12:00 AM UPDATED: Tue 17 Sept 2024, 12:44 PM
Thabit Zahran Al Abdessalaam, director of EAD's Biodiversity Management Sector, told Khaleej Times on Wednesday.
The mechanism of chemically induced algal flocculation is interpreted in terms of bridging phenomena between the discrete algal cells and the linearly extended polymer chains, forming a three-dimensional matrix that is capable of subsiding under inactive conditions.
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Talking to Khaleej Times on the sidelines of the 'Water Day' conference at Yas Hotel in the capital, Abdessalaam said, “We are now working on the methodology to mitigate harmful algal bloom from water.”
“We are going to try and use the method of flocculation to reduce and remove the algal cells in the water in order to clean it and mitigate its dangers on the marine environment”, Abdessalaam said.
Artificial Reef
To a question about artificial reefs, he said, in the face of global warming, Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi has been planting artificial reefs around various barren marine locations in the emirate.
An artificial reef is a human-made underwater structure, typically built for the purpose of promoting marine life in areas of generally featureless bottom. Artificial reefs may also serve to improve hydrodynamics for surfing or to control beach erosion.
“We have already planted at several places in emirate and are continuously doing this,” Al Abdessalaam said.
Artificial reef is being developed in some areas in the Abu Dhabi emirate, which are barren. “We try to compensate for the loss of habitat like corals and mangroves,” he said.
Before it was done but inexperienced people put these artificial reefs in wrong places, which proved detrimental for the marine life rather than healthful. Now experts of EAD are implanting it, he said.
EAD will soon bring in regulations so that it could be done in a proper way, he said. “We have an experiment inside the marine protected area. Results of these experiments are very good and we will further continue it.
“Water conservation is the most urgent call for all of us to preserve it and save it by our daily routine life styles where litres of waters wasted. This is important component of our overall biodiversity picture,” Abdessalaam said.
Bu Tinah
Abdessalaam spoke on the 'Importance of Protecting the ecology of Bu Tinah” at the conference and emphasied to vote for Bu Tinah as one of the new seven wonders of nature.
EAD has launched an international campaign in March this year. Bu Tinah Island is shortlisted among 28 finalists from a list of 447 sites in 224 countries.
Located around 130km west of Abu Dhabi, Bu Tinah Island, is a core area of the Marawah Marine Biosphere Reserve-the first marine biosphere reserve in the region. The Island is unique.
Despite of the harsh temperatures and salinity, its habitats and species, including coral, dugongs and sea turtles, continue to thrive, making the island an important location for climate change studies. The New7Wonders of Nature is an initiative started in 2007 to create a list of seven natural wonders chosen by people through a global poll. The official declaration of the New7Wonders of Nature will be on November 11, 2011.
anwar@khaleejtimes.com