Algae causes stink on Palm Jumeirah

A clean-up team has been drafted on to the Palm Jumeirah after complaints from residents about strong-smelling algae collecting along its shoreline.

For the past few weeks tenants living along fronds C and D of the artificial island, where garden homes cost up to Dh12 million (US$3.27m), have complained that the substance has left the area stinking “like sewage”.

Nakheel, the developer of the Palm, confirmed that the algae had been identified at locations around Palm Jumeirah. It said the phenomenon was common in summer, when warmer waters and increased sunlight provided perfect conditions for it to grow.

One resident said: “I don’t like to whinge, particularly with the current climate and with people losing their jobs, but when you pay a lot of money for a property on the Palm you want problems like this to be sorted out… MORE

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Massive and Long-Lasting Red Tide in UAE Now Hitting Famous Dubai Areas

Two beaches in Dubai closed as traces of Red Tide surfaces

04/07/2009 09:09 AM | By Sunita Menon, Staff Reporter

Dubai: Beaches near Burj Al Arab and another one located close to the Umm Suqeim Park have been closed by the Dubai Municipality as traces of Red Tide in these two beaches have surfaced again.

Mohammad Abdul Rehman Hassan, the head of the marine environment and wildlife section, told Gulf News that there were no traces of Red Tide found on Dubai shores in the morning during water testing.

Red tide is the result of an influx of a type of algal bloom; it is so named because it turns the water a reddish colour.

“They have surfaced again and so we have decided to close the beaches to ensure the safety of beachgoers. People are advised not to venture into these two beaches. They should make no contact with the water, nor consume the dead fishes that are washed ashore. Care should also be taken not to inhale the air after a wave hits the shoreline. This can prove hazardous to health,” he said.

Hassan did not rule out the possibility of shutting down more beaches if the Red Tide continues to frequent the area.

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Major Oil Slick Affects Dibba-Fujairah Coast

A big oil slick hit the Dibba-Fujairah coastline on Friday, blackening tourist beaches with a layer
of sludge.

Hassan Al Yamahi, Director of Dibba Al Fujairah Municipality said, “The slick, which appeared to be a form of light-crude oil, wrapped up more than five kilometres along the shoreline near the Dibba area.”

He said the oil spill reached out to the hotels in the Al Aqah area which affected the beachgoers.

The reason for such oil spills, he clarified, emerged from what is called the ‘water balance’, the water that ships throw out in the sea.

Some hotels in the Al Aqah area placed warning signs advising the guests not to approach the sea.

Acting immediately, the Dibba Fujairah Municipality dispatched a group of specialised workers to remove the slicks…SOURCE

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