Coastal lagoons in the United Arab Emirates serve as critical habitats for globally threatened marine megafauna.

Shallow coastal lagoons are vital ecosystems for many aquatic species and understanding their biodiversity is essential. Very little is known about the distribution and abundance of globally threatened marine megafauna in coastal lagoons of the Arabian Gulf. This study combined underwater and aerial surveys to investigate the distributions and relative abundance of marine megafauna in a large lagoon.

Expanding ocean protection and peace: a window for science diplomacy in the Gulf.

The ecological state of the Persian or Arabian Gulf (hereafter 'Gulf') is in sharp decline. Calls for comprehensive ecosystem-based management approaches and transboundary conservation have gone largely unanswered, despite mounting marine threats made worse by climate change. The region's long-standing political tensions add additional complexity, especially now as some Gulf countries will soon adopt ambitious goals to protect their marine environments as part of new global environmental commitments.

Environmental assessment of oyster beds in the northern Arabian Gulf Coast of the United Arab Emirates.

The United Arab of Emirates (UAE) hosts valuable coastal and marine biodiversity, and oysters are one of the habitants of its marine ecosystem. Oysters play an essential role in the nearshore coasts where they work as an active filter. They filter nutrients, phytoplankton, sediments, heavy metals, and toxins out of the water, which improves the water quality.

Oyster beds in the United Arab Emirates: Important fishing grounds in need of protection.

There is scarce information on the current importance of oyster beds as fishing grounds in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This study aims to understand the socio-economic value of oyster bed fisheries through questionnaire-based surveys with fishers. Of 106 Emirati fishers interviewed, 67 % use oyster beds due to the proximity to shore, better catch quality, and species abundance.

Coral reefs at Sir Bu Nair Island: An offshore refuge of Acropora in the southern Arabian Gulf.

Coral reefs across the southern Arabian Gulf have declined in the past two decades, with extensive loss of formerly Acropora table corals, which are now functionally extinct in nearshore reefs. This study documents the coral community at Sir Bu Nair (SBN), an offshore island buffered by less extreme environmental conditions, which contains the last remaining large stands of Acropora in the southern Gulf. We found that Acropora is a major reef-building coral throughout SBN.

Applying an integrated approach to coastal marine habitat mapping in the north-western United Arab Emirates.

Habitat mapping is essential for the management and conservation of coastal marine habitats. However, accurate and up-to-date habitat maps are rarely available for the marine realm. In this study, we mapped the coastal marine habitats of >400 km of coastline in the north-western United Arab Emirates (UAE) using a combination of data sources including remote sensing, extensive ground-truthing points, local expert knowledge and existing information.

Marine managed areas and associated fisheries in the US Caribbean.

The marine managed areas (MMAs) of the U.S. Caribbean are summarized and specific data-rich cases are examined to determine their impact upon fisheries management in the region.