By Praseeda Nair - Khaleej Times
9 June 2011, 7:11 AM
DUBAI - Artificial reefs made from recycled plastic could be the answer to sustaining marine life along Dubai’s coastline, following the success of prototypes implemented in tide-damaged areas in Fujairah.
These reefs are to be placed in the ocean, in lieu of the actual coral reefs in the Arabian Gulf that have disappeared during the past decade of construction, land reclamation and natural weather fluctuations. The reefs, a first in the world, according to its creators, are placed in accordance to the Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) guidelines in a marine protected area.
“What we want to do is turn a negative situation into something positive. By collecting waste plastic that would otherwise end up in the desert or get blown into the ocean, we want to turn it into a part of the environment,” said Gerry Sherard, Sales and Marketing Manager at Eco Plastic’s partner company, Ecosol.
Years of research around the world indicate that artificial reefs help increase and sustain the diversity of fish, coral, sponges, and other marine life, as seen in deep sea shipwrecks that host hundreds of marine animals in their cavernous body. Materials used in cars and airplanes have also been used to help build artificial reefs, by lowering them into the ocean and allowing them to become subsumed as part of the natural environment.
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