By Stuart Laundy

Abu Dhabi

An island and its surrounding waters off the coast of Abu Dhabi emirate have been declared a protected conservation zone by Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in his capacity as chairman of the Emirates Heritage Club.

As a result, Al Sammaliah Island, some 12 miles north-east of Abu Dhabi city, is to be home to pioneering environmental and ecological research projects.

It is the base for the Commission for Environmental Research, which has already begun a number of initiatives, most notably to help preserve marine turtles.

Headed by Abdulmonem Darwish, the commission is to build a beach and hatchery for the turtles so they can breed in safety.

The commission is also developing a huge mangrove plantation as part of a joint research project in co-ordination with the European Union.

Al Sammaliah has to some extent been "made" from several smaller islands, with in-filling creating the 56 square kilometre land mass.

The oldest part of the island is thought to predate Islamic times, and two archaeological digs have been carried out on Al Sammaliah. It is thought to have been used by fishermen.

In addition to Al Sammaliah, the CER operates in three other areas of Abu Dhabi - at Masnoaa Island, which is close to Futaisi Island, on the mainland coast at Green Al Esh and a desert site at Al Ajban.

Formed in August 1996 as part of the Heritage Club, the focus of the commission's activities is on Al Sammaliah.

Principal Environmental Researcher Ron Loughland said the commission's role was to provide a link between science and heritage, and to teach nationals through ecological training courses.

The organisation's work on marine turtle preservation is pioneering.

"Turtle beach is an idea which came about due to the threat to turtles in the UAE," said Loughland.

He said even when left undisturbed in their natural surroundings, the survival" rate of turtle eggs was low.

"Added to that is the threat of poaching and development of the beaches. The natural nesting sites are no longer isolated as they were in the past.

"What we want to do is ensure that the turtle population continues to flourish in the Gulf, and we are committed to giving turtles a safe place to nest where they are not disturbed by poachers.

"This has been assured on Al Sammaliah because Sheikh Sultan has made the island and its waters to the north a protected area," added Loughland.

The beach will be designed similar to those which occur naturally on offshore islands where turtles currently nest.

"I don't think anyone has built a beach from scratch like this anywhere else in the world."

The commission's environmentalists were given a huge boost when they discovered, quite by chance, that turtles had returned to the Abu Dhabi coast to nest after beaches were smoothed off during development work.

"They had the same characteristics as other turtle beaches, and they started nesting immediately. This shows there is a need for turtle nesting beaches. Turtles are looking for places to nest and I am hoping they will use ours straight away when it is finished."

In addition to attracting turtles, the commission will take eggs from known threatened areas and place them in a hatchery which will be built as part of the turtle beach.

It will be an indoor facility, with temperature control and access to the beach so when the eggs have hatched, the turtles can go straight to their natural surroundings. Incubators will also be used to increase hatching success.

Loughland said the project would also be used to teach people about the importance of marine turtles to the UAE.

Work on the giant mangrove plantation is already well underway. It is all avercinnia marina, the only species which grows in the country.

The main reason for the plantation is to increase the biodiversity of the island. It will attract an increasing variety of birds - even in the height of summer there are wading birds on the island - fish and other marine animals.

The plantation is also to be studied in a long-term project drawn up by the European Union called Concerted Action on the Sustainable Use of Halophytes (plants which grow in salt water).

"There are many different working groups, and there are 13 countries involved ranging from the Mediterranean to tropical and sub-tropical countries," said Loughland.

"We have signed up to be an active member of groups to do with the economic use of halo-phytes and education and training about these plants.

"In the case of the UAE, you have sun, salt water and low fertile soil, and what we can do is show that you can grow the local mangrove to become a marketable product. "Specialists from the European Union will come here. The island will be a big outdoor laboratory," he added. "We are also going to act as a genetic bank for halophytes. We can grow quite a good variety here and ship them back to Europe."

Alongside the environmental work being carried out on the island, sensitive development is planned, highlighting Abu Dhabi's heritage.