About a month ago I was contacted by the Emirates Diving Association (EDA) informing me that a company called Archireef were looking for volunteers to help with a 10 day BioBlitz in Abu Dhabi Emirate.
In particular they were looking for an experienced photographer to help with photographing the samples that would be collected. This photography however would be on land and not underwater.
In short, I volunteered and was accepted, meeting up with the Archireef team about two weeks later at the MENA Oceans Summit in Dubai, which gave me an opportunity to discuss what was required etc., and let me know exactly what was involved and what I was letting myself in for.
The purpose of the BioBlitz was to collect as many samples of invertebrates to demonstrate the diversification of the life around the islands in the south of Abu Dhabi Emirates (Sir Bani Yas, Delma etc.). Diving would be done on what is left of the coral reefs around that area as well as in some mangroves, collecting crabs, shrimps, worms, molluscs as well as other invertebrates.
Sample collection at Ghasha wreck near Sir Bani Yas Island.
We were based at Sir Bani Yas Island, and a room in the water sports centre at the Anantara Hotel was converted into a laboratory for the purpose of separating the samples and processing them from identification, photography and DNA sampling. The appropriate licence and permission for this task was done by Archireef and four taxonomists were involved, two from Florida, one from Guam and one from Hong Kong.
Mandy in the mangroves
The volunteers were a mixed crowd from Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and we all shared rooms at the Anantara Hotel.
Ladies of the swamp
Unfortunately the weather delayed the start of this project by a couple of days, and I was stuck on the mainland with two of the scientists at another hotel until we managed to get a ferry across to Sir Bani Yas Island.
Our initial dives were purely shore based as it was too rough to take a boat out. We also did some wading through a mangrove swamp on two other days when weather was too rough again to take a boat out.
Me preparing a sample for photography
In total we collected over 1,200 samples, which are all processed now and ready for DNA testing. One great outcome is I have met up with some new friends and future dive buddies, and looking forward to the next BioBlitz.
Some of the team
In particular they were looking for an experienced photographer to help with photographing the samples that would be collected. This photography however would be on land and not underwater.
In short, I volunteered and was accepted, meeting up with the Archireef team about two weeks later at the MENA Oceans Summit in Dubai, which gave me an opportunity to discuss what was required etc., and let me know exactly what was involved and what I was letting myself in for.
The purpose of the BioBlitz was to collect as many samples of invertebrates to demonstrate the diversification of the life around the islands in the south of Abu Dhabi Emirates (Sir Bani Yas, Delma etc.). Diving would be done on what is left of the coral reefs around that area as well as in some mangroves, collecting crabs, shrimps, worms, molluscs as well as other invertebrates.
Sample collection at Ghasha wreck near Sir Bani Yas Island.
We were based at Sir Bani Yas Island, and a room in the water sports centre at the Anantara Hotel was converted into a laboratory for the purpose of separating the samples and processing them from identification, photography and DNA sampling. The appropriate licence and permission for this task was done by Archireef and four taxonomists were involved, two from Florida, one from Guam and one from Hong Kong.
Mandy in the mangroves
The volunteers were a mixed crowd from Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and we all shared rooms at the Anantara Hotel.
Ladies of the swamp
Unfortunately the weather delayed the start of this project by a couple of days, and I was stuck on the mainland with two of the scientists at another hotel until we managed to get a ferry across to Sir Bani Yas Island.
Our initial dives were purely shore based as it was too rough to take a boat out. We also did some wading through a mangrove swamp on two other days when weather was too rough again to take a boat out.
Me preparing a sample for photography
In total we collected over 1,200 samples, which are all processed now and ready for DNA testing. One great outcome is I have met up with some new friends and future dive buddies, and looking forward to the next BioBlitz.
Some of the team
