Atlantis is planning to create around 30 artificial reefs
Atlantis, The Palm, is planning to create 25 to 30 artificial reefs from recycled plastic to help habitat and protect local marine life and corals, according to a senior company executive.
We have created three now and we will be lowering them soon in a protected area off Jebel Ali. This is our effort in protecting the local marine life
and protecting and preserving the oceans habitat, Steve Kaiser, Vice President of Marine Science and Engineering, Atlantis, The Palm.
The initiative, which is first of its kind in the region launched by a hotel, was announced yesterday to celebrate World Oceans Day. Under the Trash to Homes project, Ecosol, a local recycling company, will collect all plastics and transform them into artificial reefs.
To encourage preservation of oceans, Atlantis will give a complimentary child ticket accompanied with a paid adult ticket to The Lost Chambers for every two carrier bags of plastic when bought on June 11 at the Dolphin Bay car park.
Asked the cost of creating the artificial reefs, Kaiser said: We are basically giving our time to monitor the reef as a community service. We have signed an memorandum of understanding with Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) a the regulatory arm of Trakhees-Ports, Customs & Free Zone Corporation and Al Boom Diving.
He ruled out threat of contamination of sea water from chemical waste, saying, It was hard plastic and much safer than re-clyed tyres.
According to a fact sheet distributed by Atlantis, coral reefs comprise less than 0.5 per cent of the ocean floor and it is estimated that more than 90 per cent of marine species are directly or indirectly dependent on them, while nearly 60 per cent of the worlds remaining reefs are at significant risk of being lost in the next three decades.
Source: Emirates 24/7 News
