Marine ecosystem restoration and aquaculture-based stock enhancement for fishery resource conservation in Abu Dhabi Emirate, United Arab Emirates

Abstract

There is a necessity to protect and manage the marine ecosystem towards the conservation of the ecological equilibrium and in turn the sustainability of the fishery resources in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Marine stock enhancement (MSE) proved that releasing hatchery fingerlings of marine animals can improve the abundance of harvest beyond the level supported by natural recruitment. For such programme to be beneficial and economical, considerable investment and scientific efforts are required. Among the concerned entities in the United Arab Emirates, the Aquaculture and Marine Studies (AMSC) in Abu Al Abyad Island successfully released 59 million of juveniles of different finfish species and 96 million juveniles of prawn species in Abu Dhabi waters. In the context of conserving the ecological equilibrium, the AMSC was able to plant an area of 5,026 ha in various areas of Abu Dhabi Emirate with grey mangrove, Avicennia marina; culturing over 21,290 corals of Acropora sp., Porites sp., Cyphastrea sp and Psammocora sp. in an area of 0.5 ha nurseries in Abu Al Abyad and Yasat Islands which will later be transplanted in the degraded reef sites in both islands; and a well-established seagrass coverage of 2500 m2 was achieved in affected areas in Abu Al Abyad Island.