|
Maintaining a healthy marine life is of the utmost importance to the developers of the Pearl-Qatar. Following the initial Environmental Impact assessment in 2003 it was agreed along with the government of the State of Qatar that a twice yearly detailed monitoring process would take place, testing the water quality, the sea bed, the coastal morphology and the marine life. Monitoring is carried out in February, during the winter season and in September, during the summer season. The monitoring processes are completed by scientists from an international environmental testing organization.
These experts monitor the water quality, sediment quality and invertebrate benthic fauna by taking samples and analyzing the results. The sea grass beds, other marine life, reefs and stone revetments are monitored using video-recordings and the coastal development is monitored by comparison of satellite photos.
As well as the twice yearly environmental monitoring, the UDC Environmental Affairs Department also carry out tests on the sea water quality every two weeks.
This is an important practice as it ensures that the sea water is not being affected by the construction work on the island. Testing the water every two weeks ensures that should any pollutants be detected in the water they can be traced easily and dealt with quickly. Making sure minimal damage is done to the environment and helping to avoid similar incidents happening again.
To view images from the Ecological Monitoring click here
To watch the movie click here |