Dubai: The first of 20,000 reefs that can last more than a century will be deployed off the city’s coast – News

Dubai has begun deploying the first batch of 1,000 purpose-built reef modules “aimed at protecting Dubai’s coastal habitats, increasing fish populations and supporting the city’s marine ecosystem”, authorities announced on Saturday.

Speaking at a media briefing, Ahmed Mohammed Bin Thani, director general of the Dubai Environment and Climate Change Authority (Decca), said artificial reefs will boost fish stocks and improve food security in the UAE.

Purpose-built reefs are designed to resemble natural reef formations, providing habitats that attract and support a wide range of marine organisms, including fish, crustaceans, molluscs and other marine life, while providing a substrate – a surface on which the organism can live, grow and develop . get his food. They will also serve as breeding grounds for fish and refuge from predators.

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The Dubai Reef project, touted as the “world’s largest purpose-built reef complex”, was launched in April by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense of the UAE. and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council.

A total of 20,000 purpose-built reef modules are planned to be deployed over the next three years in four clusters covering 600 square kilometers of Dubai’s coastal waters.

Designed for 100 years of operation

The government said most offshore modules are built from recycled and environmentally friendly concrete and steel; while larger modules for deeper depths are made entirely of steel.

Designed to last over 100 years, these modules vary in size and allow for the creation of different habitats for different fish species. “The height of the artificial marine habitat can range from 1.6 to 6.5 meters, and the depth can range from 18 to over 25 meters,” Ryan Pike, CEO of HaejooX (the official contractor for the construction and production of the Dubai Reef), told Khaleej Times. .

HaejooX is a South Korean company and pioneer in the purpose-built reef industry that has been involved in the Dubai Reef project since its initial proof of concept in 2021.

Pike said all marine modules are manufactured in Dubai, on a biofuel-fueled site, and “the materials used ensure longevity and promote the development and support of marine life.”

He added that the Dubai Reef project will also create new business opportunities in marine tourism, including diving and other related industries.

Pike said there are six types of modules and three of them have already been manufactured, including the Reef Shade, Arab Marine Pyramid and Fish Cube. Other modules yet to be created are called X-Reef, Fish Cave and Ocean Castle.

Here are their characteristics:

Reef Shadow

Material: sustainable concrete and steel.

Weight: 2.4 tons

Installation depth: 18 meters

Dimensions: 2.3 m (l) x 2.3 m (w) x 1.7 m (h)

Characteristics: Designed to provide opportunities for coral development and increased demersal fish populations along the UAE coastline. It offers shelter and habitat for hammor, sheri and kopua.

Arabian sea pyramid

Material: sustainable concrete and steel.

Weight: 1.5 tons

Installation depth: 20 meters

Dimensions: 2.5 x 2.5 x 2 m.

Features: Specially designed for underwater conditions and Gulf views. Strategically located on soft seabed to support marine life.

Fish cube

Material: sustainable concrete and steel.

Weight: 10 tons

Dimensions: 3m x 3m x 3.6

Placement depth: 25 m.

Characteristics: Located in lower energy zones – less than 20m deep – this reef provides an ideal substrate for corals and algae to take root, offering vital food and shelter for a variety of fish species.

X-Reef

Material: sustainable concrete and steel.