Oyster Beds and Reefs of the United Arab Emirates

Abstract

Oyster habitats in the United Arab Emirates are highly diverse marine ecosystems with fascinating historical cultural and fisheries importance for pearls, but also for provisioning local people with food and materials for direct consumption and income. Their hard structure protects coastal areas and human populations and their assets, while their strong filtering activity promotes clean waters and healthy and productive marine ecosystems. Oyster habitats in the UAE occur on both the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman coasts. They form oyster beds and oyster reefs and are distributed across coastal and offshore areas. These oyster habitats support hundreds of marine species that include valuable commercial species such as hamours (groupers), emperors (Lethrinidae), and snappers (Lutjanidae). The water quality in oyster ecosystems of Sharjah, Ajman and Umm al Quwain reflects good environmental conditions, yet the presence of microplastics in the sediment and oyster tissue evidence some pollution. Phytoplankton in these areas is diverse and includes several harmful algal bloom species. The current status and extent of oyster habitats in the UAE is known only for some emirates, but there is local scientific and management interest in addressing this gap for the conservation and restoration of these valuable habitats for the nation.