EDA Dec 2007 Issue.indd - Emirates Diving Association

CLEAN UP ARABIACONTENTSREGULARS4 EDITOR’S LETTER55 UPCOMING EVENTSEDA Event schedule Updates55 NOTICES19 BANYAN TREE GROUPMaking a positive impact on the natural environment20 BLUE VENTURES22 THE BUSINESS OF BEAUTIFUL DIVES18 22 29NEWS5 EDA SUPPORTS DUBAI CARESCAMPAIGN6 CARREFOUR UAELaunches ‘Small Change, Big Difference’ campaign7 MARAWAHThe UAE’s first Biosphere Reserve8 DUGONG CONSERVATION ANDMANAGEMENT4-Day Technical Workshop9 DIVING – AN ADVANCED SCIENCE &TECHNOLOGYA comprehensive book on Scuba Diving in Arabic10 OIL SPILL RESPONSE DRILL11 KUWAIT OIL COMPANYReceives NAUI’s Highest Environmental Award12 NAUI ENVIRONMENT CARE AWARD13 EDA IN WEST ASIA CIVIL SOCIETYAct now, or the climate will act on youMAIN FEATURE14 INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF THE REEF(IYOR) 200816 IYOR 2008Coral reefs need our help17 EDA MEETS WITH ICRAN FOR IYOR 2008DIVING DESTINATIONS26 MALAYSIAA photographer’s paradise29 SOUTH AUSTRALIAAn aquatic paradise32 DIVE GALAPAGOSFEATURES34 OCEAN ACIDIFICATIONThe other threat of rising CO2 emissions35 FEATURED CREATURE36 CLEAN UP DIBBA38 CLEAN UP ABU DHABI41 CLEAN UP DUBAI42 CLEAN UP RAS AL KHAIMAH44 CLEAN UP MUSANDAM46 CLEAN UP BAHRAIN47 CLEAN UP QATAR48 CLEAN UP KUWAIT48 CLEAN UP ARABIA 2007 AT A GLANCE50 NOMAD OCEAN ADVENTURES51 EDA MEMBERS’S 2007 DIVE EXPERIENCES52 RITA BENTOIntroducing EDA’s new staff member54 THANKING OUR SPONSORSENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVES18 THE ENVIROFONE CAMPAIGNDIVERS FOR THE ENVIRONMENTPlease note that EDA’s magazine, “Divers for theEnvironment” includes articles written by individuals whoseopinions, whilst valid, may or may not represent that of EDA.It is hoped that the magazine can become a platform forindividuals to voice their opinion on marine and divingrelated issues. You are welcome to submit an article forthe next issue of “Divers for the Environment” released inMarch 2008. Send all articles/comments to Head Office:diving@emiratesdiving.com.EDA COVERCORALS IN THE UAEPhotos by Khalfan Khalfan Al MuhairiDECEMBER 2007, VOLUME 3, ISSUE 4IYOR 2008EDA MEETS WITH ICRAN FORIYOR 2008CLEAN UP 2007BANYAN TREE GROUPBEAUTIFUL OCEANSA HUGE SUCCESS IN 4 EMIRATES AND IN 4 COUNTRIESMAKING A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENTTHE BUSINESS OF BEAUTIFUL DIVESNovember 2008! You can make a difference!2 EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION, DECEMBER 2007 DECEMBER 2007, EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION 3

EDITOR’S LETTERSPEAK UP... ACT NOW!NEWSEDA SUPPORTS DUBAI CARES CAMPAIGNIBRAHIM N. AL-ZU’BIEDA Environmental AdvisorEmirates Diving Associationwww.emiratesdiving.comTel: +971 4 393 9390Fax: +971 4 393 9391Email: diving@emiratesdiving.comTo protect our planet, we all need to acttogether, today. Now, the world is in our handsand we need to take care of it, not only forour children, but for ourselves too.Environmentalists including myself always say“let’s protect the planet for generations tocome”. Most of us never predicted that wewould fight to save the planet for ourselves.We thought global warming and climatechange will affect the coming generationsand not us. I believe we are living the climatechange NOW. Katrina and Gonu hurricaneswere no freaks of nature. You could even saythat most of the natural disasters that theworld is experiencing are not natural; theyare man-made disasters. Climate change isnow officially on the top of governments’agendas. It has made its way to Hollywood,won the Nobel Prize, won the elections andchanged governments like in Australia. Thereare also effects of climate change on aquaticecosystems, which we will be highlighting inour next issues, as part of our celebrationof the International Year of The Reef (IYOR)2008.There is still hope – you only need to speak upand act now to help yourself, your family, yourcommunity and your planet. You can act by justmaking small and easy changes in your lifestyleand do your bit to control climate change.There are many simple things you can do inyour daily life – what you eat, what you drive,how you build your home – that can have aneffect on your immediate surroundings andon places as far away as Antarctica.On a positive note, EDA has been busypreparing a line up of activities that will beimplemented next year in celebration of IYOR2008. EDA will be a focal point (key point ofcontact) for the UAE and will be coordinatingefforts with the International Coral ReefAction Network (ICRAN). Please read themain feature for this issue and see how youcan help EDA with the IYOR 2008 activities.We have also been in contact lately withProject AWARE and may link up to promotemarine conservation in the UAE as well aswork on IYOR 2008. Further information willbe emailed to members and will be posted inthe EDA website.EDA is also looking forward to promotingthe UAE as a premier diving destination withthe upcoming Dive Middle East Exhibition(DMEX) 2008 which is being held alongsidethe Dubai International Boat Show. We requestthe diving community to show your supportby attending DMEX 2008 and getting to knowthe local dive businesses, some internationaldive operators and dive-related suppliers.Protecting the environment is ournumber one priority and we have alwayswelcomed contributions from companiesand organizations who have worthwhileenvironmental initiatives. We are pleasedto present a number of them in this issue.Please read about the laudable Envirofonecampaign and the remarkable conservationefforts of Blue Ventures and Banyan TreeHotels & Resorts and Angsana. We are alsofortunate enough to have stumbled on thestory of Beautiful Oceans and we are proudto be the first to introduce their businessconcept of “beautiful dives” to the UAE divingcommunity.Lastly, we welcome the new EDA marinebiologist Rita Bento, who will be helping uson coral reef monitoring and marine reserveprojects, while we say goodbye to our longtimesecretary, Erna Magbanua.As 2007 comes to a close, we thank ourannual sponsors for their contribution, EDAsupporters and our dedicated volunteerswho worked on the committees.We look forward to working with you againnext year.I wish everybody a Merry Christmas and aHappy New Year and Eid Adha Mubarak.Eco Regards,Ibrahim N. Al-Zu’biHere is a list of a few thingsthat you can do to make adifference:• Use Compact Fluorescent Bulbs:Replace 3 frequently used light bulbswith compact fluorescent bulbs. Save140 kg of carbon dioxide and Dhs200 per year.• Inflate Your Tires: Keep the tires onyour car adequately inflated. Checkthem monthly. Save 115 kg of carbondioxide and Dhs 3,000 per year.• Change Your Air Filter: Check yourcar’s air filter monthly. Save 360 kgof carbon dioxide and Dhs 470 peryear.• Fill the Dishwasher: Run yourdishwasher only with a full load. Save50 kg of carbon dioxide and Dhs 140per year.• Use Recycled Paper: Make sure yourprinter paper is 100% post consumerrecycled paper. Save 2 kg of carbondioxide per ream of paper.• Check your Water Heater: Keep yourwater heater thermostat no higherthan 50°C. Save 250 kg of carbondioxide and Dhs 100 per year.• Change the AC Filter: Clean orreplace dirty air conditioner filters asrecommended. Save 160 kg of carbondioxide and Dhs 550 per year.• Take Shorter Showers: Showersaccount for 2/3 of all water heatingcosts. Save 160 kg of carbon dioxideand Dhs 360 per year.• Install a Low-Flow Shower Head:Using less water in the shower meansless energy to heat the water. Save160 kg of carbon dioxide and Dhs550.• Buy Products Locally: Buy locallyand reduce the amount of energyrequired to drive your products toyour store.• Buy Minimally Packaged Goods: Lesspackaging could reduce your garbageby about 10%. Save 550 kg of carbondioxide and Dhs 4,000 per year.EDA divers supported the noble campaign bydoing what they did best – diving.This EDA initiative had members diving witha company’s banner together with the DubaiCares logo for the price of Dhs10,000.Proceeds went directly to the Dubai Carescampaign to raise money for education andgive hope to one million children.EDA would like to thank Dubai QualityGroup, Carrefour and RFT for their generousdonations.GIFT AMOUNT (AED)EQUIVALENT20 1 child’s school lunch for 2 weeks50 A child’s school physical including vaccinations100 2 children’s school books and supplies for 1 year250 Train one teacher500 One student’s school fees for 1 year7751,000All educational needs for one child for 1 year(fees, physical, books, supplies, and daily lunch)Train four teachers- or -School fees for 2 children for a year2,000 Sports and recreation equipment for a school of 210 students2,500 Five students’ school fees for 1 year40,000 Renovate and rehabilitate one school200,000 Build a school for 210 students500,000 Build a school for 500 students4 EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION, DECEMBER 2007 DECEMBER 2007, EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION 5

NEWSCARREFOUR UAELAUNCHES ‘SMALL CHANGE BIG DIFFERENCE’ CAMPAIGNPHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF MAJID AL FUTTAIM (MAF) GROUPLeading retailer Carrefour introduces reusable bags in nationwide bid to cut down on plastic bag usageNEWSMARAWAHTHE UAE’S FIRST BIOSPHERE RESERVEFEATURE ENVIRONMENTAL AGENCY – ABU DHABI (EAD)MORE ON MARAWAHIn a push to reduce the millions of plasticbags that pollute the UAE’s ecosystem everyyear, MAF Hypermarkets (Carrefour) recentlyintroduced reusable bags at their checkoutcounters as an alternative to plastic bags.Shoppers will be encouraged to purchasetheir own big reusable bags from Carrefourat the checkout for 2 Dirhams (cost price). Ifdamaged at any point, the bags can be replacedat any Carrefour outlet free of charge.“It’s no secret that plastic bags are one ofthe major causes of pollution and waste inthe world today. We at Carrefour want tocontribute by at least encouraging people inthe UAE to reduce the amount of plastic bagsthat they use when shopping at our stores”,said Jean Luc Graziato, Vice President ofMarketing and Sourcing at MAF Hypermarkets(Carrefour).He added, “By using the bag 4 times, you willbe reducing the usage of plastic bags by 18 percent. So when you use a Carrefour reusablebag 4 times, the resulting decrease in plasticbag production leads to a reduction in theemission of greenhouse effect gases by 20 percent. By using the bag 20 times, you will bereducing the usage of plastic bags by 82 percent.”For his part, Mr. Ibrahim Al Zu’ bi, Advisor tothe Emirates Diving Association (EDA) said,“The Emirates Diving Association has beenworking hard over the years to reduce theamount of plastic bags that end up pollutingthe ecosystem through initiatives such asClean up Arabia.”“We are very happy that Carrefour iscontributing positively to help reduce theamount of plastic bags in the UAE. This initiativewill first help protect the marine environment,especially since plastic bags end up most of thetime in the sea. In turn, marine creatures likeTurtles and dolphins eat these bags thinkingthat they are jelly fish which unfortunatelyleads to their death”, concluded Mr. Zu’ bi.MAF Group of companies is an annual sponsor of EDA“IT’S NO SECRETTHAT PLASTIC BAGSARE ONE OF THEMAJOR CAUSES OFPOLLUTION ANDWASTE IN THE WORLDTODAY”Abu Dhabi’s Marawah Marine Protected Areahas become the first in the country to begiven the status of a Biosphere Reserve withinthe United Nations Educational, Scientific andCultural Organization’s (UNESCO) networkof global biosphere reserves.The reserve, which is managed by theEnvironmental Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD), issituated west of Abu Dhabi island and is hometo important marine and coastal ecosystemsincluding sea grass beds, coral reefs andmangroves.With an overall area of 4,255 square kilometers,Marawah is the largest protected area in theGulf. It is home to Bottlenose and Humpbackdolphins and four species of marine turtles,including Green and Hawksbill turtles whichuse the area for nesting. There are also morethan 70 fish and coral species in the area. Visitsto Marawah are possible with permissionfrom EAD, which can also authorize divingexpeditions.The reserve also hosts 60 of the second largestpopulation of dugongs in the world. Marawahalso has great cultural and archaeologicalsignificance as more than 20 sites, dating backto the Stone Age, have been discovered on itsvarious islands.• Marawah is situated west of Abu Dhabi Island. It is surrounded by Abu AlAbyad Island from the east, Seir Bani Yas Island from the west, a highly coastalline from the south, and Jarnain Island from the north.• There are sites from the Bronze, Iron and the Late Pre-Islamic Ages as wellas the Islamic period, covering the whole span of human occupation of theUAE.• A large Islamic graveyard, with over 60 burials, and an important fragment ofpottery from the Late Stone Age has been discovered.• More than 800 UAE national families live along the protected area’s coastalzone, while 107 families live on its islands. Some of these families havetraditional rights to fish in the area.From Left: Mr. Thabit Al Abdessalaam (Director – MarineEnvironment Research Centre (MERC), EnvironmentAgency – Abu Dhabi (EAD), HE Majid Al Mansouri(Secretary General – EAD) and Mr. Ashraf Al Cibahy(Manager – MERC, EAD)Dr. Mark Beech, Head of Division – Cultural Landscapesfor Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage(ADACH), at excavation site on Marawah IslandMarawah was established as a protectedarea in 2001. The UNESCO announcementfollowed a meeting of the Bureau of theInternational Coordinating Council of theMan and Biosphere (MAB) Programme at theorganisation’s headquarters in Paris, France inSeptember 2007.During the meeting, over 34 new biospherereserve proposals were examined. Marawahas well as 22 other new reserve sites wereadded to the global network, bringing the totalnumber of biosphere reserves around theworld to 529 in 105 countries.Other reserves added to the global network,include Al Reem in Qatar and Jabal Al Rihanein Lebanon.Healthy hard corals found in Marawah Biosphere Reserve6 EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION, DECEMBER 2007 DECEMBER 2007, EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION 7

NEWSFUJAIRAH CONDUCTSOIL SPILL RESPONSE DRILLFEATURE AND PHOTOGRAPHY MARAL KHALED SHURIQINEWSKUWAIT OIL COMPANYRECEIVES NAUI’S HIGHEST ENVIRONMENTAL AWARDFOR REEFBALL PROJECTThe National Association of UnderwaterInstructors (NAUI) recently awarded KuwaitOil Company (KOC), the EnvironmentalEnrichment Award for their Marine ColonyProject. The award was presented at NAUIAwards Ceremony at DEMA 2007 in Orlando,Florida, USA.Wafa’a Al-Huraibi presenting an Appreciation plaqueto EDA’s Heritage Department Coordinator Juma’aBin Thalith for EDA’s support of the KOC Dive team(Photo courtesy of Wafa’a Al-Huraibi)Nauwi Worldwide officials with Wafa’a Al-Huraibiduring the special banquet held in Kuwait to mark thedeployment of the 1000th reef ball (Photo courtesyof Wafa’a Al-Huraibi)The Environment Protection and DevelopmentDepartment of Fujairah Municipality, togetherwith Vopak Horizon Fujairah Ltd. (VHFL),Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC),Fairdeal Marine Services Co LLC, Port ofFujairah and the UAE Coastguard, recentlyconducted an oil spill management drill theydubbed Operation Squid (Al Habbar).The drill scenario, as proposed by VHFL, oneof the world’s largest bunkering centres, wasrelated to an incident in 2005 when a vesseldrifted away from the Single Point Mooring(SPM) buoy (SPM transfers fluids from anonshore/offshore facility to the mooredvessel) after the hawser (the cable or ropeused in mooring the vessel) broke. No oil spillhappened at that time.In Operation Squid, there was “moderate tostrong winds” and while discharging oil, thevessel drifted away from the SPM, towingthe floating hose (oil transfer hose). The maincause of the vessel breakaway was the brokenhawser which was damaged from a previousSPM operation or from unreported collisionwith a small boat or fishing boat, as actual caseshave shown recently. As the hawser broke, thechain sprung back, severely hitting the leg of acrew member.The drill response plan was the immediatecoordination among the VHFL personnel tocontrol the breakaway vessel, deployment ofVHFL crew to estimate the spillage quantityand the provision by Fairdeal (the vessel’sagent) of a speedboat to transport the injuredcrew member to the Port of Fujairah clinic. Asthe VHFL personnel continuously monitoredand reported the oil slick movement, Fairdealdeployed a boom (a large float to contain theslick) and a skimmer (a device that siphon’s theoil from the ocean’s surface).The oil spill management drill is part of FujairahMunicipality’s yearly training in preparation forany future oil spill incidents to protect its richmarine environment, a source of great pridefor the emirate.Editor’s Note: explanation of nautical terms (in parenthesis)was mainly sourced from the internet and supplied by theEditor.The Marine Colony Project, a group ofartificial reefs called reef balls, was organized,supported, and promoted by the KOC, in linewith the company’s aim to preserve, developand rehabilitate the natural resources ofKuwait.KOC has already deployed the one thousandthreef ball, marking the event with a ceremonyand special banquet graced by the presence ofthree representatives from NAUI Worldwide:Keith Sliman from the NAUI Board ofDirectors, Randy Shaw from NAUI WorldwideHeadquarters in Tampa, and Michael Tong,president of NAUI Services Pacific Rim.According to the press release in the NAUIwebsite (http://www.nauiww.org/news_read.php?ID=76), “… the Marine Colony Projectwas so successful, both environmentally andfrom the standpoint of raising public awareness,that it has been extended to the installation of9,000 additional reef balls in selected offshoreareas.”The Marine Colony Project was spearheadedand directed by Wafa’a Al-Huraibi, a memberof the Kuwait Oil Company dive team. Wafa’a,an EDA member, is NAUI’s first femaleCourse Director in the Middle East. Wafa’aalso received a special award from NAUI (seeseparate story next page).The KOC Dive Team, an avid supporter ofEDA and its activities, exhibited their MarineColony Project at the Dive Middle East Exhibit(DMEX) 2007 in Dubai early this year.Kuwait Oil Company representatives with NAUI officials during the NAUI Awards Ceremony at DEMA 2007(Photo courtesy of Wafa’a Al-Huraibi)Reef Ball Deployment by the KOC Dive Team (Photo courtesy of KOC Dive Team)10 EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION, DECEMBER 2007 DECEMBER 2007, EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION 11

NEWSEDA MEMBER RECEIVESNAUI ENVIRONMENT ENRICHMENT AWARDWafa’a Al-Huraibi, the first female NAUI Course Director in the Middle East, wasrecently awarded the NAUI Environment Enrichment Award in the individualcategory at the NAUI Awards Ceremony at DEMA 2007 in Orlando, Florida, USA.Wafa’a, who works for Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) and is a member of the KOC Dive Team, was recognizedfor spearheading the Marine Colony Project of KOC which also received the same award in the organizationcategory (see separate article on the previous page).Wafa’a was the first Middle East recipient of the prestigious award, winning over 50,000 international scubadivers who participated in the competition. Wafa’a said that the NAUI Environment Enrichment award wasamong the top-rated awards given to environmentalists.The annual meetingof the West AsiaCivil SocietyOrganizations thatwas held under theumbrella of theUnited NationsE n v i r o n m e n tP r o g r a m m e(UNEP) carrieda warning.The meeting’spar ticipants,coming from ten countriesaround the region, spent three days discussingthe challenge of climate change, its effects andthe need to act now. We were reminded ofthe findings of the Fourth Global EnvironmentOutlook (GEO-4) report, which says: “Thereare no major issues raised in Our CommonFuture for which the foreseeable trends arefavorable”. This means that humanity’s verysurvival is under threat as well.In the afternoon, we discussed the big issueof how to finance the efforts to sustain theclimate challenge. The recommendations thatwe developed will be presented as part of theCivil Society Organizations’ statement in the9 th global meeting. Some of them are: use ofgreener technologies and alternative sourcesof energy, investment in energy efficiencyand green buildings, as well as disastermanagement.The following day, through teleconferencing,John Scanlon, Senior Policy Advisor to theexecutive Director of UNEP, briefed us onthe UNEP Medium Term Strategy. Participantsraised questions which he answered and thegroup later on came up with recommendationson the six major points in the strategy whichare: climate change, ecosystem management,environmental governance, hazardoussubstances, environmental dimension ofdisasters and conflicts, and resource efficiency,which means sustainable consumption andproduction.NEWSACT NOWOR THE CLIMATE WILL ACT ON YOU!FROM ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT TO ENVIRONMENT FOR DEVELOPMENTFEATURE AND PHOTOGRAPHY DINA FAIDI, VOLUNTEER-MEMBERS TRAININGEDA participates in the West Asia Civil Society Consultation Meeting, held in Manama, Bahrain on November11 th -14 th , 2007.Dina FaidiThe participants of the annual meeting of West AsiaCivil Society OrganizationsDina Faidi, EDA Volunteer – Members Training,facilitated during the first day of the West Asia CivilSociety Consultation MeetingWafa’a receives the NAUI Environmental EnrichmentAward from NAUI Chairman Mark FlahanWafa’a with NAUI officials at DEMAWith this, participants at the meeting werereminded that the challenge ahead is huge – itmight be too late to avoid it altogether, butthere is still time to avoid the worst impacts ofclimate change. That is if we take strong action,now!UNEP had provided an excellent platform thatallowed Regional Civil Society Organizationsto sit together and discus this global issue, inpreparation for the ninth Global Civil SocietyForum which will be held in Monaco onFebruary, 2008.The first day of the gathering was dedicated toUNEP experts presenting the findings of theGEO-4, which said: “Twenty years ago, climatechange was an emerging issue but today, thereis unequivocal evidence of climate change andits impacts are evident”. The GEO Processwas presented by Dr. Adel Farid Abdel-KaderRegional Coordinator – West Asia UNEPDivision of Early Warning and Assessment.In his presentation, he explained the processtaken in developing the report.As an EDA representative, I was voted tochair the first day, during which we also heardfrom organizations from Syria, Bahrain andthe UAE, talking about regional environmentalchallenges that they face.The recommendations for the above six issueswill be presented by the four delegates whowere elected to attend the 9 th Global CivilSociety Forum.On the fourth and last day, we shared ideason advanced programming and lobbying. Theparticipants enjoyed and appreciated the vastknowledge of Mr. Najib Saab, publisher andEditor-in-Chief of Environment & Developmentmagazine and Mr. Jan Gustav Strandenaes,policy adviser of ANPED.Dr. Waleed Khalil, Vice Dean of Arabian GulfUniversity had concluded his presentationwith a saying from the great leader ShaikhZayed Al-Nahyan.And this is what I would like to use as well asthere is no better way to conclude; let it beyour food for thought:“We are responsible for taking care ofour environment & wildlife, protect it andpreserve it not only for the sake of our currentgeneration, but also for the sake of our childrenand grandchildren; it is our duty to bear loyaltyto our ancestors as well as our successors”.Shaikh Zayed Al-NahyanThe time to ACT is NOW!Dr. Adel Farid Abdel-Kader, Regional Coordinator– West Asia UNEP Division of Early Warning andAssessment, presented the GEO ProcessThe launching of the Fourth Global EnvironmentOutlook (GEO-4) during the West Asia Civil SocietymeetingMr. Jan-Gustav Strandenaes conducted a workshop onfund raising for NGO projects12 EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION, DECEMBER 2007 DECEMBER 2007, EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION 13

MAIN FEATURECORAL NEWSINTERNATIONAL YEAR OF THE REEF (IYOR) 2008FEATURE INTERNATIONAL CORAL REEF ACTION NETWORK (ICRAN)IYOR 2008 is a worldwide campaign to promote awareness, conservation action, and strengthen long-termsupport for coral reef conservation. Governments, individuals, corporations, organizations and schools arehighly encouraged to participate.The International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI)will be launching IYOR 2008 during the ICRIGeneral Meeting on the 24 th of January in theUnited States to “kick start” efforts aroundthe world. Official IYOR 2008 launches havealso been planned in Japan, Germany and theUAE.So far, twenty-three countries and twenty-oneorganizations representing different sectors,(marine/environment conservation, policy,research, and marine tourism), have signedup as focal points (key point of contacts)to facilitate participation in IYOR 2008activities. The UAE focal points are EmiratesDiving Association (EDA) and the TourismDevelopment & Investment Company (TDICAbu Dhabi).Activities lined up by some countries andorganizations range from coral monitoringand symposia to music festivals and “coral”parades.Here are some of the interesting and variedactivities planned by some focal points:FRANCEYear-long exhibit about coral reefs andpublication of a scientific comic book for freedistribution to schoolsMEXICOState carnivals adopting coral reefs as a centralthemeCOMMONWEALTH OF NORTHERNMARIANA ISLANDS, USAMural painting contest at high-traffic busstops and parades with participants in “coralcostumes”FLORIDA AND THE CARIBBEANMusic festival series called “Reef Fest”For more information on how you canparticipate in IYOR 2008, visit www.iyor.org. Acomprehensive list of activities for action on alllevels, along with promotional and educationalmaterials, should provide you with theresources you need to join this global effort ofsaving the worlds’ coral reefs.THINGS YOU CAN DO TO PROTECT CORAL REEFSEven if you don’t live near a reef, you can help protect coral reefs in the U.S.A. and around theworld.• Educate yourself about coral reefs and the creatures they support. How many different species live in reefs? What newmedicines have been developed from reef organisms? Participate in training or educational programs that focus on reefecology. When you further your own education, you can help others understand the fragility and value of the world’scoral reefs.• Be a waste water crusader! Make sure that sewage from your boat and home is correctly treated. Excess nutrients inwaste water can negatively impact coral reef ecosystems.• Support organizations that protect coral reefs. Many groups have coral reef programs, and your support will make abig difference.• Don’t use chemically enhanced pesticides and fertilizers. Although you may live thousands of miles from a coral reefecosystem, these products end up in the watershed – the area that drains to a common waterway, such as a stream, lake,estuary, wetland, and ultimately, the ocean.• Volunteer for a reef cleanup. You don’t live near a coral reef? Then consider visiting a coral reef on your next vacation. Spendan afternoon enjoying the beauty of one of the world’s treasures while helping to preserve it for future generations.• Be an informed consumer. Only buy marine fish and other reef organisms when you know they have been collected inan ecologically sound manner. Ask store managers where the organisms come from and how they were collected. Doesthe country have a management plan to insure the harvest was legal and sustainable over time? For more information onhow to find sustainably harvested reef fish, go to www.aquariumcouncil.org.• If you dive, don’t touch! Take only pictures and leave only bubbles. Keep your fins, gear, and hands away from the reef, asthis contact can hurt you and will damage the delicate coral animals. Stay off the bottom because disturbed sedimentscan smother the corals.• Support reef-friendly businesses. Ask what your dive shop, boating store, tour operator, hotel and other coastal businessesare doing to save coral reefs. This is especially important in coastal areas with reefs. Let them know you are an informedconsumer and care about reefs.• Recycle. This helps keep trash out of the oceans and also out of landfills where it can have an adverse impact on the waterquality of our rivers and oceans.• Conserve water. The less water you use, the less runoff and wastewater eventually find their ways back into the oceans.• Become a volunteer monitor! Participate in community coral reef monitoring programs. If you do not live near a coast,get involved in protecting your watershed.• Report dumping or other illegal activities. Help be the eyes and ears of the reef! Your involvement can make a bigdifference.• Be a marine debris crusader! In addition to picking up your own trash, carry away the trash that others have left behind.More than just an unsightly nuisance, beach litter poses a significant threat to the health and survival of marine organisms,which can swallow or get tangled in beverage containers, plastic bags, six-pack rings, and other debris.• Hire local guides when visiting coral reef ecosystems. This will help you learn about local resources, and protect thefuture of the reef by supporting the local economy.• Don’t anchor on the reef. If you are boating near a coral reef, use mooring buoy systems when they are available.• Respect local guidelines when you visit a reef. Help keep coral reefs healthy by respecting local customs, recommendations,and regulations. Ask local authorities or your dive shop how to be a reef-friendly tourist.• Stay informed. Find out about existing and proposed laws, programs, and projects that could affect the world’s coral reefs.Many Web sites provide information about coral reefs and what you can do to become involved.• Spread the word. Remember your own excitement at learning the value and importance of coral reef ecosystems. Sharingthis excitement gets everyone involved.Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Coral Conservation Program (/www.coralreef.noaa.gov)14 EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION, DECEMBER 2007 DECEMBER 2007, EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION 15

MAIN FEATUREMAIN FEATUREEDA MEETS WITH ICRANFOR IYOR 2008FEATURE LEENA AL ABBAS – EDA CRAMP & IYOR 2008 COORDINATORIYOR 2008CORAL REEFS NEED OUR HELPFEATURE JEAN-MICHEL COUSTEAU, OCEAN EXPLORER AND ENVIRONMENTALISTI am extremely pleased to see that global attention will once againbe focused on coral reefs. Through the hard work and dedication ofInternational Coral Reef Initiative partners 2008 will be the secondInternational Year of the Reef (IYOR). Although problems have mountedsince 1997 when we launched the first International Year of the Reef,there is good news. We have a much clearer understanding of howreefs are being affected by climate change; ocean acidification is gettingattention and was not even mentioned in 1997; we now have solid datathat marine reserves and protected areas actually work; and the publicis much more aware of the need to change unsustainable ways of livingand doing business.My personal perspective is based on having had the good fortune oftraveling extensively and witnessing first hand many coral reefs aroundthe world. I have seen the vital connections between the health ofcoral reefs and the quality of people’s lives. Coral reefs themselves areinterconnected on wide geographic scales with other marine ecosystemsthrough fish and bird migrations, the dispersal and recruitment of fishand shellfish larvae, and through people as we travel to exploit or enjoythe reef’s resources. I have also observed how deforestation, agriculturalrunoff, pollution, overfishing, and destructive fishing practices affect thevitality of coral reefs.In spite of noble proclamations about protecting coral reefs, in everycountry I have visited I can cite examples of reefs severely overexploited or stressed from human mismanagement. Deforestation,over-development and agriculture in the Caribbean have releasednutrients and sediments that stress reefs. In Papua New Guinea I haveseen reefs reduced to rubble from dynamite fishing, and local peoplemissing limbs from premature explosions. In Haiti a ten-foot-high wall ofconch shells, called the pink cliffs, extends along a coastline for almost amile. Fishermen now lament the collapse of their fishery and believe theconch population has moved, denying that over-harvest is the cause.The over-harvest of fish throughout the Caribbean has upset ecologicalbalances affecting entire reef ecosystems. On some of Florida’s reefsthere has been a 62 percent reduction of living coral cover from 1996to 1998. Causes of these declines are complex but cumulative becauseeverything is connected. As with our bodies, once our general state ofhealth is undermined, we are vulnerable to a host of maladies.The most devastated reefs I have ever witnessed surround the tinycountry of Nauru, which has had one of the highest per capita incomesin the world. Mining, and the resultant destruction of over 80 percentof the landscape, provided money but eliminated natural resources, theheritage for future generations. Young people with whom I have spokenhave no need or incentive to work, and told me that their greatest wishwould be to be able to dive and enjoy healthy and productive coralreefs.In my opinion, the common denominator in these examples ofmismanagement is a lack of understanding about coral reefs, how theyfunction, their value to humans, why they are vulnerable to humanimpact, and how they can be managed sustainably. Education at everylevel - from international to national, from university to village children,and every level in between - is absolutely critical in protecting coralreefs. I am pleased to see that IYOR 2008 is tackling this importantissue.We at Ocean Futures Society totally support IYOR 2008 and share itsgoals of raising public awareness about the critical state of coral reefsand promoting sustainable management of reefs. For me this is a peopleissue; it will be people who will make the difference in the survivalor loss of coral reefs. We must all work together to insure that ourgrandchildren have the opportunity to enjoy and benefit from thesemarvelous wonders of nature.Read on and learn more about coral reefs.Jean Michel CousteauFor more information about Ocean Futures Society, please visit:www.oceanfutures.orgFor more information about the International Year of the Reef,please visit: www.iyor.orgTen years ago, 1997 was declared by theInternational Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI), asthe International Year of the Reef (IYOR).ICRI, which was founded in 1995, is aunique environmental partnership amonggovernments, international organisations, andnon-government organisations, which strivesto preserve and reverse the degradation ofthe world’s coral reefs and related ecosystems,by promoting their sustainable use andconservation for future generations.Since its founding in 1995, ICRI has recogniseda number of operational networks to assist inachieving their Framework of Action. Thesenetworks include: Coral Reef Degradation inthe Indian Ocean (CORDIO); Global CoralReef Monitoring Network (CGRMN) andthe International Coral Reef Action Network(ICRAN).The first IYOR campaign was initiated inresponse to the increasing threats and loss ofcoral reefs and associated ecosystems. IYOR97 was a global effort to increase awarenessand understanding of coral reefs, and supportconservation, research and managementefforts. IYOR 97 proved to be very successful,with over 225 organisations in 50 countriesand territories participating, over 700 articlespublished, hundreds of scientific surveysundertaken, as well as numerous local andglobal organisations dedicated to coral reefconservation.However, coral reefs are continuing to declinethroughout the world and global estimationsindicate that a much greater percentage ofcoral reefs is under serious threat. Damaged ordestroyed reefs can be found in more than 93countries. Coral reefs are damaged as a resultof over fishing, destructive fishing methods,unsustainable tourism, coastal development,pollution and climate change. Sadly, if this isallowed to continue, this decline is likely tolead to the loss of most of the world’s reefresources during the next century.Recognising that 10 years after IYOR 97, therecontinues to be an urgent need to increaseawareness and understanding of coral reefs,and to further conserve and manage thevaluable coral reefs and associated ecosystems,ICRI designated 2008 as the ‘International Yearof the Reef’ (IYOR 2008), which will be aworldwide campaign to raise awareness aboutthe value and importance of coral reefs andthreats to their sustainability, and to motivatepeople to take action to protect them. Allindividuals, corporations, Governments,schools and organisations are encouraged toparticipate in IYOR 2008.EDA, for many years has been involved withvarious initiatives to protect the marine life andcoral reefs across the UAE. In 2006, the CoralReef Awareness and Monitoring Programme(CRAMP) was set up with the involvementof EDA members to assist with surveyingcoral reefs in selected areas across the UAE.Some of the activities organised by EDA tosupport CRAMP include clean-ups, releasingof mooring buoys, coordinating lectures byspecialists, talking to schools and many moreother initiatives.In order to kick off the action plan forproposed IYOR 2008 activities, an EDAdelegation represented by Ibrahim Al Zu’bi– Director & Environmental Advisor; ErnstVan Der Poll – EDA CRAMP Advisor & PADICourse Director at the Pavillion Dive Centre;and Leena Al Abbas – CRAMP Coordinator,have recently visited the ICRAN head officein Cambridge – UK to meet with ICRANrepresentatives. The meeting’s objective was tointroduce EDA’s current portfolio of activities,discuss potential synergies with the ICRANProgramme, confirm IYOR 2008 events andobtain the necessary information, guidelinesand material to ensure the success of IYOR2008 activities in the UAE.The meeting was extremely beneficial forboth parties to learn more about each others’activities, and more so for EDA in gainingaccess to a wealth of information and adviceon best practices on successful initiatives thatcan be adapted in the UAE.“I am very excited to start working closely withICRAN in order to launch various initiatives incelebration of IYOR 2008, and look forwardto 2008 being a very busy year with lots ofEDA activities and the involvement of all EDAmembers and volunteers”, said Ibrahim AlZu’bi.Ibrahim, Leena, Ernst, Zahore El Kharousey (UNEPChevening Scholar, UNEP-WCMC), Terri Young(ICRAN Asst Programme Officer, UNEP-WCMCIYOR 2008 Coordinator), Nicola Barnard (ICRANSenior Programme Officer).PROPOSEDEDA ACTIVITIESFOR IYOR 2008• Promotion of IYOR 2008 in the EDAbooth in the Dive Middle East Exhibition(DMEX) 2008• Promotion of IYOR 2008 in the EDAwebsite• Production of IYOR 2008 merchandise• Inclusion of coral-related articles in all4 issues of the EDA newsletter in 2008• Promotion of the responsible tourismguidelines among UAE tourists throughthe EDA registered dive centers• Coral reef awareness presentations toschools• Publication of printed materials(posters, stickers, etc.) about coral reefawareness/ IYOR 2008• Presentations from coral reef experts toEDA members• Production of an official “State of thereefs status report” by the end of 2008Note: These are some of the various activities lined upfor the year. EDA will present the final list at the formallaunching of IYOR 2008 in January next year.For more information please visit thefollowing sites:IYOR 2008International Year of the Reefwww.iyor.orgICRIInternational Coral Reef Initiativewww.icriforum.orgICRANInternational Coral Reef Action Networkwww.icran.org16 EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION, DECEMBER 2007 DECEMBER 2007, EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION 17

ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVESTHE ENVIROFONE CAMPAIGNDid you know that one mobile phone batterycan pollute 600,000 litres of drinking water?It is estimated that up to ten million mobilephones are hidden away in drawers when theycould be recycled, with their harmful chemicalsremoved and the plastics being reused.Thanks to Envirofone, disposing of old ordamaged mobile phones in the UAE is noweasy, rewarding, environmentally friendly, andgives charity a boost.The national Envirofone campaign, set up toprotect the environment from contaminatedand harmful toxins found in mobile phonesand accessories, was recently launched underthe patronage of the TelecommunicationsRegulatory Authority (TRA). It has alreadyestablished around 300 drop boxes across theUAE in a major effort to promote the safedisposal of the so-called ‘e-waste’.The campaign was inspired by the UAENational Strategy on environmental initiatives,as outlined by H.H. Sheikh Mohammed BinRashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and PrimeMinister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. It wasdeveloped by EnviroFone in collaboration withthe UAE Ministry of Environment & Water,telecommunications companies Etisalat anddu, and the charity Gulf for Good.“Mobile phones contain beryllium, cadmium,lithium, mercury and silver, and there’s even alittle bit of gold in there,” said Stuart Fleming,Managing Director of EnviroFone. “And ofcourse, there’s the plastic.”Finding a safe way to dispose of this kind of e-waste is becoming paramount as the numberof mobile phone users continues to rise as itis now often more economical to buy a newphone than repair an old one.“As a direct result, these potentially hazardousobjects get thrown in the bin and ultimatelyend up as landfill,” says Fleming. “If thishappens, water seeps through the landfill, andthe noxious chemicals end up in our watersystems, which means that we could effectivelybe drinking those types of toxins.”“Alarmingly, the process of using chlorine andcleaning out the water just doesn’t remove allthose harmful contaminants. It’s a worryingthought, but now all mobile phone users inthe UAE have a chance to prevent damagebeing done.”The national campaign to stop contaminatedand harmful toxins in mobile phones andaccessories from damaging the environmentis just the first phase of a broad campaign toturn the UAE “green”.“We began with mobile phones because thiswas a good place to start to change people’smindset in the UAE about the environmentand recycling,” said Fleming.“There is still a lot of work to be done, andthe best place to start was with somethingthat everybody knows, and everybody uses.But soon we’ll be embarking on laptops, PDAs(Personal Digital Assistant) and computers.”Ninety per cent of a mobile phone is recyclable.Rather than ending up in the ground, causingdamage to the environment and pollutingwater supplies, the elements are all put togood use, while the plastic is used to makeroad traffic cones or car bumpers.The campaign has prevented thousands ofunwanted mobile phones being dumpedcarelessly. To date, more than 100,000 phoneshave been deposited by the UAE public butthere is still a lot of work and awarenessrequired to reach the target of 250,000handsets by the end of the year.Support for the campaign has come from avariety of sources, including UAE motor sporticon Mohammed Ben Sulayem. The 14 timesMiddle East rally champion and Presidentof the Emirates Automobile Touring Club(EATC), is making environment protection apriority for events organised or overseen bythe EATC. Sulayem, who is passionate aboutprotecting the environment, said, “There isso much happening these days which hasan impact on the desert environment. Wemust do all we can to protect such beautifullandscapes and I am pleased to offer mysupport to EnviroFone.”“I know thousands of people have alreadydropped off mobile phones they don’t need,and I’m going to be asking any of my friendsor family who haven’t already done the sameto get moving.”The drop boxes are located at ENOC petrolstations in Dubai, all ADNOC petrol stationsin Abu Dhabi and the Northern Emirates,Etisalat and du business centres, Al Rostamanicurrency exchange houses, Spinneyssupermarkets, Magrudy’s Book Stores, LamcyPlaza, Deira City Centre, Ajman City Centre,Sharjah City Centre, Mall of the Emirates andFedEx locations in the UAE.Those disposing of their unwanted mobilephones in the drop boxes earn instant rewardssuch as money off Etisalat or du bills or prepaidcards. They also go into a raffle for monthlyprizes of flights to London, and thousands ofAir Miles which can be redeemed for a widevariety of rewards.For every phone collected, 5 dirhams will bedonated to Gulf for Good, the UAE-basedcharity that organises adventure challenges toraise funds for carefully selected needy causes.“The campaign is a winner all round, allowingthe public to do their bit to protect theenvironment, and in the process, earn rewardswhile also giving a helping hand to a veryworthwhile charity,” said Fleming.EnviroServe, the parent company ofEnviroFone, is known as The Green Companyand has been pioneering environmentalinitiatives in the UAE for many years as asuccessful public private partnership.A mountain of old phones for recyclingStuart Fleming at one of the Envirofone drop boxesTourism and environmental protection can gohand in hand, as the experience of hotel andspa operator, Banyan Tree Group, shows.The group, which operates 17 resorts, 48 spasand 52 retail outlets in 19 countries worldwide,runs a number of award-winning research andconservation initiatives in the Maldives.The group has two properties in the Maldives,the Banyan Tree Maldives Vabbinfaru andAngsana Maldives Ihuru. Environmentalinitiatives are funded through the GreenImperative Fund (GIF), which was establishedin November 2001. Guests at the two hotelscan make donations to the fund with theproceeds matched dollar for dollar by thehotel group.In February 2004, a Marine Biology Lab wasset up on the Island of Vabbinfaru. The first ofits kind to be funded and built by a privateresort, the lab is supervised by an in-housemarine biology team headed by director ofconservation, Abdul Azeez Abdul Hakeem.Hakeem, who was conferred the PresidentialAward in 2001 for his dedication to theMaldivian environment, currently overseesconservation, research and communityoutreach projects.CORAL REGENERATIONThe Maldives’ pristine coral reefs are one of themajor attractions for tourists visiting the area,so understandably, a lot of work goes to ensurethat the reefs remain healthy. Scientists focuson coral spawning and coral transplantation.For the first time in Maldives, Banyan Tree andAngsana witnessed and recorded the spawningof Acropora corals in 2003. These are believedto be the first of a new generation that arrivedon the reef after the coral-bleaching calamityin Maldives in 1998 and is an indication thatthe new generation of corals has reachedmaturity.For coral transplantation, naturally brokenpieces of live corals are regularly transplantedonto the resorts’ house reefs and will continueto grow and flourish in their new habitats.Back in 1996, the group also implemented a reefrejuvenation project, using a scientific methodknown as ‘marine accretion’ to accelerate coralgrowth. A man-made steel structure in the formof a giant barnacle was submerged in the sea.Powered by solar cells, the structure producesa safe low-voltage current that reacts withseawater, causing minerals to crystallize intolimestone that provides the ideal foundationfor corals to flourish. The Barnacle Projectreceived international recognition when it wasENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVESBANYAN TREE GROUPMAKING A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENTconferred the “Theodore M Sperry Award” bythe Society for Ecological Restoration.Based on the same concept, the Lotus Projectwas launched in 2001. This time, scientistsexperimented with the shape of a lotus tomaximise the submerged structure’s surfacearea and allow sufficient sunlight to stream inand promote coral growth. Today, the Lotus ishome to a diverse population of marine life,including corals from the Acropora, Montipora,Astreopora and Pocillopora genera.TURTLE CONSERVATIONIn addition to ensuring the health of coralpopulations, the group’s scientists are alsoworking to ensure the abundance of marinecreatures such as green sea turtles. The GreenSea Turtles Research and Conservation Projecthas, to date, released over 600 baby turtlesinto the waters around the two islands. In thelast two years, turtles which are being releasedare fitted with satellite transponders eachcosting US$ 12,000. This now allows scientiststo determine the turtles’ migration patternsvia the use of a satellite tracking system.OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL CAUSESSome of the environmental challenges facedby the two islands do not have their originsin the Maldives and have to do with globaldevelopments. Due to rising sea levels, severalbeaches are slowly being eroded away. Toprevent further erosion, both resorts investedUS$ 50,000 on eco-friendly sandbags, whichare transferred by hand from one side of theisland to another, twice a year in response toseasonal currents.The marine lab team is also involved in thescientific study of black-tip sharks and dolphins.The Black-Tip Reef Shark Research Project,which focuses on the life history, growth andcommunication patterns of these fantasticspecies, is developed in collaboration withthe Canadian ReefQuest Centre for SharkResearch.The Dolphin Research Project, which studiesthe mammals’ communication patterns, wasdeveloped in collaboration with Dr. LindsayPorter, a World Wildlife Fund (WWF) marinespecialist.In addition to supporting environmentalcauses, the Banyan Tree Group also runsprogrammes designed to improve welfareacross the Maldives. The fund supports theJamaluddin School for Hearing Impaired Kids,which is the only school providing educationfor hearing-impaired children in the Maldives.The group also provides funding for a numberof environment clubs in local schools andsponsors excursions to both resorts so thatchildren can observe the importance ofenvironmental conservation.Turtle feedingView of dolphins from boat18 EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION, DECEMBER 2007 DECEMBER 2007, EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION 19

ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVESENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVESBLUE VENTURESFEATURE KAREN FOERSTEL, BLUE VENTURES COMMUNICATIONS MANAGERPHOTOGRAPHY BLUE VENTURESBlue Ventures is an award-winning conservationgroup that leads diving expeditions toMadagascar’s South Western coastal areas,training volunteers in scientific research,community outreach and on-the-groundconservation.The coral reefs around Madagascar are someof the most biologically diverse yet leastexplored marine systems on Earth. Scientistssay the 6,000 marine species currentlyknown to live off the shores of this islandnation represent only a small fraction of theunderwater diversity yet to be explored here.These habitats not only host a vast array ofmarine species, but are also the lifeline ofcoastal communities in Madagascar. The Vezopeople, who live along the southwest coast ofMadagascar, are known as “the people of thesea” for their reliance on marine resources fortheir food, transport and income. So strong isthis relationship that the Vezo’s cultural identityis closely related to the ocean waters.For example, the Vezo regularly hold traditionalceremonies, called ‘fombas’, designed as athank-you to their ancestral spirits for thebounty that the sea provides.Unfortunately, as is the case in many otherparts of the world, this way of life is threatenedby growing coastal populations, expandingcommercial fishing and global warming.An award-winning conservation group, BlueVentures, however, is hoping it can helpmanage these challenges. Blue Ventures leadsdiving expeditions to Madagascar’s SouthWestern coastal areas, training volunteers inscientific research, community outreach andon-the-ground conservation.The waters of this region are home to thethird largest continuous coral reef systemin the world. Extending for more than 300kilometres, the reef is home for a variety ofsea creatures. Endangered marine turtles,migrating hump back whales, spinner dolphinsand more than 500 species of tropical fish andcorals are just some of the species found inthe region.Through daily dives, volunteers collect biologicaldata on coral and other marine species andmonitor the success of conservation projectsin coordination with Blue Ventures scientistsand community leaders. Volunteers frequentlydive through coral reef areas that have neverbeen explored before and regularly encountermanta rays, flying fish, moray eels and seaturtles during their underwater excursions.Volunteers who join the expeditions comefrom all over the world and from all walks oflife. Both experienced and first-time divers arewelcome, with Blue Ventures offering SCUBAtraining and certification on site. Expeditionteams live and work alongside villagers, withthe opportunity to take lessons in the locallanguage or to teach English to local schoolchildren.Along with daily dives, volunteers canjoin other conservation projects such asmonitoring local bird populations or surveyinglegendary baobab forests with trees oftenreaching 1,000 years of age and growing tomore than ten metres in diameter.Expeditions last for six weeks, butvolunteers can arrange to stayfor as little as three weeks or foras long as six months. Volunteersare required to pay between GBP1,147 (Dhs 8,617) and GBP 3,115(Dhs 23,402) to join the expeditions,depending on the duration of theirstay.In 2004, Blue Ventures partnered withthe village of Andavadoaka to createthe world’s first community-run marineprotected area for octopus – thevillage’s primary economic resource.The area implemented seasonal fishingclosures that allowed octopus to growin size and number. The strategy notonly ensures the long-term survival ofoctopus, but results in greater yieldsfor local fishermen when the closuresare reopened each season. The projectproved so successful the government ofMadagascar in 2005 used the project asa model to create similar protected areasacross the country.Commended” honours from the ResponsibleTourism Awards. In 2006, Skal, the world’slargest organisation of travel and tourismprofessionals, named Blue Ventures winner ofits International Ecotourism Award.In 2007, Andavadoaka village won theprestigious Equator Prize from the UnitedNations for its work with Blue Venturesand other conservation groups to createsustainable development projects that benefitboth people and nature.For more information on how you canjoin a Blue Ventures expedition, visit:www.blueventures.orgVillagers with their traditional boats called PiroguesA local villager fishing for octopusBlue Ventures is now partnering with 24neighbouring villages to create a vast networkof protected areas that will span 700-squarekilometres and protect coral reefs, mangroves,sea grass beds and other threatened habitats.Along with the creation of protected areas,Blue Ventures is also working to developsustainable livelihoods – including ecotourismand mariculture businesses such as algae andsea cucumber farming – to provide economicalternatives to destructive fishing practices.A diver exploring the reefs of the regionBlue Ventures has won national andinternational recognition for its work inMadagascar. In 2005, Blue Ventures becamethe first European organisation to receivethe SEED Award sponsored by the UnitedNations and the World Conservation Union tofind the most innovative and entrepreneurialpartnerships for sustainable development. In2004 and 2006, Blue Ventures received “HighlyAn aerial shot of the Blue Ventures site20 EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION, DECEMBER 2007 DECEMBER 2007, EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION 21

ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVESENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVESTHE BUSINESS OFBEAUTIFUL DIVESREPRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM THE UNITED NATIONS NEWSLETTER“BUSINESS.2010 - SECRETARIAT OF THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY” AND BEAUTIFUL OCEANSDiving with course dive slates“Why is your company’s headquarter locatedup north in Montreal, Canada, if its main productlies between 23° 26 Œ 22 north and 23° 26Œ 22 south of the Equator?”… is the questionI hear when telling the Beautiful Oceans story. Ianswer that coral reefs are important not onlyto people living in the tropical belt. Peoplefrom all corners of the world travel to tropicaldestinations such as the Caribbean, the Pacificor the Red Sea to take breaks from their busylives so as to enjoy the turquoise colours ofcoral reef formations.For us, being close to customers from theNorth provides us with a better understandingof travellers’ needs and what they are lookingfor in terms of ‘travel experience’ - and thatcomes in handy to a company offering arange of ecotourism products focusing on theenjoyment of coral reefs.HARD CURRENCIES FORCONSERVATIONMy passion for diving and personal commitmentto conservation triggered a career change in2001 when I left the world of marketing andenrolled myself for a diploma in environmentalstudies. As Marine Expedition Leader atCoral Cay Conservation’s flagship site in thePhilippines, I spent every day of 6 monthswith ecotourists who invested a significantamount of their free time, and hard currency,in hands-on coral reef conservation projects.I realized that there was a significant marketopportunity and decided to set up a for-profitmarine conservation organization. BeautifulOceans was born.Beautiful Oceans provides coral reef ecotourswith a strong educational component in theform of marine biology courses. We providehigh-level in-water fun for scuba divers,snorkelers and families while, at the sametime, contributing to the conservation of coralreefs, through education and carbon-offsetprogrammes.For a company whose success depends onhealthy coral reefs, anything that threatensthe very resource it depends upon may spelldisaster.Science InstructorScientific surveys suggest that 20% of the reefson Earth have been destroyed in the past fewdecades, while another 50% are in bad shapeor verging on collapse. Our clients want to ‘live’the corals before they become too distant,too fragile or perhaps stringently regulated asto visitor numbers. Climate change is one ofour main causes of concern. Increases in seasurface temperatures and changes in waterchemistry can cause large-scale coral bleaching,increasing the likelihood of coral death.For a company like Beautiful Oceans, thesetrends are worrisome. Healthy coral reefsare, literally, the lifeblood of our organization.In fact, a large portion of the entire tourismindustry operating in or around the tropicalbelt depends on healthy coral reefs and thediversity of organisms that can be found there.In light of this, wouldn’t it make perfect businesssense for all organizations depending, to someextent, on coral reefs to take care of the veryresource they draw their income from?INSPIRING PEOPLEOur coral reef biology courses have beenwritten to inspire people and to provideinformation that can easily be applied inwater.Our ‘citizen marine biology’ coursestake great care in providing for more in-waterfun to make people appreciate the beauty ofcoral reefs while providing an understandingof the importance of our natural world andthe diversity of its living organisms. In teachingabout the importance of coral reef biodiversity,knowledge transforms into respect for and,ultimately, a desire to protect marine andcoastal ecosystems. Through our courses, wetry to transform scuba divers and snorkelersinto environmental stewards, true citizens ofPlanet Earth. Our corporate philosophy ispartly based on this ideal, framed by Senegaleseenvironmentalist Baba Dioum: “In the end, wewill conserve only what we love, we will loveonly what we understand, we will understandonly what we are taught”.On each of our eco-diving and eco-snorkelingadventures, we encourage members of the localcommunity or environmentalists to presenttheir local cultural or environmental heritage.Sometimes, this translates into inviting guestspeakers to talk about local efforts in termsof marine conservation or science highlightsabout reef-related environmental topics.In an effort to make our local business partners‘walk the talk’, we select resort operators thatcontribute in a meaningful manner to the localsocial infrastructure, the local preservation ofthe environment – or both. Beautiful Oceansis also part of 1% For The Planet [1], anassociation of businesses that adopt a principleof voluntary donations to the environment.In fact, we donate either 1% of our annualincome or 10% of our profits, whichever isgreater, to projects in the field of coral reefconservation.SMELLING CO2Our company is also part of the Biodiversityand Tourism Network, a web-based platformestablished to foster dialogue between tourismpractitioners and disseminate support for theimplementation of the CBD Guidelines onBiodiversity and Tourism Development [2].Although local initiatives are incrediblyimportant to reverse the spiraling effectof decreasing coral reef biodiversity, eachcompany can also contribute to globalefforts to fight global warming. BeautifulOceans is taking part in the Diving CarbonOffset Program developed by US-basednot for profit organization Sustainable TravelInternational, in collaboration with Caribbeandive operators [3]. This programme allows usto offset the impact each of our customers willhave in terms of CO2 emissions. Our trips notonly promise to be great fun for underwaterphotographers, divers, and snorkelers but alsoprovide them the peace of mind as to theirCO2 footprint.I believe that it will soon become the norm forecotour operators to integrate carbon offsetprogrammes into the price structure of theirservices – otherwise they will fail to be takenseriously by their customers.Leaving a trail of greenhouse gases behind aneco-adventure tour just doesn’t smell right!Beautiful Oceans takes the lead within thediving industry… and invites others to followfor the sake of this beautiful planet and thediversity of the species that our health, future,as well as our whole business model relyupon.CONTACT INFORMATION:Stephan Becker MMHPresident CEOBeautiful OceansP.O. Box 48088Bernard BranchMontreal (QC) H2V 4S8CanadaEmail: sbecker@beautifuloceans.comWebsite: www.beautifuloceans.comPhone: +1-514-907-1935Fax: +1-514-276-1809[1] www.onepercentfortheplanet.com[2] http://tourism.biodiv.org[3] www.sustainabletravelinternational.orgSTEPHAN BECKER, is Founder, President andChief Executive Officer, Beautiful Oceans, Inc.sbecker@beautifuloceans.comwww.beautifuloceans.comBEAUTIFUL OCEANS RESORT &DIVE CENTER PACKAGE 2008HIGHLIGHTS• The package has been designed to allowdive & snorkel businesses in the Caribbeanto offer to their customers an innovativeand fun way to explore coral reefs:- Underwater guided tours based on GPSreferenced points of special interest onthe reef- Custom-tailored dive and snorkel circuitmaps, created in collaboration with thedive center, highlighting special featureson local reefs- Development of co-branded behaviorbooklets and pocket dive slates forselected marine species- Co-branded coral reef biology overviewprograms applied under the supervisionof dive professionals trained and certifiedas Science Instructors- Course materials for resale to the endcustomer consisting of: island overviewmaps with dive sites, coral reef mapscontaining a typical dive circuit, coralreef organism behavior and observationbooklets, pocket dive slates for theapplication of knowledge in water,and state-of-the-art coral reef biologyoverview programs. All material hasbeen developed based on the highestquality standards, while coral reef biologymaterial is scientifically validated22 EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION, DECEMBER 2007 DECEMBER 2007, EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION 23

DIVING DESTINATIONS• Customers have several options for takingpart in a Beautiful Oceans Coral ReefBiology Experience: (1) pre-booking of theprogram upon reservation, (2) enrollingin the program upon arrival at the localdestination, or (3) buying selected ‘coralreef creature discovery kits’ at the localdive shop and independently applying theknowledge contained in the kits duringdives and snorkels. Whatever option thecustomer chooses, the material has beendesigned to provide for a satisfying, newand educational coral reef explorationexperience that can be enjoyed by diversand snorkelers of all ages• While the program is accessible to kidsas young as 10 years old, it is designed tointerest even the most experienced diversand snorkelers with previous knowledgeof marine biology: “This new ventureprovides a good introduction to coralreefs… I certainly learned things from it,and I’ve been diving for over 20 years, havea biology degree… “ Jill Studholme, Editor,SCUBA News, Scubatravel.co.uk• The program meets highest expectationsfrom members of the dive industry: “I’mbeing absolutely honest in saying thatI’ve never been more impressed witha training program to come out of thediving community.” Dr. Alex Brylske; SeniorEditor, Dive Training Magazine at DEMA,November 2007• Beautiful Oceans members adhere to a strictpolicy of sound environmental practices:Certified Science Instructors informtheir customersabout ‘best diving &snorkeling practices’on the coral reef andapply these practicesduring all in-wateractivities• Beautiful Oceansdonates 1% ofits annual pre-taxrevenue – or 10% ofits profits (whicheveris the greatest)– to local nonprofitorganizationsinvolved in coralreef conservationand education. Thisself-imposed policyensures that a sizableportion of therevenue generatedthrough the saleof the programgoes back to theprotection of thevery resource diversand snorkelers setout to exploreOUTLOOK• Pre-launch of Resort Package : DEMA 2007,Orlando (exclusively Caribbean)• Official launch of Resort Package: DEMA2008, Las Vegas (Caribbean & IndianOcean - Golden Triangle: Malaysia, Thailand,Philippines)• Throughout 2008: GPS reef mappingcurrently conducted on over 30 coral reefsfor resorts situated in the Bahamas andTurks & Caicos, while mapping projects forother Caribbean islands are currently indiscussionPlease go to this link for the TV News article about Beautiful Oceans:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cq7zEMAvIrkOrganised byTHE DIVE MIDDLE EAST EXHIBITION 200811 – 15 March 2008Dubai International Marine Club, Mina SeyahiTo book your stand or for moreinformation please contact:DMEX TeamDubai World Trade Center.P O Box 9292, Dubai, UAE.Tel: + 971 4 308 6451Fax: + 971 4 318 8607Email: boatshow@dwtc.comwww.boatshowdubai.comwww.emiratesdiving.comIn Conjunction withIn Association withHeld alongside the Dubai International Boat Show (DIBS), the Dive Middle EastExhibition (DMEX) will run from 11 - 15 March 2008 at the Dubai InternationalMarine Club – Mina Seyahi. The synergy of DIBS and DMEX for both exhibitorsand visitors alike, makes this a natural meeting point for all those with an interestin the diving sector.Offering a unique platform to showcase the very latest in diving equipment,supplies, services and techniques, DMEX has something for everyone, fromexciting educational activities aimed at children to new diving pursuits for theenthusiastic leisure divers.A Member ofVenue24 EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION, DECEMBER 2007 DECEMBER 2007, EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION 25

DIVING DESTINATIONSMALAYSIAA PHOTOGRAPHER’S PARADISEFEATURE DAVID EATON PHOTOGRAPHY DAVID EATON/BORNEO DIVERSOne of the orangutans at the Sepilok Rehabilitation CentreA proboscis monkey we saw during the river cruiseWetDigital.com (that’s Robbie Ahlgren and I)attended a DEMA party and luckily won a freetrip to Mabul Island, off the coast of Borneo.After months of planning, we traveled toMalaysia for our diving destination – BorneoDivers Resort on the island of Mabul.The original dive resort on Sipadan Island,Borneo Divers has now moved to the islandof Mabul, a 20-30 minute boat ride from theoriginal site on Sipadan. All of the resortson Sipadan have been closed, and no one isallowed on the island after 6:00 pm. It is a greatspot for diving, and a most excellent surfaceinterval.The photo opportunities for the Borneo/Malaysia adventure were simply awesome.In a span of 15 days, we took over 1700photographs, majority of which wereunderwater images. All of our underwaterphotos were taken near Mabul, Sipadan andKapalai islands.The diving in this area is a magical blend ofthe exquisite macro creatures, such as a widevariety of nudibranchs, pipe fish and pygmyseahorses, mixed with a wide array of pelagicspecies like schooling barracuda and big-eyedjacks. It was, at times, simply overwhelming. Alifetime would not suffice to examine eachand every ecosystem that is present on thesereefs.Even the names speak of the exotic natureof this region – Sipadan, Mabul, Mamutik,Kapalai…. This entire region is rated as one ofthe top diving destinations in the world, andfor good reason.We were on Mabul Island for a total of 8days, with 5 full days of diving. We went on 16dives, for a total of 701 minutes underwater, anexperience that I or Robbie will never forget.After Mabul Island, our next stop was TurtleIsland, located off the coast of Sabah, out fromSandakan. We took a short boat ride back toSemporna, drove back to Tawau, and then flewto Sandakan where we stayed the night at areally nice place, Hotel Sabah.Turtle Island is the only island that can bevisited by tourists although there are twoothers in the turtle preserve. Both the greenand the hawksbill turtles nest on the island. Thepark rangers collect the eggs every night fromthe laying turtles, and move them inland to aprotected hatching area. The new hatchlingsare released at night to avoid the daytimepredators, such as birds. This effort must bepaying off because the number of turtlesaround the dive sites is extraordinary.Due to a low tide and full moon, we waitedtill almost midnight to see the nesting “mama”turtle. There were 11 other turtles that nestedand over 1000 eggs were collected. Our turtlelaid 103. We also got the chance of releasingsome baby turtles that night.After Turtle Island, we were taken by a watertaxi back to Sandakan for a quick breakfast.Afterwards, we went on a river cruise up theThe “mama” turtle laying eggsThe hatching area for the turtle eggsThe night’s first hatchling26 EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION, DECEMBER 2007 DECEMBER 2007, EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION 27

DIVING DESTINATIONSKinabatangan River, the third longest river inBorneo with a length of 560 kilometers. Theriver travels directly into the heartland ofBorneo and is a bird and wildlife paradise, withvery few villages. We saw scores of proboscismonkeys, long-tailed macaques, and the besttreat of all, the Borneo pygmy elephant.DIVING DESTINATIONSSOUTH AUSTRALIAAN AQUATIC PARADISEOne of the truly unique animals associatedwith the island of Borneo is the orangutan.This great ape is only found on the islands ofBorneo and Sumatra. Sadly, like many of thegreat apes, their numbers are dwindling dueto poaching and loss of habitat. The SepilokRehabilitation Center, outside of Sandankan,hosts a large number of orangutans in theprocess of being reintroduced into the wild,once self-sufficient.Bumphead Fish by Eric MadejaFlamboyant Cuttlefish by Eric MadejaAfter a nice evening and an early morningcruise back to Sandakan, we again stayed thenight at Hotel Sabah and caught a flight backto Kota Kinabalu, to start the long journeyhome.After we returned from Malaysia, we realizedjust how much we had missed – those thingsthat we had not seen – but nonetheless,we were thrilled with those sights we hadexperienced. Someday we will return; Malaysiabeckons each day that we think back on thetrip.Jack Fish by Eric MadejaMandarin Fish by Eric MadejaSwimming with a Sea Lion – SATCBlue Ring Octopus by Eric MadejaDavid Eaton, together with friend andpartner Robbie Ahlgren, runs a digitalphotography and video services.For more information, go to:www.wetdigital.comTo watch their Borneo diving videos, goto the following links:http://www.stage6.com/user/robbieahlgren/video/1909269/C h ri s t m a s - o n - t h e - Re e f - - -Emmanuelandhttp://www.stage6.com/user/robbieahlgren/video/1909352/Christmas-on-the-Reef---Hear?For more information on Borneo Divers,go to: www.borneodivers.infoBarracuda by Eric MadejaGreen Turtle by Eric MadejaLeaf Fish by Eric MadejaWith its unique marine life and exceptionalunderwater scenery, South Australia isundoubtedly a diver’s paradise. Its clean,uncrowded, temperate waters are among themost biologically diverse in the world withmore than 370 species of fish, 80 percent ofwhich occur only in South Australia. Thereare also plenty of sites for both experienceddivers and beginners.Here is a sampling of the diving that can bedone in the regions:THE FLEURIEU PENINSULAFleurieu Reef in the Fleurieu Peninsula is thejewel in South Australia’s diving crown. Itfeatures the wreck of the decommissionednaval destroyer, the ex-HMAS Hobart. Themajority of the ship remains fully intact andaccessible to divers, including the engine room,missile launchers and gun turrets.The peninsula is also home to the famous Leafyor Weedy Sea Dragons, unique to the watersof Southern Australia. Other marine life foundin the waters includes Cuttlefish, Blue Devils,Old Wives, Zebra Fish, and majestic Rays.In winter, Southern Right Whales can beseen migrating along the Peninsula’s coastline,particularly in Encounter Bay between Juneand September.THE EYRE PENINSULAA spectacular event that occurs nowhere elsein the world happens in Whyalla in the EyrePeninsula. Each year from May and August,thousands of giant cuttlefish congregate tobreed at the reef areas around Black Pointand Point Lowly. They are attracted to thisarea, as they need a hard rocky surface on towhich to attach their eggs. The low rocky reefareas at Black Point and Point Lowly are theonly locations of their type on either side ofthe Upper Spencer Gulf. The event has beenrecognised by Australian and internationalscientists as one of the most significantand amazing, naturally occurring events inAustralian marine waters.The coastline is also home to many Australiansea lion colonies. At Baird Bay, under thesupervision of experienced guides, it’s possibleto swim with sea lions in their own underwaterplayground.Eyre Peninsula also has a collection of unspoiltislands and reefs on the far west coast calledNuyts Archipelago. The low flat islands extendunderwater to shallow rocks covered withdiverse and abundant marine flora and faunaand many small caves containing an excitingarray of soft corals and gorgonians. The islandsare home to a world of marine life includingBlue Devilfish, Harlequin Fish, Sweep, SouthernRock Lobster, Abalone, Blue Groper andBottlenose Dolphins.However, the ultimate underwater thrill onEyre Peninsula is a cage dive with the GreatWhite Sharks in the blue waters of PortLincoln.YORK PENINSULATroubridge Shoals-Investigator Strait is partof the passage of water between KangarooIsland and the Yorke Peninsula. The shoals hugthe Yorke Peninsula and have been the officialcause of at least 35 wrecks and countlessgroundings. The reefs surrounding TroubridgeIsland, part of the Shoals, are home to six ofthe region’s earliest sailing vessels (from 1838-1873). Troubridge Shoals are also home formagnificent giant spider crabs that claw theirway over reefs covered in sponges. As theyoccasionally present treacherous conditions,the shoals are recommended for experienceddivers only.Novice shipwreck divers can also exploreWardang Island with its nine wrecks. It is alsohome to an array of marine life including PortJackson Sharks, Wobbegongs and Cuttlefish,Sweep, Bullseyes and Dusky Morwong.ADELAIDEAdelaide boasts of its Underwater HeritageTrail on Gulf St. Vincent which links four of themost famous wrecks: the Grecian, the Zanoni,Star of Greece and Norma. These wrecks sankbetween 1841 and 1893.Different pods of Bottle-nosed Dolphins canalso be seen welcoming visitors in the watersat Glenelg and Port Adelaide River.28 EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION, DECEMBER 2007 DECEMBER 2007, EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION 29

DIVING DESTINATIONSDIVING DESTINATIONSKANGAROO ISLANDThe underwater life in Kangaroo Island is vivid.Its unpolluted waters teem with fish such asthe Blue Devil, Harlequin, Truncate Coral fish,and the elusive Leafy Sea Dragon.At Seal Bay, sea lions spend their days fishingand returning to sun themselves on the sand,ignoring the curious visitors who come tophotograph them.There are also more than 60 shipwrecksscattered around the island, many of themlying just off the beaches.LIMESTONE COAST - CAVEDIVINGPiccaninnie Ponds is one of the prettiest andmost spectacular underwater sites in Australia.Divers from far and wide travel to explore thisunbelievable groundwater-fed spring, whichhas been filtering through the limestone, andforming the ponds’ features over thousandsof years. Explore The Chasm, with its whitewalls covered in delicate green algal growthcontrasting with the dark depths below, andThe Cathedral, a large underwater cavernwith its majestic white walls of sculptured andscalloped limestone. The water here is almostalways crystal clear with a glorious blue hingeand visibility can exceed 40 metres. Snorkellingand diving are allowed by permit. The pondsalso conceal extensive cave passages that canbe explored by cave divers.Nearby, Ewens Ponds is a unique spring fedsystem. It’s fed mainly by underwater springsthat can be seen bubbling up on the bottomof the three ponds. The clarity of the waterenables plants to grow underwater to a depthof six metres. A current will carry you alongthe top of the channel where you can floatpast dense stands of plants while coming faceto face with a variety of fish. The tiny, rareEwens Pygmy Perch is found hiding in thecover of the reeds in these channels. At nightor on a cloudy day, freshwater crayfish are seenscuttling along the pond’s floor scavenging forfood. Also found are eels and galaxids.Diving with Leafy Seadragons – SATCSwimming with Sea Lions – SATCFor full information regarding snorkellingand diving in the ponds, including permitrequirements please visit:www.parks.sa.gov.auThe Cave Divers Association of Australiaalso contains a wealth of information at:www.cavedivers.com.auFor more information on diving in SouthAustralia, visit:http://www.dive-southaustralia.com/DivingSouthAustralia.aspxOr contact:ANDREW OLDFIELDDistribution Development Manager– Gulf CountriesTourism AustraliaMob: +971 50 6446 205Fax: +971 4 335 1505Email: tourism.australia@eim.aeWebsite: www.tourism.australia.comDiving the Piccaninnie Ponds – SATC30 EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION, DECEMBER 2007DECEMBER 2007, EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION 31Swimming with Dolphins – Temptation Sailing

DIVING DESTINATIONSDIVE GALAPAGOSFEATURE VANESSA BARKER PHOTOGRAPHY WIKIPEDIASea Lion PupA few weeks ago, I spent an amazing weekendin Jordan being a complete tourist. I did it all,from rubbing Dead Sea mud all over me toproudly re-enacting Indiana Jones in Petra,much to the dismay of my husband!Petra was an unbelievable experience, until Istood still for a few minutes and really lookedaround me. You name the nationality and therehe was, complete with sun hat, backpack andcamera! There must have been thousands oftourists all around me that suddenly, Petradidn’t feel quite so special anymore. Maybe wepicked the wrong time to be there (11am!)or maybe now that it has become one of theNew 7 Wonders of the World, it’s only tobe expected. Whatever the reason, I know Iwalked away from Petra craving a destinationthat’s still unexplored - where my husbandand a Lonely Planet book could be my onlycompanions!There are so few such places left and they’redisappearing fast. Every rock seems to have itsown Tourism Board now, all reeling in the masscrowds!What I’m sure many of us crave is a holidaywhere we can dive and explore totally newand out-of-this-world surroundings; whereour minds can be blown away at every corner.Above all, we crave a place that is still relativelyunexplored and peaceful.So what destination, you may ask, can tickoff all those boxes? Out of the few left to bediscovered, the most mystical has to be theEnchanted Islands, better known to us as TheGalapagos Islands.This archipelagoof 13 majorvolcanic islandsalong with itsmany islets androcks, lie 965kmwest of SouthAmerica and isa province ofEcuador, formingpart of Ecuador’sNational ParkSystem. Believeit or not, peopleactually live onsome of theseislands, nomatter howremote theymay seem. TheG a l a p a g o sp o p u l a t i o ncurrently sitsat 30,000,spreading out on 5 of the islands. Spanish isthe predominant language.The Galapagos is a UNESCO World HeritageSite and has fascinated visitors since its mostfamous guest landed on its shores in 1845– Mr. Charles Darwin. This is where he laid thefoundation for his Theory of Evolution. Fromthat day on, the islands’ rich fauna and floraexcited all who have had the chance to visit it.And there are very few so far, who have madethis trip. This is a once in a lifetime holiday soit will cost a bit but the experience is worthevery penny you spend.There are so many unique species roamingthe Galapagos, from marine and land iguanas,seals, frigates, penguins, giant tortoises to theever popular Blue-footed Boobies; it’s hard toknow where to look at next.Even more exciting is its underwater world.These waters have been voted one of the7 Underwater Wonders of the World byCEDAM (Conservation, Education, Diving,Awareness and Marine-Research) International.And no wonder, for where else can you divewith equatorial penguins, playful sea lion pups,spotted rays, marine iguanas, friendly dolphins,turtles, whale sharks and even timid sharksaltogether and so close to shore?It is estimated that one of every four marinespecies you see during your dives in theGalapagos are endemic so it’s definitely amust-do in this lifetime!Since I’ve never dived in the Galapagos,I thought that I’d check out what real,experienced divers had to say about thesewaters. So I went onto www.realtravel.comand spent hours browsing through some ofthe luckiest travelers’ blogs.Words cannot describe the envy I felt whenI saw all the pictures and read the stories. Tohave dived with dozens of hammerheads andactually played with sea lion pups is incredible!There are about 30 dive sites to choose fromand it will amaze you as all are so private,pristine and relatively unexplored. It is saidthat Galapagos is a destination with surprisesaround every corner – you never know whatthe wildlife will do next.On the down side, the waters are freezingand a 7mm wet suit, complete with hood andgloves, is a definite must. During the hot season(December to April), the surface temperaturesrange from 22-26 degrees Celsius whereasduring the dry season (May-November), thesewill drop to 18-22 degrees Celsius. So wrapup!There were also a lot of comments madeabout the low visibility at times and the strongand unpredictable currents so unfortunately,there’s no way a first time diver could attemptthese waters. The Galapagos diving has beenrated as one of the world’s 10 most difficultrecreational dives but nonetheless, it is stillregarded as one of the most worthwhile tripsyou’ll ever make.There are several experienced dive operatorsto look after you while you are there but it isimportant to do your research on them all tomake sure you will be in safe hands. It is alsoimportant to note that as of August 2007, theBlue Footed Booby courtship displayGalapagos National Parks Director cancelledquite a few of the live-aboard licenses so makesure the ones you pick are legal. You may alsoconsider a land-based dive operator so youwill have time to explore the shores whenyou’re not diving.Getting to these islands from Dubai has justbeen made easier with Emirates’ direct flightsto Sao Paolo. From there, you can connect toEcuador, spend some time exploring this LatinAmerican destination, and then head acrossfor a few nights to explore the wonders ofthe Galapagos.So far, only one travel operator in Dubai offersholiday packages to these islands.Contact Tempo Holidays on: 04 341 6764 andspeak to Dean Hopkins. Let him know thatyou’re an EDA member and quote your EDAmembership number to avail of special deals.Tempo currently has 5/6 night offers forexploring these islands. It won’t includeany dives but will cover everything fromaccommodation in hotels and a cruise ship,meals, transfers and guides, and Dean will beable to recommend a couple of dive operatorsfor you to contact.Marine IguanasI probably won’t be able to head out thereuntil I’ve secured a few more dives and savedsome serious cash, but visiting the GalapagosIslands is definitely on my list of “100 Thingsto do before I die”. If you can, make sure youtick it off now.For more information on these islands, visit:www.vivecuador.comwww.ecuadorexplorer.comwww.galapagosislands.comwww.galapagosscubadiving.comwww.cedam.orgDIVING DESTINATIONSDID YOU KNOW?The islands are located at the Galápagoshotspot, a place where the earth’scrust is being melted from below by amantle plume, creating volcanoes. Theoldest island is thought to have formedbetween 5 and 10 million years ago. Theyoungest islands, Isabela and Fernandina,are still being formed, with the mostrecent volcanic eruption in 2007.32 EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION, DECEMBER 2007 DECEMBER 2007, EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION 33

EDA FEATUREOCEAN ACIDIFICATION, THE OTHERTHREAT OF RISING CO2 EMISSIONSFEATURE CRYSTAL DAVIS (TEXT REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM EARTH TRENDS WWW.EARTHTRENDS.ORG)Fossil fuel combustion and industrial processes release over six billionmetric tons of carbon into the atmosphere each year. The consequencesof these greenhouse gas emissions are often discussed in terms of risingglobal temperatures, but global warming is not the only threat fromincreased atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2). Oceanacidification, which occurs when CO2 in the atmosphere reacts withwater to create carbonic acid, has already increased ocean acidity by30 percent (Doney, 2006). Although the chemistry of this effect is wellunderstood and not much debated, the full consequences of oceanacidification for marine ecosystems and human well-being are onlybeginning to be revealed.Figure 1: Changes in Sea-Surface pH from Anthropogenic CO2Emissions (pre-industrial to 1990s)Note: Lower pH indicates greater acidity (see Box 1: Understanding the pH Scale)Source: Pacific Science Association, 2007OCEANS AND THE GLOBAL CARBON CYCLEThe ocean plays a critical role in the global carbon cycle: the amountof carbon stored in the ocean is roughly 50 times greater than thatin the atmosphere (see Figure 2). At the surface, the ocean interactsconstantly with the atmosphere to absorb and release carbon dioxide.Once absorbed, a carbon atom will remain in the ocean for hundredsof years, circulating from the ocean’s surface to its depths and back tothe surface again. A small amount of this absorbed carbon will descendto the ocean floor in the form of dead marine organisms, where it isthen trapped within deep ocean sediments. Overall, the ocean acts as acarbon sink, with a net intake of approximately two billion metric tonsof carbon per year, equivalent to one-third of annual anthropogenicemissions (Royal Society, 2005).Figure 2: Annual Carbon Flows and Storage (billion metric tons)CO2 EMISSIONS AND OCEAN ACIDIFICATIONWith the rise of atmospheric CO2 concentrations from the pre-industriallevel of 280 parts per million to 379 parts per million in 2005 (IPCC,2007), the amount of carbon in the ocean has increased substantiallyand rapidly. Global data collected over several decades indicate that theoceans have absorbed at least half of the anthropogenic CO2 emissionsthat have occurred since 1750 (Sabine et. al., 2004). This carbon dioxidehas combined with water to form carbonic acid, which, like all acids,releases hydrogen ions (H+) into solution, making ocean surface water30 percent more acidic on average. Depending on the extent of futureCO2 emissions and other factors, the Intergovernmental Panel onClimate Change (2007) predicts that ocean acidity could increase by150 percent by 2100 (see Figure 3).BOX 1: UNDERSTANDING THE PH SCALEThe pH scale, ranging from zero to 14, is used by scientists tomeasure the acidity or alkalinity (a.k.a. basicity) of a solution, whichis determined by the concentration of hydrogen ions, wheremore H+ indicates greater acidity. Solutions with a value of sevenare considered neutral (such as pure water), with lower valuesbeing more acidic and higher values being more alkaline. The pHof pristine seawater ranges between 8 and 8.3, indicating that theocean is naturally somewhat alkaline, although deeper and colderwater tends to be more acidic. Due to the nature of the pH scale,a 30 percent increase in ocean acidity corresponds to a decreaseof only 0.1 pH units.Figure 3: Past and Projected Oceanic pH LevelsSource: EUR-OCEANS, 2007POTENTIAL IMPACTS ON MARINE ORGANISMSA 150 percent increase in ocean acidity would be undetectable tothe average human, but certain marine organisms including mollusks,crustaceans, reef-forming corals and some species of algae andphytoplankton are particularly vulnerable to small changes in pH. Thesespecies, known as “marine calcifiers,” all create skeletons or shells outof calcium carbonate. The essential building block for this process isthe carbonate ion, but when combined with hydrogen ions releasedby carbonic acid, it is rendered useless for shell-building organisms. Theconcentration of carbonate ions is expected to decline by half duringthis century due to increased atmospheric carbon dioxide levels (Orret. al., 2005).horizon is expected to shift closer to the surface by 50 to 200 metersrelative to its position during the 1800s (Doney, 2006). The Southernand Arctic oceans, which are colder and therefore naturally more acidic,may become entirely inhospitable for organisms with shells made fromaragonite – one of the weaker mineral forms of calcium carbonate – bythe end of this century (EUR-OCEANS, 2007).Potential impacts on harvested species like fishes and squids aremore uncertain. One area of concern is acidosis, or the build-up ofcarbonic acid in body fluids, which can disrupt growth, respiration andreproduction. An indirect but perhaps more certain consequence isthat many species will suffer from the loss of marine calcifiers, whichprovide essential food and habitat (including coral reefs) for countlessocean dwellers.UNCERTAINTIES HIGHLIGHT NEED FORADDITIONAL RESEARCHScientists are still unclear about the full consequences of oceanacidification. Several lab studies that have investigated the effects ofincreased acidity on marine calcifiers have found concerning results, buttheories regarding impacts at the ecosystem level remain speculative.Effects on human well-being, both through lost fisheries and recreationalpotential, are also unknown.Despite our lack of knowledge, the trend of ocean acidificationis undeniably concerning, especially considering the devastatingconsequences that acid rain had on fresh water ecosystems during the20th century. Furthermore, the ocean is currently undergoing otherpotentially dangerous changes, including warming, sea level rise, pollutionand overfishing. The rapid pace at which these changes are occurring,and the fact that they are happening simultaneously, threatens to disruptthe ocean’s well-balanced physical, chemical and biological processesfaster than they can adapt.Once the ocean’s pH has been lowered, it will take thousands ofyears to reverse. Thus, reducing carbon dioxide emissions will becritical to minimizing future ocean acidification. Even if emissionsare reduced, however, the ocean will inevitably continue to undergosignificant human-induced changes throughout this century. To preparefor these changes, we will need scientific research to enhance ourknowledge of complex ocean processes and ecosystem interactions.Furthermore, ocean resource and fisheries managers, with the supportof improved scientific understanding, must be alert to early warningsigns of ecosystem decline and take precautionary measures to protectvulnerable species.World Resources Institute. 2007. EarthTrends: Environmental Information. Available at http://earthtrends.wri.org. Washington DC: World Resources Institute.EDA FEATUREFEATUREDCREATUREFEATURE JESTIN JOSPHOTOGRAPHY PHILIPPE LECOMTEStarting this issue, EDA will feature interesting underwater creaturesthat are found in the UAE waters. EDA accepts text and photocontributions for this page.FAST FACTS• Pretty and delicate-looking but venomous; punctures from its spinescan cause extreme pain but rarely fatal (First aid treatment - washwound in hot water then seek medical attention)• Average lifespan is 15 years• Solitary• Hunts actively at night and eats small fish, crabs, prawns and shrimps• When threatened, the lionfish turns its body sideways and preparedto deliver a painful jab from its spinesFUN FACTS• A lazy fish, it rarely moves when it’s not feeding• Male and female look the same except during courtship and spawning;male becomes darker while the female develops a swollen tummy• A hardy species, not prone to disease• A big eater• Sometimes hang upside down when resting in crevices or a rock• From time to time, they shed off the outer layer of their skin to getrid of parasites and algae that attach to their bodiesSource: NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory, 2007Marine calcifiers face a second challenge: their calcium carbonate shellsdissolve in environments that are too acidic. In fact, some deep, coldocean waters are naturally too acidic for marine calcifiers to survive,meaning that these organisms only exist above a certain depth knownas the “saturation horizon.” With ocean acidification, the saturation34 EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION, DECEMBER 2007 DECEMBER 2007, EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION 35

CLEAN UPCLEAN UP DIBBAPHOTOGRAPHY ALLY LANDESAfter concentrating on years of clean up effortson the East Coast’s relatively clean dive sites,EDA, with much help from the Dibba MarineEnvironment Research Centre, decided onholding the main event of Clean Up Arabia atDibba Port in Fujairah.Nearly 300 volunteers showed up to cleanthe underwater and breakwater areas of theport which measured around three squarekilometers. EDA’s Board Members alsograced the event with their presence, lendingsupport to the 12 th anniversary of the cleanup campaign.The activity kicked off with the awardingof the Appreciation Trophy to EDA fromKuwait Oil Company. KOC was representedby Tariq Faylkawi while Essa Al Ghurair, EDAVice Chairman, accepted the award on EDA’sbehalf.The clean up began with the dispatch of around100 divers in 12 boats to the inner and outerareas of the port. This was followed by theteam division of the land-based participantsbefore they headed toward the breakwaterareas assigned to them. A surprise for the daywas the participation of a furry friend, “Lucy”,who also donned her own Clean Up ArabiaTshirt and helped her owners clean up thebeach area of the port.After three hours, the main collection point forall of the trash turned into a small mountainload of garbage filled with around 200 bagsfull of the usual food and beverage-relatedwaste, numerous pallets and wood splinters,loads of thick and heavy ropes, several tiresand the strangest item to be found in a port– a mattress.The participants then proceeded to thepark beside the Dibba Marine EnvironmentResearch Centre to enjoy the catered lunchprepared for them. Everyone called it a dayafter that, except for some EDA volunteerswho helped in the trash count.All in all, it was another Clean Up Arabia toremember, as most participants expressed thedesire to come back and clean the area onemore time, despite the lack of facilities in theport. This was a contrast to the previous cleanups as people came out satisfied with whatthey did. This just goes to show that there arestill people who are willing to forsake comfortjust to do their share to help the environment.And we are very glad to know that they areEDA members!EDA is grateful for the participation of thefollowing: Majid Al Futtaim, Sama Dubai,Halcrow, Starbucks, Tatweer, Filipino ScubaDivers Club (FSDC), the Sharjah WanderersDive Club (SWDC) and all EDA members.EDA would also like to thank the followingfor their great support: Qasim Barwani andAli Danhany of the Dibba Marine ResearchEnvironment Centre, Ministry of Environment& Water, Dibba Municipality, Dibba Police, DibbaHospital, Dibba Port, Fishermen CooperativeSociety, Public Works and Agriculture, Al BoomAl Aqah, Freestyle Divers, Sandy Beach DivingCentre, Nizar Fakhoury (Clean Up ArabiaCoordinator) and Jasmine Pasibe (Clean UpDeputy Coordinator).Clean Up Arabia Coordinator:Nizar FakhouryEmail: c/o projects@emiratesdiving.comSAMA DUBAI JOINSCLEAN UP ARABIA FORTHE FIRST TIMESama Dubai employees and their familiesgathered at Dibba Ports in Fujairah toparticipate in the 12 th annual Clean upArabia.Antoaneta Popova, Sama DubaiSenior Manager CSR expressed: “SamaDubai volunteers clearly showedtheir passion towards creating a cleanenvironment; every little step counts!We are hopeful that next year we willsee more participation by Sama Dubaicolleagues.”36 EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION, DECEMBER 2007 DECEMBER 2007, EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION 37

CLEAN UPCLEAN UPCLEAN UP ABU DHABIFEATURE KATHLEEN RUSSELL, EDA ABU DHABI COMMITTEE COORDINATORPHOTOGRAPHY LIGHT CHASERSThis year’s Clean Up Arabia 2007, jointlyorganized by EDA and Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi (EAD), drew a large crowd ofdivers and beach volunteers in Abu Dhabi’s RasAl Akhdar clean up site. Over 250 enthusiasticvolunteers armed themselves with clean upbags, gloves, hats and some with dive gear, andcollected close to 5000 items in and aroundthe coastal area. Everyone was there to “makea difference.”Diligent teams of divers came back with trashbags filled with plastic and glass bottles, tincans, cutlery, ropes and even car parts whilebeach volunteers collected a huge amountof cigarette butts and beverage cans. Theparticipants accumulated nearly a hundredbags of waste that weighed an estimated 650kilos.After the clean up, GASCO Diving Clubbrought some delicious catered food to feedthe hungry volunteers, a fair award for thegreat effort of everyone.The enthusiastic volunteers came from allwalks of life. There were students from theAmerican Community School (Girl ScoutTroops from Grades 1-7) and EmiratesNational School; divers from Al Jazeera DivingCentre, ADMA Dive Club, ADCO Dive Club,GASCO Diving Club, TOTAL ABK, Frog LegsScuba Divers and EDA; and participants fromEAD, Abu Dhabi International Marine SportsClub, NMC Ambulance service, Al MasaoodMarine, Light Chasers photographers and AbuDhabi Municipality.Clean Up Coordinator: Ms. Kathleen RussellEmail: godive@emirates.net.aeDear Ms. Russell,Note: EDA has been conducting Clean Up Arabia for12 years now, tirelessly campaigning to raise awarenessconcerning the preservation of the UAE marineenvironment. It certainly warms our hearts to know thatwe have achieved that objective somehow, especiallywith impressionable young minds.Here is a very nice “thank you” notefrom the Girl Scout troops to Ms.Kathleen Russell, our hardworkingEDA Abu Dhabi coordinator, whomade it all happen.American Community School Girl Scout Brownie Troop 43 (the 3rd Graders) would liketo thank you so much for enabling us to participate in Clean Up Arabia last Saturday.You worked very hard to make us feel an integral part of this event and I know thephenomenal amount of time and effort it must have been to include our group, especiallyon such short notice. The girls and I appreciated your effort so much, and we just wantedto let you know.The girls were ecstatic over the T-shirts, hats, and lunch, but were most proud to show theirparents the certificate of appreciation they earned by participating.It was a wonderful event filled with important life lessons for my girls. They were appalled(or in their words, “grossed out”) by the condition of the beach when they first arrived.While we picked up trash, we talked about respect for our environment, health and safetyconcerns of littering, why we should care, why we should recycle, and what we could doto make a difference on a daily basis. It reinforced our troop message for the outing, whichwas “Girl Scouts leave only footprints”. It was great for them to see there are so manyother people who care too. And the divers helped them understand that it is not only aland issue, but also a whole earth issue. Important lessons for 8 and 9 year old kids whoare surrounded by nannies, maids, and armies of people who daily scrub their bedrooms,villas, schools and city for them.Thank you again for your hard work, your support, your enthusiasm, and your kindness.Best wishes,Donna BowenLeader for ACS Girl Scout Brownie Troop 4338 EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION, DECEMBER 2007 DECEMBER 2007, EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION 39

CLEAN UPCLEAN UP DUBAIFEATURE MARK VINCENT ISRAEL PHOTOGRAPHY AL BOOM DIVINGAfter several years, Clean Up Arabia wasfinally conducted again in Dubai , thanks to thesupport of Al Boom Diving.Despite the short notice and the bring-yourown-foodand bring-your-own-gear policies,83 volunteers, still showed up to help clean theRussian Beach in Jumeirah 1 and do their shareof helping the environment. The participantswere mostly Al Boom Diving Club membersand students who came with their families, andsome EDA members.The clean up started at 2:00 PM and after twohours, the volunteers had collected 30 bagsof trash composed mostly of beverage-relateditems (plastic & glass bottles, cans and caps),plastic bags and cigarette butts.After the trash count, the volunteers headedback to Al Boom Diving where the BarbequeParty and certificate distribution was held.Al Boom Diving would like to thank the AlBoom Diving Club members and non-profitFilipino diving clubs – Royal Scuba DiversInternational, headed by Genie King and FilipinoScuba Divers Club (FSDC) – for joining CleanUp Arabia in Dubai.Clean Up Coordinator: Mark Vincent Israel,Al Boom DivingEmail: abdiving@emirates.net.aeWebsite: www.alboomdiving.com40 EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION, DECEMBER 2007 DECEMBER 2007, EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION 41

CLEAN UPCLEAN UP RAS AL KHAIMAHFEATURE AND PHOTOGRAPHY ARABIAN DIVERFor the second time around, Ras Al khaimahparticipated in the annual Clean up Arabiaevent with great success. Volunteers joinedforces with Arabian Diver in making adifference by collecting around 1000 kg oftrash that has been washed up on shore orleft behind by beach goers, along the shorelineof Al Hamra Marina.From 9:00AM to 12:00PM on Saturday, the 10 thof November, 41 volunteers from all ages –individuals, families, students and organizations,locals and foreigners alike helped ArabianDiver in making the Al Hamra Marina beachand shoreline a clean, beautiful and a safe areafor visitors and marine animals.The trash collected filled up 85 trash bags. 39%of the waste came from vessel operations anddebris from fishing equipment (foam floats,fishing lines, lube and oil bottles, containersand rope), 36% were plastic beverage bottleswhile 22% were glass beverage bottles. Therest of the trash included clothing, cans andcardboard.A l t h o u g hthere is still alot of trash tobe removedaround theAl HamraMarina, weare firmbelievers inthe collectivepower ofconcernedand awareindividuals.For this,A r a b i a nDiver would like to thank each one of the volunteers thatmade this community event a success, the Dubai Petroleum Company for their support,and the teachers and students of the Ras Al Khaimah English Speaking School (RAKESS)whose enthusiasm and motivation inspired us even more.Clean Up Coordinator: Mr. Adel Khatib, Arabian DiverEmail: adel@arabiandiver.comWebsite: www.arabiandiver.com42 EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION, DECEMBER 2007 DECEMBER 2007, EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION 43

CLEAN UPCLEAN UP MUSANDAMFEATURE AMELIE TROLLE PHOTOGRAPHY ALLY LANDES, NOMAD, SIX SENSESWhat a day! The Clean Up Arabia – Musandamwas taken across the border to yet anotherGCC country, the Sultanate of Oman, and toour resort in the remote Zighy Bay. It was agreat honor for us to host the event in theMusandam region together with Al MarsaMusandam and Nomad Ocean Adventures.The event brought together volunteers fromSix Senses, Al Marsa, Nomad and EDA, andalso attracted representatives from the OmaniMinistry of Environment and Climate Affairswho came all the way from Khasab and Muscatto help out. We also had school children fromDibba, as well as the members of Zighy village,the ones who share the beautiful Zighy Baywith us.It was a day of great fun with people who shareour commitment to a better environmentand with those who are just learning to care.Spreading environmental awareness and mixingpeople from different organizations were alsokey features of the day. Collaborating withEDA in planning Clean Up Arabia-Musandamhas been unique and we believe a solid basisfor future cooperation has been established bythis event.On behalf of everbody at Six Senses Hideawayand Spa at Zighy Bay, we wish to thank EDAand our partners in this event, Al MarsaMusandam and Nomad Ocean Adventures, aswell as all participants for a great day out inthe beautiful and slightly cleaner than before,Musandam, Sultanate of Oman!The Six Senses Hideaway & Spa at Zighy Bayfeatures 82 pool villas and is scheduled toopen in January 2008.Part of Six Senses corporate responsibility is itsSocial and Environmental Responsibility Fund(SERF) which funds projects that contributeto sustainable development at a local, nationaland global scale. 0.5% of total revenue goesinto the SERF fund.For more information regarding Six Senses’ environmental work, contact Amelie Trolle,Environment & Social Responsibilities Officer: socialenvironment-zighy@evasonhideaways.comFor reservations, email: reservations-zighy@evasonhideaways.comClean Up Coordinators: Ms. Amelie Trolle (Six Senses Hideaway & Spa at Zighy Bay),Mr. Christophe Chellapermal (Nomad Ocean Adventures)Emails: socialenvironment-zighy@evasonhideaways.com, chris@discovernomad.comWebsites: www.evasonhideaways.com, www.discovernomad.com44 EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION, DECEMBER 2007 DECEMBER 2007, EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION 45

CLEAN UPCLEAN UP BAHRAINFEATURE ALAA TARIQ AHMED PHOTOGRAPHY BAHRAIN WOMEN’S SOCIETYCLEAN UP QATARPHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF CARREFOUR QATARCLEAN UPOur beaches play a crucial role in our lives. Theyare the only outdoors recreation opportunityin Bahrain, offer jobs for many locals, and mostimportantly, they keep us connected to ourheritage. Despite previous efforts that havebeen made, the health and environmentalconditions of many beaches continue todeteriorate. Therefore, the Bahrain WomenSociety – Environmental Citizenship Program(BWS-ECP) decided to partner with EDAand bring Clean Up Arabia to the Kingdom ofBahrain for the second time.The campaign, which was held at Al Budayabeach on the 10 th of November 2007, wasa major success that brought around 90volunteers from all walks of life to participatein the Clean up. Interestingly, many volunteerscame as families, emphasizing the concept thatpositive change had to begin at home. Childrenas young as four years old participated inthe campaign. To keep them safe, BWS-ECPorganized a little art booth, supervised andfacilitated by a member, where the little onesdid some art work, reflecting on what theysaw.The volunteers picked up various kinds oftrash at the clean up area. They were surprisedto see bizarre items such as toilet seats andalcohol bottles. Al Budaya beach went froma dumping ground to a clean beach after theparticipants filled up almost 200 garbage bags.Clean up Arabia – Bahrain enjoyed thesupport of the amazing volunteers who madeit all happen, the North municipality whoprovided us with all the equipment we neededand facilitated our work and Anis – ArabianNetwork Information Service – who not onlyfunded the campaign in Bahrain but had theirstaff and top management actively participatein cleaning up the beach along with theirchildren and spouses.Clean Up Coordinator: Ms. Alaa Tariq AhmedEmail: a_t_a_a@hotmail.comWebsite: www.bahrainws.orgMAF Carrefour Hypermarkets Qatar WLL, inpartnership with EDA & Supreme Council ofEnvironment and Natural Reserves (SCENR),cleaned up the Ras Al Nouf Beach in Al Khoron 10 th November 2007. The clean up drivewitnessed enthusiastic participation from over150 Carrefour employees.The employees collected over 2.5 tonnes ofwaste which included items such as brokenglass, metal items with toxic chemicals, foodcontainers, tyres, beverage bottles, cigarettesand cigarette filters, syringes, fishing traps etc.Priding itself as an eco-friendly organization,Carrefour imposed the use of the Carrefourreusable bags during the clean up. Carrefourrecently introduced these bags in a push toreduce the millions of plastic bags that pollutethe Qatar’s ecosystem every year. By usingthe bag four times, users will reduce plasticbag usage by 18 percent, thereby leading toa reduction in greenhouse gas emission by 20percent.Christian De Nale, the District Manager ofCarrefour, said, “Carrefour takes the lead inengaging itself in eco-friendly activities. Goingby the sheer volume of waste that we collected,we know our concerns have been well placed.We hope that more organisations will take upthis initiative to preserve the environment. Wealso appeal to the residents to be more awareof the damaging consequences of littering thebeaches of Qatar and its long term impact onthe ecological balance”.Clean Up Coordinator:Mr. Christian De Nale, Carrefour QatarEmail: CNale@mafcarrefour.comWebsite: www.carrefourqatar.com46 EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION, DECEMBER 2007 DECEMBER 2007, EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION 47

CLEAN UPCLEAN UP ARABIA 2007 AT A GLANCECLEAN UPCLEAN UP ARABIACLEANUPKUWAITFEATURE AMEEN SULAIMANPHOTOGRAPHY KOCITEMS COLLECTED BEACH UW GROUP TOTALSSHORELINE/RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIESBags 2811 240 3051Balloons 11 1 12Beverage bottles(plastics) 5942 337 6319Beverage bottles (glass) 2225 275 2533Beverage cans 2934 931 3977Caps(lids) 3751 120 3885Clothing 575 53 634Cups, plates, forks, knives, spoons 1604 287 1925Food wrapper,containers 2449 198 2671Pull tabs 120 50 1766-pack holders 87 0 87Shotgun shells, wadding 48 1 49Straws,stirrers 879 154 1051Toys 109 3 112OCEAN,WATERWAY ACTIVITIESBait container, packing 66 19 87DEBRIS ITEMS OF LOCAL CONCERNWooden sticks 50 1 51Syringes 12 0 12Lightbulbs 16 0 16Barbed wire 1 0 1Football 1 0 1Barbeque grills 3 0 3Solar panels 0 1 1Car exhaust pipes 0 1 1ATM cards 1 0 1Foam 4 0 4Wood 90 0 90Mattresses 1 0 1Plastic handles 1 2 3Total per team 180 5 185GRAND TOTAL 33143 3279 367519 th and 10 th November 2007! You can make a difference!THANK YOU TO:Our Sponsors:Bleach, cleaner bottles 297 5 302Bouys 592 1 593Crabs, lobsters, fish traps 166 0 166Crates 12 1 13Fishing line 294 60 361Number of volunteers 1146Number of bags of trash 1010Estimated Weight (kg) 8500Estimated Distance (m) 11705Fishing lures, light sticks 75 3 78Fishing nets 90 22 126Light bulbs, tubes 407 4 411COVERAGE: 4 Emirates and 4 CountriesOil, lube bottles 195 5 200Pallets 42 3 45TOTAL NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS: 1,146Kuwait Oil Company (KOC), represented byExport and Marine Operations (EMO) staff,participated in “Clean up Arabia” on the 8 th ofNovember 2007.The campaign, led by Team Leader MarineOperations with the assistance of Team Leader– Marine Services and Team Leader – Health,Safety and Environment, was conducted underthe supervision of Manager – EMO.State bodies, like the Environment PublicAuthority (EPA) and the Ministry of Interior,as well as the Coast Guard, schools and theSpecial Needs School & Autism Centres alsojoined the clean up which was conducted inMina Al-Ahmadi and Abu Halifa beaches. Theparticipants collected almost 1 ton of marinedebris.Plastic sheeting, tarps 63 17 82Rope 639 126 780Strapping bands 19 18 39SMOKING-RELATED ACTIVITIESCigarettes, cigarette filters 5422 154 5576Cigarette lighter 74 16 90Cigar tips 40 57 97Tobacco packaging, wrapper 149 37 186DUMPING ACTIVITIESAppliance (refrigerators, washers, etc) 35 0 35Batteries 67 0 67Building materials 482 37 519Cars, car parts 7 11 1855 gal drum 14 0 14Tires 29 18 47MEDICAL, PERSONEL HYGIENETOTAL NUMBER OF BAGS COLLECTED: 1,010TOTAL TRASH WEIGHT: 8.5 TonnesTOTAL DISTANCE COVERED: 12 KilometresSmokingrelatedactivities16%Dumpingactivities2%Medical,personalhygiene0%Our Partners:The campaign was arranged by the KOC DiveTeam which has been a strong supporter ofEDA and its activities.Clean Up Coordinator: Mohammad Al-BasryEmail: Mbasry@kockw.comWebsite: www.kockw.comCondoms 44 7 51Diapers 69 3 72Syringes 21 0 21Tampons, tampon applicators 8 0 8TOTAL PER TEAM 32963 3274 36566Ocean,waterwayactivities9%Shoreline/recreationalactivities73%48 EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION, DECEMBER 2007 DECEMBER 2007, EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION 49

EDA FEATURENOMADOCEAN ADVENTURESFEATURE CHRISTOPHE CHELLAPERMAL PHOTOGRAPHY NOMAD OCEAN ADVENTURESYou might have heard or seen our name but always wondered who we were or what we offered?Dibba Bay, MusandamWHOMy name is Christophe. I am French and Igrew up in the U.A.E. I founded Nomad OceanAdventures (NOA) three years ago, and inmany ways it has become my adventure. Infact, it has become a great human adventure,because when one says the name ‘NomadOcean Adventures’, I see the faces of all thepeople that make Nomad what it is. I willnever forget the smile of an old Omani nearKhassab who received me as if I was part ofhis own family or the many Omani friends Ihave made during these last three years. Thesefaces, remind me each and every time why Ichoose to stay in the Middle East. They alsoremind me of the reasons why I started thisbusiness and why it is important to preserveour planet so that future generations mayhave a chance of enjoying nature - as it is - notamong skyscrapers and polluted cities.WHYIn my life I have traveled quite a bit, met a lot ofpeople and discovered many different cultures,each with its own perception of our world.This is why when I founded NOA, I did notjust want to start a plain dull dive centre. I alsocreated a guesthouse that offers a differentservice to what is generally proposed at fivestarhotels. I wanted to create a place wheredivers would not just come to dive but also begiven a gateway to the true Arabian heritageand warmth. Nomad Ocean Adventures is myway in which to propagate true values and isalso a way to sustain the local economy andprotect its natural resources.I work closely with other Omani tour operatorsand want them to grow not just in size but alsoin efficiency. I want to help them to improvetheir safety measures and help them to providebetter services. I want to share my knowledgeand my passion for conservation of the ocean.It is irrelevant to me that tour operators mayeventually become competitors. In the end,what really matters is that they pass on thatknowledge and passion to others aroundthem too.WHATSo you might still wonder what NOA offers?We offer you through our diving packagesnot just diving, but an opportunity to live anexperience with us. You can share that greathuman adventure that is NOA or even help usmake a difference. Our most popular packageis the weekend package which includes onenight dive, two boat dives, full dive gear, allmeals and accommodation for half the pricethat you would normally spend in a five-starhotel or dive centre.If you want to know more about ourpackages please check our website:www.discovernomad.comOr call: +971(0)50 885 3238Or: +968 9983 4256Or you may write to us at:chris@discovernomad.comAbdullah, Nomad’s loyal and trusty boat driverMohamed Al Hambuzy and Mohamed Shaar – Two ofthe many Omani friends that Christophe treats as familyChristophe ChellapermalDAVE CHRISTMASEDA MEMBER #522“We’ve seen somefantastic dives in2007. Visibility hasvaried due to themassive constructionon the East Coastbut the wrecksfurther offshorehave been accessibleand provide greatdiving experiences.The Mariam Express now has some lovelymarine life, even though a few people continueto ‘salvage’ items, leaving less for the rest ofus to experience. It is incredible that evenclose to shore, there are some signs of coralgrowth and a good range of fish coping withthe additional short term silting. On the EastCoast, the dives have been up to their usualhigh standards but the damage from CycloneGonu affected many sites. Dibba Rock, forexample, has completely changed profile andwe’ll miss the large raspberry coral bed andthe well-building Jawfish. Thankfully, the moresouthern sites appear to be recovering well.This is the way of the world and nature’s wayof renewing. When diving, there is alwayssomething new and interesting to see andplaces to explore – these changes add varietyand make our sport so addictive!I have seen the EDA and the diving industrytaking a more active and public role in 2007.Conservation is beginning to be a topic ofdiscussion in the UAE, and we need to ‘playour part’. Let’s continue to drive the key issuesforward and protect this delicate and veryimportant resource.”PAUL SANTEDA MEMBER #572“2007 was onceagain a relativelysafe and successfulyear for the divingindustry in the UAE.Customer growth has increased for us, as wellas entry and specialty levels.2008 will have a new set of issues with theamount of dive operations being allowed toopen on the East coast, and the lack of divingsites to cater to so many operators. I foreseea lot of damage to sites, particularly the onesnear Divers Down, due to overcrowding ofdivers and the lack of marine reserves beingin the Sharjah area.”PIERRE VAN ZYLEDA MEMBER #871“After almost givingup diving in SouthAfrica 5 years ago(extreme coldwaters, great whites,0-1m visibility ona good day, amongothers), I got pushedinto restarting my diving in Dubai, mid-2007.What a pleasure! It’s been fun, exciting andvery interesting. The marine life, warm waters,various wreck dives and the Musandamadventures have made an average working2007 into an adventure. Our group also joinedthe EDA and we did our first cleanup. It wasgreat to be able to put something back intothe environment which provides us with somuch. I hope 2008 will continue on the sameexciting pace and if EDA/Al Boom arrangesmore clean ups/dive trips, then we will be thefirst to sign up.”PHILLIPE LECOMTEEDA MEMBER #707“This year, 2007, wasimportant for mebecause I had divedmore in the ArabianGulf, Abu Dhabicoast, East coast andKhor Fakkan, evenafter the CycloneGonu. I’ve been inEDA FEATUREEDA MEMBERS’2007 DIVE EXPERIENCESEDA would like to thank its members who took the time to write and share their dive experiences for the year.the UAE since 2003 yet I find myself divingmore frequently because I always find newspecies to see and observe.For 2008, I plan to dive more often to increasemy experience, have more fun, and take morepictures of all the species.I’m a little scared about the future of diving inthe UAE, especially on the East coast becausethe numbers of divers are increasing andwe have to think about the conservation ofunderwater life. You have a lot of beautifulplaces and I think you must protect thembetter, even from the fishermen.”MA. LOURDES ARELLANOEDA MEMBER #889“I arrived in the UAEin February 2007 andresumed my buddinglove affair with diving(I was certified inmid-2006) in June.Coming from atropical region, I didnot know what toexpect about diving in the Gulf. I was pleasantlysurprised to discover interesting wrecks andbeautiful schools of fish, have my first up closeand personal encounter with a turtle, join aclean-up campaign and become a part of avery active dive community.It was a year of many diving firsts for me,and I’m looking forward to more amazingexperiences (and more new divers) in 2008!”50 EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION, DECEMBER 2007 DECEMBER 2007, EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION 51

NEW STAFFNEW STAFFthe reserves, (2) a greater knowledge of themarine ecosystem complexity (like coral reefs)and (3) a development of the manager andevaluation methods. After the implementationof an MPA, it is necessary to conduct anenvironmental monitorization, in a way toevaluate the protection efficiency.I hope that in the next year, we can workhard to protect what belongs to the UAE, thisincredible long coast line that surrounds you.There are many new ideas that constantly popinto my head, several projects I would like tostart with EDA. We can present some newdiving spots; help members know the best wayto identify the different marine species; make ageneral diving map, among other things. I hopethat with these ideas, we can bring to all of younew diving experiences.RITA BENTOEDA’S NEW RESIDENT MARINE BIOLOGISTFEATURE RITA BENTOWe will also be open to any ideas that themembers may have. Please feel free to contactus, as we try to improve the protection of theUAE waters.I’m looking forward to meeting you all, ifpossible, in your fantastic underwater world.Rita diving in “Panela” , a cave in Sáo Miguel island, Azores – Nuno Sácourse, I did a practical training for one yearin Bioacoustics with the theme “Acousticmonitorization of mysticetes seasonality in theMiddle Atlantic Ridge”. This was conducted inHatfield Marine Science Centre in Oregon,USA, under the orientation of CooperativeInstitute for Marine Resources Studies/Oregon State University (CIMARS/OSU) andPacific Marine Environmental Laboratory/National Oceanographic and AtmosphericAdministration (PMEL/NOAA). Thanks to thisopportunity, I had the chance to participate intwo scientific cruises, the “Seismic Investigationby Recording of Acoustic Waves in the NorthAtlantic” (SIRENA) from Azores to France, andthe Hidromar cruise in the Atlantic Ocean.characteristics, among others) while Nunotook all the photographs for the book. It wasthe best diving time in my life, where I hadthe chance to be surrounded by large schoolsof barracudas, dived with twenty-six mantarays and admired for long periods of time thefascinating colours of nudibranchs.At the moment, I’m finishing my Master’sDegree in Marine Resources, and togetherwith Ibrahim, made a research plan for mythesis. Next year, I will work with EDA as aMarine Biologist, help in the research issuesand produce a UAE coral reef report that willbe presented at the end of the InternationalYear of the Reef (IYOR) 2008 celebration.A sperm whale rubbing on the zodiac where Rita andNuno were working, collecting data for the AzoreanDiving GuideRita BentoIt was with great delight that I received theinvitation of Ibrahim Al-Zu’bi to introducemyself to the diving community through thisnewsletter. I only met Ibrahim at the end ofNovember, and right in our first meeting, wetalked about several topics that are of concernto EDA, along with some ideas. Right away, wegot along very well and we both felt that thereis so much to do and that with the right groupof people, we could accomplish them all.I’m from Portugal and a graduate of MarineBiology. After finishing my degree in 2002,I have worked on diving issues and withmarine mammals. In the last year of myThe constant direct contact with the oceanmade me addicted to it, and before getting adriving licence I was already taking my divingcourse. Since 1998, I have taken severalspecialized courses and at the moment, I’m aCMAS M1 Instructor. I’ve worked in a divingcentre in the Azores Islands (Portugal) thepast few years as a diving guide, assistantinstructor and instructor. I’ve also dived a lot inrecent years, mainly in Portugal (mainland andislands) and in the Red Sea, where I enjoyed itsfantastic underwater world.In the summer of 2006, my photographercolleague, Nuno Sá, and I created the firstPortuguese diving guide, the “Azorean DivingGuide”. For four months, we dived in the nineAzores islands, where I collected data (floraand fauna, general descriptions and geologicalThere are a vast number of problems in coralreef degradation and in Marine ProtectedAreas (MPA) that need to be carefully lookedinto, with several concerns that need constantmonitoring and evaluation.It is important to remember that the oceans,besides the several important roles that theyplay, are recognised, in a worldwide level, asan important supply of marine resources.Unfortunately, due to its dimension, it is also seenas inexhaustible. In the last decades, mankindhas been confronted with some worryingenvironmental alterations. A protected area isan example of a conservation strategy, whichcan be used to manage natural resources. Aresearch and monitorization conducted in anMPA, and the enveloping areas, present threemain benefits: (1) a better understanding ofThe front and back cover of the Azorean Diving Guide that Rita co-authoredRita diving in the Azores with a Gray triggerfish tryingto bite her maskRita and Nuno Sá after a dive, in a traditional Azoreanfisherman-boat52 EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION, DECEMBER 2007 DECEMBER 2007, EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION 53

EDA NOTICESTHANKING OUR SPONSORSUPCOMING EVENTSLAUNCHING INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF THE REEF (IYOR) 2008January 2008UPCOMING EVENTSOn behalf of the EDA Chairman, Board of Directors, staffand members, we gratefully acknowledge the support of our2007 sponsors:DIVE MIDDLE EAST EXHIBITION (DMEX)11 th – 15 th March 2008, Dubai International Marine Club, Mina SeyahiEARTH DAY22 nd April 2008EDA GALA DINNER 2008Date to be confirmedChairperson Mr Faraj Butti Al MuhairbiVice Chairperson Mr Essa Al GhurairThe Secretary General Mr Jamal Bu HannadFinancial Director Mr. Khalfan Khalfan Al MohiariHead of the Technical Committee Mr. Omar Al HuraizHead of the Scientific Committee Mr. Mohd Al SalfaTechnical Adviser Mr. Ahmed bin ByatMAJID AL FUTTAIM GROUP OF COMPANIESWORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY5 th June 2008EXECUTIVE TEAMEDA AdviserIbrahim Al Zu’biEmail: diving@emiratesdiving.comEDA Administrative AssistantMelrose ValenciaEmail: diving@emiratesdiving.comEDA SecretaryErna MagbanuaGraphic Designer, Photographer & Film MakerAlly LandesDUBAI PROPERTIESTHE DOW CHEMICAL COMPANYThank you for helping us in our mission to conserve and protectthe UAE marine resources.NOTICESBEST WISHESWe would like to extend our best wishes toour hard-working secretary, Ms. Erna Magbanua,on her upcoming wedding to be held in herhomeland, the Philippines.At the same time, we wish her good luck in her future career endeavoras she leaves EDA after three years of loyal and dedicated service.THANK YOUWe would like to dedicate this space to thank the most loyal andactive member of EDA. A silent witness to allthe happenings in association, he’s none otherthan our very own Mehboob Sonday, who hasbeen working for EDA for the past 11 years. Heis always present in all activities, works silentlyin the background and lends his full support toall staff and members who need his help.Thank you Mehboob, for being there with EDAthrough the years.NEWSLETTER COMMITTEECoordinatorHana Abu SamraDeputy CoordinatorAbdul Hameed AljassmiManaging EditorVesela TodorovaCommittee MembersJestin JosJoanna ThorntonVanessa NantyYousuf SayedMISSION STATEMENTTo conserve, protect and restore the U.A.E. marine resourcesby understanding and promoting the marine environment andpromote environmental diving.LEGISLATIONEmirates Diving Association (EDA) was established by a FederalDecree, No. (23) for the year 1995 article No. (21) on 23/02/1995and chose Dubai as its base. The Decree stipulates the followingresponsibilities for EDA.• To Legislate and regulate all diving activities in the UAE.• Ensure environmentally respectful diving practices in all EDAmembers.• Promote and support the diving industry within the UAE bycoordinating the efforts of the diving community.• Promote diving safety in the commercial and recreational divingfields through standardization of practices.• Promote and preserve historical aspects of diving within the gulfregion and enhance environmental education to diving and nondiving communities through EDA activities.CONTACT DETAILSEmirates Diving AssociationHeritage & Diving VillageShindaga AreaP.O. Box: 33220Dubai, UAETel: +971-4-3939390Fax: +971-4-3939391Email: diving@emiratesdiving.com, projects@emiratesdiving.comWebsite: http://emiratesdiving.com/54 EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION, DECEMBER 2007 DECEMBER 2007, EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION 55

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