Research put Abu Dhabi on the map for their conservation efforts
Abu Dhabi is home to the world’s largest population of endangered Indian Ocean humpback dolphins, a new study has found.
While habitat loss and human activities are pushing the little-known marine mammals to the brink of extinction, scientists said.
A recent ‘Dolphin Survey’ carried out over three years by the Abu Dhabi Environment Agency (EAD) found that 701 Indian Ocean humpback dolphins and 1,834 Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins inhabit the southern quarters of the Arabian Gulf.
The rapidly declining Indian Ocean Humpback is one of east Africa’s most endangered marine mammals, with the next largest population of 466 found in South Africa and 105 in Mozambique.
Bruno Díaz López, the Chief biologist and Director of The Bottlenose Dolphin Research Institute (BDRI) in Spain, said the discovery has stoked scientific interest world-wide:
“It has also given Abu Dhabi an opportunity to become a global reference for the conservation of coastal dolphins. However, this opportunity may not last long,” he warned.
“Abu Dhabi’s humpback dolphins are threatened by a variety of factors, some of which are plainly evident and others of which are poorly understood,” he said.
Many of the dolphins studied bore scars from human activity, with 13% of the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins and 12% of the Indian Ocean humpback dolphins cut by propeller strikes or entanglement in fishing gear.
Habitat loss from dredging, land reclamation, port and harbour construction, noise pollution and other development activities in their shallow coastal habitat was also pushing them to the brink of extinction, the study said.
Lopez said: “Without a doubt, future research studies and action is urgently needed to protect these vulnerable animals and their habitat."
HE Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, Secretary General of EAD said the study was launched in 2014 when very little was known about the ecology and conservation status of dolphins in Abu Dhabi waters:
“Dolphins are apex predators that bio-accumulate marine toxins, consequently, they are good indicators of marine environmental quality,” she said.
“This has provided population size estimates and information on the main threats, required as a basis for the assessment, monitoring and conservation of these charismatic species’ she added.
The results were collected over 64 days of boat-based surveys covering 5,592 km of water and 403 Indian Ocean humpback dolphins 693 Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins and 52 finless porpoises.
Researchers counted the mammals using unique patterns of cuts and nicks on the trailing edge of their dorsal fins to track them.
The survey revealed that the dolphins dwell mostly in shallow-waters, in the channels and close to the Abu Dhabi coastline, while the Indo-Pacific bottlenose were found in deeper waters.
The results of EAD’s dolphin studies are published in the latest edition of the UK’s Journal of the Marine Biological Association.
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