The Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi monitors the presence of a rare blue hole in the waters of the Al Dhafra region
The Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi, during its periodic surveys and evaluations, recently monitored the presence of a rare blue hole in the waters of the Al Dhafra region in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, with a circumference of 300 meters and a width of 200 meters and covering a total area of about 45,000 square metres.
The preliminary analysis of the field survey carried out by researchers in the authority of the region indicated that the bottom of the blue hole, which forms the center of the hole, consists of a low semi-circular area with an area of about 5,000 square meters.
The topography of the semi-circular area is flat and has a maximum depth of 12 metres. The bottom consists of silt, fine sand, clay and sand.
This hole houses more than 10 types of corals on the edges of the sea wall and coral colonies provide shelter for a variety of fish such as grouper, brush, hairy, and peregrine falcon.
The importance of the hole lies in the fact that it provides an overview of the historical time period of the coral reefs in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
The authority indicated that to enhance its understanding of the marine ecosystem and better characterize the geological structure of the blue hole, a detailed environmental assessment survey will be conducted, in which environmental parameters will be evaluated, including geological mapping of the area, chemical soil analysis of seawater and the physical composition of the sea floor, which will contribute to identifying On the blue hole specifications better.
The authority will also continue to conduct scientific and geological studies to increase understanding of this unique natural phenomenon.
The blue hole is a natural phenomenon and is a deep marine depression compared to the shallow areas around it.
The deepest blue hole is located in the South China Sea, the Yongle Deep Hole with a depth of up to 300 metres. Other world famous blue holes include the Great Blue Hole in Belize, the Gozo Blue Hole in Malta, the Dahab Blue Hole in Egypt and the Dean Blue Hole in the Bahamas .
These unique structures attract divers from all over the world, as the blue holes house a number of corals and diverse fish species while at their depths hosting diverse microbial communities.
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