This morning, a friend was telling me that Bahrain Bay will be involved in planned destruction of the coral reef in Bahrain. I looked it up in the GDN, and sure as she said it, i found the statement: June 23: CORAL reefs standing in the way of development work at the site of the $2.5 billion (BD945 million) Bahrain Bay will be removed, following a decision taken by the Manama Municipal Council yesterday. The fasht, which is located between the King Faisal Corniche and the bay, is blocking work on water channels and developers sought permission for its removal.

Just after hearing that, I opened up an email from about a month ago. Is the timing ironic, or is it just plain carelessness that such an announcement was made a month after this seminar (see below) was held?

BAHRAIN CORAL REEFS A BED OF RUBBLE

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BAHRAIN (17 May 2007) -- Bahrain risks losing all its vital coral reefs unless action is taken immediately, an environmental expert warned yesterday.

British biologist Dr Charles Sheppard said that excessive excavation, land reclamation, landfill, illegal dumping and pollution - among other things - were already to blame for the destruction of one major coral reef in the country's waters.

He added that "enormously sloppy engineering" was also responsible for the "bed of rubble" that is today Fasht Al Adhm - the reef located between Bahrain and Qatar.

Coral, some estimated to be up to 400 years old, is dying in Bahrain's waters and the consequences can be enormous unless something is done, said Dr Sheppard, who is a renowned research scientist and international specialist on coral reefs, marine pollution and marine disturbances.

The professor is in Bahrain conducting surveys of the country's coral reefs as part of the Marine Geographical Information Project (MARGIS II) activities, which include the production of a marine atlas of Bahrain, in addition to an online marine environmental portal.

He was speaking during a seminar entitled 20 Years On - The Status of Coral Reefs in the Territorial Waters of Bahrain, which took place at the Gulf Hotel's Gulf International Convention and Exhibition Centre yesterday.

Organised by the Bahrain Centre for Studies and Research (BCSR) and GEOMATEC, the seminar highlighted the extensive damage already done to Bahrain's coral reefs and what action the country would need to take in order to save them.

Showing photographs of Fasht Al Adhm in 1985, Dr Sheppard explained how the reef once thrived and showed strength - despite the challenge of flourishing in waters that were higher in salinity compared to other parts of the world.

Having revisited the site more than 20 years later last Saturday, Dr Sheppard described how "depressing" the scene had become.

"I don't know of any sort of destruction like (the one at Fasht Al Adhm) happening elsewhere, it was depressing," he said.

"In the last 20 years, there has been a massive shift of corals and a collapse in the eco-system."

He said that Bahrain risks losing untold acres of coral reefs due to coastal development.

"There is a gloom of silt miles long. It was no fun diving and I brought all this gear to measure the reefs and I realised there was no point because nearly everything was dead."

Dr Sheppard said that although Bahrain takes biodiversity seriously, action needed to be taken fast when it comes to saving what is left of the coral reefs.

"Compare the photographs we took in 1985 to the ones we took last week and you'll see in 1985 there was a blanket of coral and the reef was healthy looking," said Dr Sheppard.

"Today, I can say less than one per cent - very close to zero - of what was Fasht Al Adhm survives.

"It is a bed of rubble and it is depressing because all of it looks the same. What were healthy living corals are today eroding stumps."

Dr Sheppard estimates that up to 40pc of the reef has been turned into rubble and 60pc into bare rock.

"People need to realise there is no need for this to have happened," he said.

"You can build and not destroy. Look at some of the developments in the Pacific, where they have successfully built and not destroyed reefs."

BCSR secretary-general Dr Abdulla Al Sadiq said that most of Bahrain's coral reefs were found off the eastern and northern shores of the country.

"Coral is an important animal group found in colonies and they are important in shaping Bahrain's environment," he said.

"It is important as it provides protection and shelter for fish and other organisms. They (coral reefs) are an important fish resource and provide Bahraini fishermen with livelihoods. They create a vital marine environment and green turtles and dugongs are commonly found where the reefs are.

Coral rubble

"Unfortunately, coral reefs are subject to threats by human activities and global warming."

Dr Sheppard said that although nature did play a part in the destruction of reefs, such as the "white out" in 1998 when water temperatures went from 34C to 37C (even up to 39C in shallow areas) in a week, humans take most of the blame.

"Let's say one quarter of the destruction is done by nature, I can say three quarters is by humans," he explained.

"It doesn't take much pollution to tip corals over the edge. Losing the coral in Bahrain means losing all biodiversity; and Fasht Al Adhm is almost completely dead - I mean the amount of coral left there is zero."

Bahrain's coral reefs managed to recover from the 1998 "white out" Dr Sheppard described, where there was 100pc bleaching from Hayr Shutaya (about 32km north of Bahrain) south to Fasht Al Adhm and Fasht Al Dibal (all less than 10m in depth).

Bleaching was estimated at 50pc on Abul Thama (about 80km north of Bahrain).

Fasht Abul Thama may be the only remaining "intact" reef of Bahrain, but Dr Sheppard said the question is for how long?

"There are many young corals there and very much alive," he said. "But unfortunately, we have recorded 100 fish traps there that are unmanaged. These traps catch herb eating fish and you can already see big patches of algae and seaweed because there are less fish eating these. These algae are starting to choke the corals and if nothing is done, this reef will die too."

Experts in the UK estimate that another "white out" may occur around the world soon.

In Bahrain, this is expected to occur in 2040, said Dr Sheppard.
"This is when water temperatures are expected to be lethal and Bahrain still has over three decades to sort this out," he said. "In countries like the Maldives and Seychelles, their expected "wipe out" periods are coming sooner - which is in 2010 and 2015 respectively.

"Already there are reports of tourists asking their money back because the corals are dead.

"All Bahrain needs is a little bit of management. People ask: 'Why bother when Bahrain has wealth and the financial sector?' I'll tell you why, because ecology and economy should go hand in hand. The movement of proper management pays. It would actually cost a country more if it does not take action. Some countries in the world are already reporting a decline in fish. There is a crisis worldwide and it is just not in Bahrain. This is already happening and Bahrain needs to learn how to protect its natural food resources."

Dr Sheppard is also a reader in the Department of Biological Sciences at Warwick University and works for a range of United Nations, governmental and aid agencies on tropical marine and coastal development issues.

He advises governments on marine and coastal management.

http://www.cdnn.info/news/eco/e070517.html

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