Forests that grow in the world’s hottest oceans

Jubail Island, Abu Dhabi (CNN) — In midsummer, the sea warms to earth temperatures, it is a very salty sea, and it is an unfriendly place for most vegetation to survive.

Yet in one corner of Abu Dhabi, where salt water surrounds a sun-scorched coastline, a forest not only survives but thrives – creating a natural sanctuary for wildlife, and in the UAE’s A very peaceful refuge in the stressful environment of deserts and cities.

Located on the northeastern edge of Jubail Island in Abu Dhabi, Jubail Mangrove Park is a green expanse of grey mangroves where shallow tidal channels flow into the azure blue Arabian Sea.

Opened as a tourist attraction prior to the pandemic, the park now features a beautiful wooden reception center and a fascinating network of boardwalks that run through trees and water for up-close views of this stunning flora and fauna spot.

It’s a peaceful world away from the glittering skyscrapers and the heat and hustle and bustle of downtown Abu Dhabi, albeit a short drive away. Visitors can spend hours here listening to the chirping of birds, the flapping of fish leaping and the lapping of the waves.

“Coming here is like yoga, it’s a healing process, especially at sunrise or sunset,” said Dickson Dulawen, an experienced guide, when the tide rises high enough for a small boat to venture in. When in the heart of the mangroves, he regularly leads kayak or electric boat tours of the mangroves. forest.

“If you’ve had a really bad day, it’s a great place to relax.”

It’s not just humans who benefit from the resilience of mangroves. These hardy trees also help restore the planet, absorb and store carbon dioxide, boost biodiversity and stay ahead of climate change, scientists say.

fantastic destination

Jubail Mangrove Park is an unexpected green haven away from the Abu Dhabi desert.

Barry Nield/CNN

The best way to watch the mangroves work their magic is on the water, with a guide like Dulawen, on one of Jubail’s brightly coloured kayaks. Tours run throughout the day and sometimes at night, depending on the tides.

Duravin led out of a man-made passage and pointed to swarms of small black crabs crawling around on sand beds around the bottom of the mangroves.

These plants have a symbiotic relationship with crustaceans, he explained. They chew on discarded leaves to hide from predators on the branches, while spreading seeds and breaking down dense salty deposits to allow root growth.

These roots are worth a look. The gray mangroves send out star-shaped networks of cables or anchor roots, then grow their own mini forests, called stomata, that stick out of the water like snorkels, allowing the plants to breathe.

Pulling a kayak onto a pristine sandy beach that only emerges at low tide—a perfect desert island—Duraven invites a closer look at the mangrove leaves, which appear to be sweating. This is part of the process that allows them to grow in seawater that is toxic to other plants.

Dulawen points to other plants that make up the local ecosystem. There are green and stubby salt marsh aquamarines that resemble plants often found as kitchen ingredients. He said it was traditionally used by the local Bedouin as a remedy for gassed camels or horses.

The yellow flowers that bloom at the roots of Sanfir are desert hyacinths, a parasitic plant commonly used for medicinal purposes, including a natural alternative to Viagra, Duravan said.

On the water in the sweltering heat of an Arabian summer afternoon, the mangroves should feel unbearable. However, as Dlawen gently points out the roll call of plants and creatures, the warm waves of the bathtub splash over the kayak, a dreamy quality hanging in the air.

Crab plover and green heron danced among the trees and landed on the soft sediment. In the clear waters, upside-down jellyfish can be seen drifting on swaying seagrass. Dulawen said the turtles were regular visitors.

ecosystem engineer

The grey mangrove roots grow a forest of tiny tubes that stick out of the water to allow the plants to breathe.

Barry Nield/CNN

The tranquility of this corner of Abu Dhabi is partly due to its ban on jet skis and yachts getting on and off the rest of the coastline. Duravan and his companions helped, tirelessly picking up any stray rubbish and driving away uninvited guests.

“There is no other place in the UAE that can compare to here,” he said proudly. “Clear water, natural wildlife. Ideal.”

And it keeps getting better. In recent years, government and private planting programs have led to the expansion of mangrove areas, including Jubail and East Abu Dhabi Mangrove Parks. For every tree lost to development elsewhere, plant three more.

It’s an environmental success story, says John Burt, an associate professor of biology at NYU Abu Dhabi, who sometimes paddles around emirate waters as part of his team’s research to map genetic data on grey mangroves.

He describes mangroves as “ecosystem engineers” who not only build their own habitat but also create the perfect environment for many other species.

“They’re hot spots for diversity,” he said. Crabs rejoice over their mangrove trade. The fish are happy because there is a lot of food to feed their young. The fishermen are happy because these young people grow up in deeper waters and become a commercially valuable harvest.

The birds are happy.

“These mangroves are a migration route for many birds flying between Africa and Eurasia,” Burt said. “In the fall, we see a lot of birds stopping to rest and forage in the area, as this is important not only for providing habitat, but also providing a lot of energy in the food web through fallen leaves.”

And something else. In our age of climate change, Abu Dhabi’s ultra-resilient mangrove forests may hold the key to predicting how the global environment will adapt to global warming and sea level rise, and to help mitigate some of the causes.

They’re important as “blue carbon sinks,” a marine ecosystem that absorbs more carbon than it releases, Burt said.

“They take carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through photosynthesis, and most of that energy goes into the root system,” he said. “When they die…all the carbon dioxide it takes out of the atmosphere stays there.

“As long as you don’t disrupt development in the region, that’s carbon dioxide sequestration. It can offset some of the contribution we put into the air for fossil fuel consumption.”

“So much green”

The observation tower offers beautiful sunset views in the dense forest.

Barry Nield/CNN

And, as they thrive in the unusually salty waters of desert coastal lagoons, winters can actually become uncomfortable for typically tropical species, the professor said, and Abu Dhabi’s grey mangroves could be a source of great relief for the rest of the world. Species survival shows the way.

His team is studying specific genes in native plants that are linked to “environmental robustness,” including resistance to salinity and extreme temperatures (hot and cold).

“I think this will be useful information for looking at places like Indonesia or Thailand and wondering what will happen to adapt to climate change,” he said.

Mangroves in other parts of the world may have the same tough genes as the trees in Abu Dhabi, just waiting to be awakened under the right environmental conditions. Observing these genes in Abu Dhabi could be a good sign.

“It lets us know that such a system is promising,” Burt said.

Back on land with Dulawen, there is time for a stroll on the Jubail Boardwalk as the sun sets into the orange sky. Another peaceful experience, the observation tower offers views of the lush tree-lined canopy.

On a calm evening, several couples and families were enjoying the scenery, including tourist Balaji Krishna.

“If you want to be one with nature, this is a great place not far from the city,” he said. “It’s the only place in Abu Dhabi where you can see so much green.”