Box Layout

HTML Layout
Backgroud Images
Backgroud Pattern
upcoming-events-img-1

Fujairah Whale and Dolphin project

Dolphins, famous for their intelligence and social behavior, have long captured the curiosity of scientists and nature lovers alike. Realizing the need to conduct comprehensive research on these captivating marine mammals, a project to study whales and dolphins has been underway in the Emirate of Fujairah since 2017. The project aims to acquire basic information, such as the diversity and behaviours of cetacean species, as well as its distribution in order to be able to protect them from ship traffic, fishing activities, and other threats. The whale and dolphins project at the Fujairah Research Center has achieved remarkable progress in the field of understanding and protecting these species. Our extensive research efforts resulted in the identification of more than 14 species of dolphins and whales, which represent more than 50% of all species (22 species) found in the Arab region, including three new species that were recorded in the United Arab Emirates, namely the pantropical spotted dolphin, The striped dolphin and the rough-toothed dolphin. This pioneering work highlights the region's extraordinary biodiversity. The most abundant species in the area the common bottlenose dolphin. Biopsy samples were to assess their genetic diversity providing important information about this parameter for conservation. All sightings were located on the map and were in the southeastern part of the survey area, in waters ranging in depth from 100 to 1,000 meters. In addition to identifying species and locations, the project focused on capturing acoustic data to gain insight into dolphins' calling behavior. By recording dolphin sounds, researchers have collected a valuable data set documenting their unique vocal signatures and communication patterns. This project's groundbreaking discoveries have far-reaching implications for marine conservation, potentially impacting habitat protection, species conservation efforts, and environmental management strategies.