Palm residents told to stay out of algae-hit sea

WATER WARNING: Residents living on Palm Jumeirah have been advised to stay out of the water.

Residents living on Palm Jumeirah in Dubai have been advised to stay out of the sea following reports of algal bloom in the UAE.

Letters, dated Thursday, from Palm developer Nakheel were sent to people with homes on the man-made island to warn them to steer clear of the water, following advice from environmental health and safety officials.

Algae are microscopic organisms which serve as an important marine food source. They can multiply so rapidly that they form dense patches in the water, known as blooms which have become more common in the region.

A spokesman for Trakhees-EHS told Arabian Business: "Some blooms are harmful called Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) and can cause risks to human health as well as the marine life. Currently, UAE is experiencing blooms in some coastal areas including Dubai.

"Further investigation on the toxicological implications of this algae species is still on-going. In line with the potential risk due to direct exposure to algae we advise the public to avoid contact with affected water."

Last November, Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority (SEWA) suspended the operation of the new water desalination plant in Khor Khan due to the phenomenon.

As well as the UAE’s Indian Ocean coastline, waters off Salalah and Muscat in Oman, Iran and the Straits of Hormuz have all been affected.

The algae was first observed around Dibba and in Fujairah last August and has since affected activities of dive operators and hoteliers.

Hundreds of tonnes of fish have suffocated because of a lack of oxygen in the affected waters.

Samples taken by the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi this year showed that the bloom is usually dominated by a micro-organism which is not harmful to humans called cochlodinium polykrikoides.

The UAE is planning to work with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, an American ocean research organisation, to implement a research programme.

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READERS' COMMENTS

So shall we expect fall in Palm house prices?
Posted by Kaptain, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Saturday 4 April 2009 at 13:32 UAE time


So with this growth, with the unwanted and uninvited inhabitants, would Palm property fall in prices? Yet again?
Algae theory is a conspiracy theory?

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