Red tide forces closure of Dubai beaches

RED TIDE: A photo of an algal bloom. (For illustrative purposes only)

Dubai Municipality is advising swimmers to stay out of the sea as a red tide of algal bloom engulfs the emirate’s beaches.

Two beaches in Jumeirah have been closed to the public while government scientists analysed samples taken from the bloom, said Kais Mansoor, fisheries officer in Dubai’s Marine Environment and Wildlife Section.

But the red tide was moving so quickly from day to day it was difficult to tell which beaches were affected, he said.

Beaches near the Burj Al Arab and Umm Suqeim park were closed on Monday.

“Until we get an analysis we can’t allow people to swim,” he told Arabian Business.

He said environment officers were monitoring all of Dubai’s beaches on a daily basis.

“The situation is changing every day from one day to another. The red tide is moving so we don’t know which beaches are safe and which are not,” Mansoor added.

He said it could be “another few days” before the bloom cleared.

On Friday residents living on Palm Jumeirah were advised by Nakheel, the developer of the man-made island, to stay out of the sea following reports of algal bloom.

Letters from 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.

Some blooms are harmful and can cause risks to human health as well as the marine life.

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.

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READERS' COMMENTS

water shortage ?
Posted by Jim on Tuesday 7 April 2009 at 15:19 UAE time


Does any one know what will happen if the Dubai/Jebel Ali desalination plants have to shut ? Will we have enough water this summer ? The red tide has been around on the east coast for nearly 8 months.

'A few days...' ???
Posted by BV, Dubai, UAE on Tuesday 7 April 2009 at 14:04 UAE time


When I read the paragraph which states:

'He said it could be “another few days” before the bloom cleared.'

All I could do was laugh out loud. Has this man been to fujairah coast in the last half year? I have, on a regular basis for diving & camping... and I can tell you, the red tide has been there for months and months and is only spreading further. Fish are dying en-masse and the beaches are really starting to stink from the red-tide and the fish themselves.

Oman and the UAE need to tackle this situation head-on while they still have chance... who knows where it came from and how it can be resolved before it spreads throughout the gulf, accross to the Indian Ocean, and further out to sea!?

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