Studying the ocean of the future
On the UAE’s east coast, scientists at the Sharjah Marine Science Research Centre are studying marine ecosystems and recreating conditions that could become more common in the oceans of the future.
Some of the centre’s tanks simulate warmer, more acidic waters with lower oxygen levels. Professor Stephen Widdicombe, the centre’s director, says they offer an insight into how marine life could respond as ocean conditions change.
“The oceans are incredibly important, they represent 90% of the habitable space for life on this planet,” Widdicombe said. But he warned, they face pressures ranging from climate change and pollution to other human activities.
One area of research focuses on sea turtles. Every turtle has a unique pattern of scales on its face, much like a human fingerprint. Marine biologist Dr Jon Lapeyra photographs turtles along roughly one kilometre of coastline each week and uses artificial intelligence to help recognise individual animals.
