It’s now or never. The UAE coral reefs are disappearing fast. The summer of 2023 saw 100% extinction of certain coral species found on the West coast reefs and significant bleaching of the remaining species. Coral reefs are under extreme pressure globally, and if we don’t take urgent action to protect them, our grandchildren may never see the beauty of these vital ecosystems.
Coral reefs are the nurseries of the ocean, they occupy less than 1% of the ocean floor but provide shelter and breeding space for up to 30% of global marine species – that’s roughly the same number of species found in the Amazonian rainforest!
If the reef dies, its inhabitants will leave or perish.
COP 28 has driven the whole of the UAE to build an even sharper focus on protecting the environment, sign up below to find out more about Project REEFrame and what YOU can do to help preserve our coral reef ecosystems!
If you would like us to contact you for a sponsorship discussion, please send us your contact details in the form below.
What Can You Do To Help?
Every contribution is valuable, whether it's time, expertise, sponsorship of reef structures or helping us grow the scholarship fund that educates our volunteers on marine conservation and coral reef management.
Volunteering
If you're a diver, scientist, student or ecowarrior (and are at least 6 years old!) we have activities for you that will help the project.
If you are a diver, you can learn to collect and propagate coral, if you're not, you can learn to dive first!
Non-divers can help us with the land-based tasks (click on the "Provide Expertise" section). Everyone is welcome!
Sponsoring Education
If you are a company or an individual who would like to help us educate the community, you can sponsor courses for our volunteers to help them hone their conservation superpowers.
We educate various communities: the volunteers to help us with the conservation work; children at school; and science students who would like to do a tropical marine science internship.
Sponsoring Reef Structures
Project REEFrame is all about creating new reefs for coral to grow on. We do that by building eco-friendly structures that we install in the ocean.
You can sponsor your own personalized reef structure, then watch as it flourishes. You will get monthly photos and video, a quarterly report, and the opportunity to help look after it!
Provide Expertise
We need people to help us build our structures, work with scientific data, teach kids, take photographs and videos, help with sales and marketing, as well as a raft of other supporting activities.
Alternatively, if your company provides relevant materials or services , we are always looking for partners to help us be more efficient.
About Project REEFrame
In 2019, Darryl established a programme for coastal marine protection, which has since been rebranded as Project REEFrame.
Project REEFrame is a community project based in the UAE that is run by Freestyle Divers. The project is focused on helping to save the local coral reef ecosystems and is entirely funded by private sector project partners and sponsors as part of a networked social responsibility program.
All our work is performed to ensure that there is minimal negative impact to natural coral reefs or the coastal marine ecosystems.
We have partnered with the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE), the Fujairah Environmental Authority (FEA), Fujairah Genetics, and Fujairah Research Centre, to deliver coastal marine conservation and restore coral reef ecosystems in the UAE, as well as to educate the adult and youth community about how to help protect our coastal ecosystems.
Following two years of intense research and preparation, Project REEFrame was officially launched on the 15th July 2021, within the Al Faqeet marine protected area in Dibba, Fujairah.
The Phase 1 site was deliberately located on bare sand that contained little life. Our goal was to create a new and biodiverse ecosystem in that barren area. After two years, the site was already teeming with life and had recruited more than 100 identified species, plus a few unidentified species, onto the new coral reefs we created.
Phase 2 started in October 2023, and has the goal of increasing the footprint of the project to 40,000m2 by mid-2025, as well as perfecting the approach and methods for an even larger Phase 3 coastal conservation project.
The project is designed and coordinated by marine biologists at Freestyle Divers LLC, a diving and marine conservation company.
Our Mission
Our mission is simple.
Project REEFrame brings the community together to ensure the survival and growth of our reef systems, in the face of warming oceans, increasing ocean acidity, pollution, and coral diseases.
We provide the experience, methods, tools and education to help protect coral reefs and seagrass meadows, which are vital resources that protect our coastline, sustain fisheries, and sequester carbon.
https://www.statista.com/chart/28722/global-surface-temperature-anomalies/
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What's the Urgency?
The Importance of the Oceans
Within Sustainable Development Goal 14 ( SDG 14), the United Nations reported that the ocean generates 50 percent of the oxygen we need, absorbs 25 percent of all carbon dioxide emissions and captures 90 percent of the excess heat generated by these emissions.
The ocean is not just ‘the lungs of the planet’ but also its largest ‘carbon sink’ – a vital buffer against the impacts of climate change.
17 million metric tons of plastic pollution entered the ocean in 2021, causing further stress on marine ecosystems.
The main challenges for our coral systems are increasing water temperatures, increasing ocean acidification and the effects of pollution.
An analysis by the Grantham Institute in 2015 concluded that if the same amount of heat that had gone into the top 2000m of the ocean between 1955-2010 had gone into the lower 10,000m of the atmosphere, then the Earth would have seen an average warming of 36°C.
When you add 36°C to our summer temperatures, it becomes obvious that the ocean is preventing us all from literally boiling. However, just like every other system, the ocean has a finite capacity before it overloads and is no longer able to fulfil its role in managing the climate.
The Danger of Ocean Warming
Warming events in the ocean are becoming more and more frequent, these occur when the temperature on the surface of the ocean spikes above normal ranges. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the US (NOAA) publishes statistics that clearly show a continual temperature increase since the early 1980s.
The increasing level of CO2 emissions absorbed by the ocean is not only causing global warming, it is ‘overloading the system’ and causing the water to become more acidic.
As if that were not enough, July 2023 saw scientists confirm that El Niño had formed, and was classified as ‘strong’ (strength level 4 out of 5). The summer of 2023 saw massive coral bleaching on the Florida coast, US scientists have recorded it as the worst bleaching event in Florida’s recorded history.
El Niño is a complex chain of climate events that starts with above average sea surface temperatures across the east-central equatorial Pacific.
The last strong El Niño occurred in 2016; it bleached 85% of the coral and destroyed 29% of the shallow corals on the Great Barrier Reef in a single year, as well as damaging many other reef systems globally. We expect its effects to continue into 2024.
The Risk to Our Local Coral Reefs
In the UAE, we are fortunate to have some of the most heat resistant corals in the world, however, even they have their limits. Any prolonged exposure to surface sea temperatures greater than 32°C leads to a risk of bleaching, and if the water temperature does not drop after a week to 10 days, the coral starts to die.
In 2021, we saw temperatures of 34°C on the East Coast and 38°C in Abu Dhabi that lasted for 6 weeks. This decimated a high percentage of shallow corals and also caused large scale fish mortality as the excessive heat reduced the oxygen content in the water.
The summer of 2023 saw 38°C surface temperatures again in Abu Dhabi, causing up to 100% loss of the remaining coral species in many locations.
There is a strong risk of a similar event in 2024, which is why it is so important to act now to sequester as much coral as possible in a “bio-bank” at cooler depths, so that we can repair the damage to the shallow reefs and ensure all the coral species are preserved.
Coral Conservation Testimonials
Great fun diving with the professional and skilled team of Freestyle divers on the local Dibba Rock, their amazing artificial reef (which was teeming with life) and dive sites further afield.
We were impressed by their concern for safety and their warm welcome. Thanks to Jess, Neil and James for making our dives so pleasurable.
We enjoyed finding out more about their marine conservation scheme and enjoyed exploring their artificial reef project. Dive slow and look around, there is lots to see. We were surprised by a barracuda, frog fish, pineapple fish and unusual nudibranchs along side the usual suspects
Kent
My Grandaughter age 12 went on a coral marine conservation course with Freestyle Divers. Wow, how knowledgeable were these guys and loads of patience. I dived as well and the service was fantastic
Ray Hewitt
Freestyle Divers is a professional and kids friendly diving center. My sons passed their RAID certification in a very safe and convivial environment. They can't wait to be back and enjoy the underwater sealife!
The marine conservation course is fascinating and complete. Kids version available too! A good way to raise awareness and open their little minds!
The artificial reef project is ongoing and impressive! Being part of such a project brings up a feeling of giving back to mother nature. Definitely recommend that diving center.
Tita Goulcem
Freestyle’s marine conversation program, headed up by marine biologist James Campbell, provides a unique opportunity to ordinary citizens to learn about and get involved with marine conservation in a truly unique way. The course is delivered through a combination of theory lessons and practical experience. Learning about and then creating and maintaining an artificial reef in the lovely warm waters in Fujairah is a truly rewarding way of spending your time underwater and giving back to the UAE. Not only do you gain a much better appreciation of underwater life and threats to marine ecosystems, you also get to experience first hand how coral propagation works and how corals play a critical part in attracting so many other underwater creatures! Seeing the ecosystem around the nursery grow was incredibly captivating - in no time it was a home to crabs, shrimps, countless types of fish, and even a very cute turtle when it was just a bare patch of sand before! It has honestly been one of the best courses I have ever taken and I highly recommend it to others.
Tash Pollemans
The marine conservation program at Freestyle Divers is probably the best program and course I’ve ever taken part in. Their in-house Marine Biologist, James Campbell, will teach you all the ins and outs about marine ecosystems, corals, a large regional variety of fish and all you ever wanted to know about the oceans. Whereas you can do such a course at different dive centers or perhaps even online, Freestyle Divers stand out as you actually will get a chance to put the theory into practice! Through this program you’ll get a chance to be part of a growing group of marine conservation enthusiasts! We make, install, and maintain coral nurseries and artificial reefs in order to educate and contribute to a healthier marine ecosystem along the Dibba coastline. I can’t express in words the impact and results I’ve witnessed from this program; deserted underwater areas have turned into beautiful dive sites full of marine life. From small shrimps to turtles residing now at our coral nurseries. The course is great fun and very rewarding as you’ll give something back to nature, a feeling I’ll personally never forget!
Get in touch with Jess at the dive center and she’ll provide you with all the information needed to join the program!
Jos Versteegen
I am passionate about underwater life and preservation and had been helping out on various emerging underwater projects in the UAE for a little while with no formal training. I was extremely pleased to find the Local Hero Course provided by James C. at Freestyle Divers. I attended the course which was very interesting and learnt a ton of stuff, in a very friendly yet professional environment. This was a great first step for me to have a formal training making me feel more legitimate and competent when participating in marine conservation projects.
I also took a specialised course with Daryl O. to master my buoyancy and frog kicks in order to be more efficient while working underwater as well as a Nitrox course with Neil M.
All technical courses were extremely thoroughly led, very well paced, and the team is super pleasant to be around.
Neslie Attar-Goode
Help us to Protect our Coral reefs now!
Sign Up and Help Us Avoid the destruction of our coastal resources Before It Is Too Late!