ADQ, EAD, ARchireef To Develop Marine Biodiversity Restoration Solution

ADQ Aims To Capture Opportunities In Innovative Areas That Benefit The Environment And Mitigate Climate Change-Related Risks

The United Nations Environment Programme says that the project is a creative addition to EAD's efforts, which are already some of the best in the world at protecting marine ecosystems and fixing them up.

The Agency helped with logistics and gave the project expert advice. A team of coral experts from EAD worked closely with ADQ and Archireef to evaluate and choose the site, giving corals from EAD's in situ coral nursery to the project.

Reporters added that the tiles were designed by a team of marine biologists and architects and produced through custom 3D clay printing in Archireef’s new production facility in an economic zone under KEZAD Group. In contrast to other types of artificial reefs, the clay-based reef structures are environmentally friendly and engineered to closely mimic the natural pattern of corals and prevent sedimentation buildup, which is a major threat for corals.

The outplantation site, selected in partnership with EAD, is a marine protected area near Um Khorah Island in Al Dhafra Region in Abu Dhabi, featuring 40 square meters of reef tiles housing around 1,200 coral fragments grown in specialized nurseries owned by EAD.

The deployment of the tiles was completed by a team of seven scuba divers over the course of five days. Continuous monitoring of the deployment site will provide data on the performance of the corals, including photographic updates to capture the recruitment of fish populations, said the report.

Anas Jawdat Albarguthi, Chief Operating Officer at ADQ, said, "Our partnership with Archireef brings a unique and innovative coral restoration method to Abu Dhabi to safeguard our emirate’s natural environment and promote sustainable development. It is a memorable moment for ADQ to be part of this project, which provides a lifeline to endangered coral reefs and is the first of its kind in the UAE and the wider region. Underlining our commitment to adopting practical solutions powered by R&D and innovation to address environmental challenges, this biodiversity restoration initiative aligns with our ESG aspirations, and we believe it will have a positive impact not only on our planet but also on the local communities we operate in."

Ahmed Al Hashemi, Executive Director, Terrestrial and Marine Biodiversity Sector at EAD, said, "This project highlights the importance of embracing the use of innovative technologies to assist in the restoration of marine biodiversity. Partnerships between the private and public sectors are key to ensuring the protection of vulnerable habitats and research into species such as coral reefs. This specific project is an extension of all our marine restoration initiatives and our region’s first coral reef restoration project in particular. Furthermore, it is part of our efforts towards climate change adaptation and mitigation, which is a priority for us at EAD, especially with the UAE hosting COP28 this year."

It mentioned that Vriko Yu, Co-Founder and CEO at Archireef, added, "With reference to the industry-leading coral survivorship levels of 95 percent, which we accomplished in a comparable project in Hong Kong, there is good reason to believe that the Abu Dhabi marine ecosystem will derive similar benefits from the deployment of our innovative terracotta-based reef tiles. As the Emirate ramps up climate change mitigation efforts in line with national objectives and targets, we hope to make a contribution to biodiversity restoration."

Coral reefs are increasingly receiving special protection from governments and engaged private sector players as the most diverse ecosystems on Earth, supporting the greatest number of aquatic species per unit area. Abu Dhabi waters are known to house 34 different types of hard coral, according to the report.