The Environment and Protected Areas Authority in Sharjah has raised concerns about marine pollutants and their effect on coastal wildlife in the United Arab Emirates after analyzing digested food in deceased seabirds.

What's happening?

A recent study found that 13% of the UAE's seabirds consume plastic, crude oil, tar balls, and textile microfibers. The researchers examined the digestive tracts of 478 dead birds from the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, pinpointing plastic polymers, glass, fishing hooks, and oil residues. At the same time, they found that 78% of microplastics came from synthetic fabrics from laundry.

The findings were alarming, as this was a first-of-its-kind study in the Middle East. According to the Environment and Protected Areas Authority chairperson, Hana Saif Al Suwaidi, such outcomes "highlight the need for urgent, collective action" to protect ocean health.

Why is preventing ocean pollution important?

Plastic pollution comprises 80% of marine contamination and usually takes 500 to 1,000 years to degrade. Meanwhile, just 56 companies were responsible for over 50% of global plastic pollution from 2018 to 2022. 

As if textiles causing 10% of carbon pollution during manufacturing weren't dire enough, the fabrics' polymers and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — nonbiodegradable "forever chemicals" — are among the greatest threats to aquatic ecosystems and wildlife.

When animals consume toxic plastic waste, their digestive systems struggle to break it down or pass it, causing blockages, malnutrition, and plasticosis. One scientist refers to the stomach contents in seabirds as "plastic soup."

Plastic isn't the only concern, though. Thousands of oil spills occur annually from accidents involving drilling rigs, barges, refineries, tankers, and boats. Crude oil from the Earth's surface and petroleum reservoirs also leave tar balls on beaches, which coastal avian species may ingest. 

What's being done about it?

The UAE already has stringent marine protection laws, fining violators for discharging oil waste, plastic, and hazardous substances into waterways. However, the study's researchers hope the findings will inspire awareness and action from the public to stop the long-term effects.

Elsewhere, engineers built a new technology mimicking a deepwater sponge's filtering capabilities to remove oil from seawater. The vortex-anchored filter effectively removed 97% of oil residues during trials, and scientists are hopeful it could separate microplastics in the water column.

Other scientific initiatives have successfully removed over 98% of nanoplastics from water with a newly developed liquid-based solvent.

You can also do your part by committing to less plastic, such as using reusable grocery bags, avoiding single-use coffee pods, and ditching plastic cutlery. Small changes make a significant impact on the ocean and coastal wildlife.

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