Assessment of the Environmental Status of the Mangrove Ecosystem in the United Arab Emirates

In the Arabian Gulf, mangroves play a particularly important role in maintaining biodiversity. Water and intertidal sediments were collected from eight sampling locations in April 2017 to assess the environmental status of the mangrove forest in the Khor al Beida, Umm Al Quwain, which is one of the...

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Main Author: Samara, Fatin (author)
Other Authors: Solovieva, Nadia (author), Ghalayini, Thouraya (author), Nasrallah, Zaina Anwar (author), Saburova, Maria (author)
Format: article
Published: 2020
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Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/11073/21437
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author Samara, Fatin
author2 Solovieva, Nadia
Ghalayini, Thouraya
Nasrallah, Zaina Anwar
Saburova, Maria
author2_role author
author
author
author
author_facet Samara, Fatin
Solovieva, Nadia
Ghalayini, Thouraya
Nasrallah, Zaina Anwar
Saburova, Maria
author_role author
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Samara, Fatin
Solovieva, Nadia
Ghalayini, Thouraya
Nasrallah, Zaina Anwar
Saburova, Maria
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2020
2021-04-25T10:18:49Z
2021-04-25T10:18:49Z
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv Samara, F.; Solovieva, N.; Ghalayini, T.; Nasrallah, Z.A.; Saburova, M. Assessment of the Environmental Status of the Mangrove Ecosystem in the United Arab Emirates. Water 2020, 12, 1623. https://doi.org/10.3390/w12061623
2073-4441
http://hdl.handle.net/11073/21437
10.3390/w12061623
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv en_US
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv MDPI
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv https://doi.org/10.3390/w12061623
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Opephora pacifica
Umm Al Quwain
Pollution
Total organic carbon
Khor al Beida
Mangrove conservation
Partition coefficient
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Assessment of the Environmental Status of the Mangrove Ecosystem in the United Arab Emirates
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv Peer-Reviewed
Published version
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
info:eu-repo/semantics/article
description In the Arabian Gulf, mangroves play a particularly important role in maintaining biodiversity. Water and intertidal sediments were collected from eight sampling locations in April 2017 to assess the environmental status of the mangrove forest in the Khor al Beida, Umm Al Quwain, which is one of the largest natural mangrove forests in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Khor al Beida is also a breeding ground for the largest Gulf colony of a regionally endemic Socotra cormorant. Total metal concentrations of water and sediments were measured using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) and ranged between 0.001–2.873 mg/L and 0.08–12683.02 mg/kg, respectively. Most metals were within permissible levels, except for copper, iron, aluminum, zinc, and nickel. Hazard Quotient calculations showed low risk to the ecosystem in relation to the presence of heavy metals, with the exception of zinc. Fifty-three diatom species of pennate benthic forms were identified in the intertidal sediments. For the first time in the UAE, diatom composition and diatom diversity values were quantitatively estimated in the surface sediments and a short sediment core. Overall, the assessment suggests that the mangrove forest is currently undisturbed and shows very little anthropogenic impact; yet, protection and conservation efforts are necessary in order to maintain its current status.
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identifier_str_mv Samara, F.; Solovieva, N.; Ghalayini, T.; Nasrallah, Z.A.; Saburova, M. Assessment of the Environmental Status of the Mangrove Ecosystem in the United Arab Emirates. Water 2020, 12, 1623. https://doi.org/10.3390/w12061623
2073-4441
10.3390/w12061623
language_invalid_str_mv en_US
network_acronym_str aus
network_name_str aus
oai_identifier_str oai:repository.aus.edu:11073/21437
publishDate 2020
publisher.none.fl_str_mv MDPI
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
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repository_id_str
spelling Assessment of the Environmental Status of the Mangrove Ecosystem in the United Arab EmiratesSamara, FatinSolovieva, NadiaGhalayini, ThourayaNasrallah, Zaina AnwarSaburova, MariaOpephora pacificaUmm Al QuwainPollutionTotal organic carbonKhor al BeidaMangrove conservationPartition coefficientIn the Arabian Gulf, mangroves play a particularly important role in maintaining biodiversity. Water and intertidal sediments were collected from eight sampling locations in April 2017 to assess the environmental status of the mangrove forest in the Khor al Beida, Umm Al Quwain, which is one of the largest natural mangrove forests in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Khor al Beida is also a breeding ground for the largest Gulf colony of a regionally endemic Socotra cormorant. Total metal concentrations of water and sediments were measured using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) and ranged between 0.001–2.873 mg/L and 0.08–12683.02 mg/kg, respectively. Most metals were within permissible levels, except for copper, iron, aluminum, zinc, and nickel. Hazard Quotient calculations showed low risk to the ecosystem in relation to the presence of heavy metals, with the exception of zinc. Fifty-three diatom species of pennate benthic forms were identified in the intertidal sediments. For the first time in the UAE, diatom composition and diatom diversity values were quantitatively estimated in the surface sediments and a short sediment core. Overall, the assessment suggests that the mangrove forest is currently undisturbed and shows very little anthropogenic impact; yet, protection and conservation efforts are necessary in order to maintain its current status.American University of SharjahMDPI2021-04-25T10:18:49Z2021-04-25T10:18:49Z2020Peer-ReviewedPublished versioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/articleapplication/pdfSamara, F.; Solovieva, N.; Ghalayini, T.; Nasrallah, Z.A.; Saburova, M. Assessment of the Environmental Status of the Mangrove Ecosystem in the United Arab Emirates. Water 2020, 12, 1623. https://doi.org/10.3390/w120616232073-4441http://hdl.handle.net/11073/2143710.3390/w12061623en_UShttps://doi.org/10.3390/w12061623oai:repository.aus.edu:11073/214372024-08-22T12:00:36Z
spellingShingle Assessment of the Environmental Status of the Mangrove Ecosystem in the United Arab Emirates
Samara, Fatin
Opephora pacifica
Umm Al Quwain
Pollution
Total organic carbon
Khor al Beida
Mangrove conservation
Partition coefficient
status_str publishedVersion
title Assessment of the Environmental Status of the Mangrove Ecosystem in the United Arab Emirates
title_full Assessment of the Environmental Status of the Mangrove Ecosystem in the United Arab Emirates
title_fullStr Assessment of the Environmental Status of the Mangrove Ecosystem in the United Arab Emirates
title_full_unstemmed Assessment of the Environmental Status of the Mangrove Ecosystem in the United Arab Emirates
title_short Assessment of the Environmental Status of the Mangrove Ecosystem in the United Arab Emirates
title_sort Assessment of the Environmental Status of the Mangrove Ecosystem in the United Arab Emirates
topic Opephora pacifica
Umm Al Quwain
Pollution
Total organic carbon
Khor al Beida
Mangrove conservation
Partition coefficient
url http://hdl.handle.net/11073/21437