Dubai's man-made reef turning the tide as marine life starts to return

Biodiversity up 10 per cent since project's launch

Dubai's plan to create one of the world’s largest man-made reefs is already showing promising ecological returns.

Newly released footage from the Dubai Reef project shows schools of native fish circling concrete reef modules – the first tangible signs of recovery in the emirate's marine habitat.

Since the project's launch, its team says fish biomass has increased eightfold, compared with baseline levels recorded in 2021. Marine biodiversity has risen by 10 per cent – with groupers, snappers and barracuda now thriving around the man-made structures.

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The flourishing ecosystems under the waves signal a different kind of growth linked to a city better known for its skyline and relentless pace of development.

Barren seabed to living reef

The Dubai Reef project was launched in 2023 because the seabed around the emirate, composed largely of soft sediment, offers little natural shelter or food for marine life.

The project’s aim, said Omar Al Nuaimi, director of Dubai Reef at the Department of Economy and Tourism, is not to replace nature but to give it a foundation.

“We’re providing the base infrastructure for nature to take its course,” he told The National. “The concrete sits under water, and over time it becomes a habitat where juvenile fish can settle, barnacles and microorganisms attach, and an ecosystem starts to grow.”

The proof-of-concept phase, monitored over three years, convinced Dubai authorities the approach worked. The man-made reefs attracted 15 native fish species, and studies confirmed significant biomass increases.

Scale and design

The project is striking not only in ambition but also in scale. So far, 39 per cent of the planned concrete structures have been made, with 3,600 already deployed in Dubai waters. A further 20,000 will be rolled out by the end of 2027.

Each reef unit is made of low-carbon concrete reinforced with steel. There are six module designs, each tailored to mimic natural reef structures.

These range from the 1.7-metre tall “reef shade” to the “ocean castle”, standing six metres tall and eight metres wide for deeper waters. The largest units will be deployed at depths beyond 25 metres, leaving safe zones for shipping traffic.

“This is not about sinking old ships or dumping debris, as has been tried elsewhere,” Mr Al Nuaimi explained. “The science shows that carefully designed, purpose-built modules are reliable and sustainable.”

Omar Al Nuaimi, director of Dubai Reef at the Department of Economy and Tourism. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Logistical feat

Deployment is no small undertaking. Units are loaded on to barges in stacks of up to 160, a process that takes half a day, before being ferried out to sea.

There, cranes lower the structures into position, often in groups designed to create complex habitats. The weather dictates operations: calm seas allow for near-daily deployments, but rough waters can halt work entirely.

The initiative comes against a backdrop of global concern over coral reefs. Since 2009, an estimated 14 per cent of the world’s coral has been lost, and scientists warn that up to 90 per cent could vanish within 25 years if warming seas and other pressures continue.

“This is about leaving a legacy for future generations,” said Mr Al Nuaimi. “We can’t control every pressure of climate change, but we can provide resilience and give marine life a chance to recover.”

Research and conservation

The project is built on three pillars: habitat restoration, marine life rehabilitation and marine conservation research.

Alongside reef construction, Dubai aims to position itself as a regional hub for marine science, with studies into coral rehabilitation and long-term ecosystem monitoring forming a core part of the plan.

Partnerships with marine biologists, engineers, port authorities and customs officials have been essential, Mr Al Nuaimi said, not just for the technical design of the reefs but for ensuring deployment zones remain clear of shipping lanes and anchorage points.

While artificial reefs are not a new idea, few projects have attempted them on this scale or with such an emphasis on sustainability and research.

“The sea has always been at the heart of Dubai’s identity,” Mr Al Nuaimi said. “This project is about protecting it, ensuring that in 50 or 100 years’ time, there is still a thriving marine ecosystem here.”

Uncertain future

Most corals in the Arabian Gulf could be wiped out this century because of the continued warming of the seas, global analysis indicated earlier this year.

According to the research, coral cover in the Gulf between 2090 and 2099 is expected to be between 75 and 100 per cent less than it was between 2010 and 2019.

While the forecasts vary according to future greenhouse gas emission levels, the study calculates that under a “middle-of-the-road” scenario, coral cover globally will decline by about 58 per cent by the end of the century.

Writing in Science Advances, the scientists said “the most severe declines in coral cover will likely occur within 40 to 80 years”, but that large-scale expansion of coral reefs into cooler waters to compensate for this “requires centuries”.

But two crucial coral reefs in UAE waters are showing signs of recovery from bleaching, it was revealed this month.

A major bleaching in 2021 left corals in the waters of Sir Bu Nair island and Khor Fakkan in Sharjah vulnerable. Yet, findings from more recent monitoring provide some optimism, as regrowth has been observed.

Experts believe the expansion of protected areas, working with divers to build awareness of corals and other management efforts can turn the tide and further aid the recovery.