Marawah Marine

Marawah Marine Biosphere Reserve lies off Abu Dhabi's western coast around Marawah Island. It was declared a marine protected area in 2001 and recognised by UNESCO in 2007 as the UAE's first biosphere reserve^[1]. It is managed by the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi.

The reserve hosts about 60% of the second-largest dugong population in the world, along with four species of marine turtle and 70 species of fish^[1].

The reserve's habitats include seagrass beds, coral reefs and mangroves^[1]. The seagrass beds feed the dugongs.

The reserve is a shallow, low-lying coastal and island area of the Arabian Gulf, with sandy and muddy seabeds, tidal flats and low islands.

The climate is hot and humid on the coast, with very hot summers and mild winters and little rain. Sea temperatures in the shallow Gulf vary strongly with the season.

More than 20 sites on Marawah date back to the Stone Age; Stone Age houses more than 7,000 years old were unearthed, along with the remains of the island's oldest known inhabitant^[1].

The area was declared a marine protected area in 2001 and recognised by UNESCO as a biosphere reserve in 2007^[1].

The main interest is wildlife and archaeology: dugongs in the seagrass, turtles, and the Stone Age sites on Marawah Island.

The public was long kept away because of the protected status, though the Environment Agency planned to open the island to visitors under the motto 'Take nothing but photos, leave nothing but footprints'^[1]. The reserve lies about 100 km from Abu Dhabi and is reached by boat.

The Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi manages the reserve^[1]. Dugong protection is its central aim.