“Sharjah Environment and Reserve” is carried out by the first study of its kind in the Middle East to monitor the ingestion of marine birds of waste

The Sharjah Natural Reserves and Reserves Authority has announced the implementation of the first research study of its kind in the Middle East to monitor the swallowing of marine birds for solid waste, microflabage and oils, as part of the Sharjah Program to respond to marine life delinquency, where the study was recently published in the Marine Pollection Bulletin, which constitutes a milestone in understanding the invisible environmental challenges facing Marine birds in the coasts of the state and the region.

This achievement acquires special importance with the world celebration of the “International Environment Day”, as this study highlights as one of the qualitative efforts that contribute to highlighting the threats that affect marine biological diversity, and calls for a collective action to protect marine environmental systems from the risks of escalating pollution.

The study included the examination of the digestive system of 478 birds of marine and coastal birds of 17 different types that were found in the shores of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. The results revealed that 12.8% of the samples contained sea waste, of which 11.1% swallowed solid waste and 1.7% containing oil balls. While it turns out that the plastic plastics are the most common materials that were swallowed, especially by the black seagull, where the polyethylene was the prevailing polymer, followed by the glass as another common substance that was swallowed.

The results also indicated that the bridle birds of the large white gull meter were more likely to swallow the waste than their extreme counterparts, which reflects the fragility of the small age groups in front of marine pollution. In a sub -sample consisting of 20 birds, the 77.8% accurate fibers of the microclipate that were monitored, indicating that the wastewater resulting from washing clothes may be one of the main sources of this pollution. Oil balls and hunting hits are an immediate and dangerous threat to the lives of these birds, according to the study.

The head of the Environment and Natural Reserves Authority in Sharjah said, here Saif Al -Suwaidi said: “This unprecedented scientific study in the region confirms our firm commitment to monitoring and documenting the existing environmental challenges, according to the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, and is a leading scientific achievement at the state and the region, based on an accurate scientific methodology, which contributes to building effective protection policies based on evidence and provides a database. A reference to monitor long -term trends, where we developed through these results an important scientific basis for monitoring the future effects of marine waste on fungal life, including birds that play a pivotal role in the balance of coastal ecosystems. “

She added: “We are keen on the authority to continue these specialized research efforts, in cooperation with local and international experts, in order to enhance Sharjah’s position as a pioneering regional center in environmental studies and biological diversity, and to reduce the effects of marine pollution and consolidate society’s awareness of the importance of preserving biological diversity in our seas and coasts. We call on environmental and regional environmental institutions to adopt similar initiatives To support the sustainability of marine environmental systems in the Middle East. “