East coast regains allure but red tide threat lingers

Fujairah: With minimal traces of red tide in the waters around the east coast, after having plagued Fujairah for months earlier this year, bathers and divers are enjoying the open seas once more. But for how long?

Red tides, or harmful algal blooms, occur cyclically and are a result of natural phenomena which cause a build-up of algae that starve the water of oxygen and block sunlight, thus killing fish and corals below.

Ebrahim Al Jamali, a red tide expert and director of the Marine Resource Research Centre at the Ministry of Environment and Water, said he had been continually assessing shellfish and water samples. He confirmed that red tide had mostly dispersed.

"It is difficult to say whether it has completely gone but the fishermen are catching fish again and many crabs have been spotted on the beaches and in the [fishing] cages," said Al Jamali.

"Our team is diving once a week in different places to assess these areas, and so far it is good and there is nearly no sign of red tide but we will continue to dive and take samples," he said.

"We need to conduct more research before we can say that the area is ‘back to life'. But people can go back into the water."

Dive centres Gulf News spoke to said the visibility was excellent and many species of fish and sharks had returned to popular dive sites.

One dive master who asked to remain anonymous said he was worried red tide would return as the waters become cooler.

Jonathan Ali Khan, a diver and underwater film-maker believes red tide is a side effect of global warming. He said it was still too early to say that ‘everything is fine' on the East Coast.

Patterns

"Whether invasive toxic algae or just dangerously dense blooms of harmless species, the water itself is going to go through similar patterns year after year.

"Let's face it, that's not something we have seen the last of. It proves that this region is part of a global issue and really highlights the need for more and more research," he said.

According to Moe Bitar from Freestyle Divers, marine life is back to normal.

"We've got massive amounts of groupers on Dibba rock which is always a great sign. Plenty of black tip sharks, jack fish, barracudas, octopuses, turtles, devil-rays, Indian mackerel, lobsters and last, but not least, we had a full month of whale sharks visiting the marine reserve!"

Divers from Al Boom said no signs of red tide had been spotted over the past two months. Good visibility has been reported in both Al Aqah and Musandam.

William Vannier, a diver from France, said although he had seen better conditions on dives near Khor Fakkan, he did not see anything related with red tide.

"However, two weeks ago I dived in the northern part of East Coast in Mussandam. Lima Rock was safe and healthy but The Caves was definitely invaded with something I would humbly qualify as red tide."