(JNS) The condition of the coral reefs in the Gulf of Eilat/Aqaba continues to deteriorate, according to the report for 2022 on the Israel National Monitoring Program in the Northern Gulf of Aqaba published on Thursday.
A combination of the warming of the Red Sea, underwater pollutants, extreme storms and disease outbreaks are contributing to the worsening of the ecosystem, the Israeli Environmental Protection Ministry report says.
Action must be taken to reduce the impact on the marine ecosystem from development at the popular Red Sea resort, particularly from artificial lighting, the report states. It also expresses concern about an expansion of the Eilat desalination plant that could lead to an increase in nitrogen and brine discharged to the sea.
The report points to a severe winter storm in March 2020 that damaged the coral reef through sand, infrastructure and debris. A survey found a six per cent to 22 per cent loss of living cover, depending on the site examined.
Another 1.5% decrease in coral cover was found in 2021, and it wasn't until 2022 that the beginning of a recovery was measured.
The Gulf of Eilat is home to one of the northernmost coral reefs in the world. It is one of the fastest-warming regions as well—the sea surface temperature in the Gulf has been increasing since 1988 at a rate 2.5 times higher than the world average.
"The reef in Eilat is a national and global asset, which is affected by climate change and extreme weather events that lead to its deterioration," Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman said.
"Given that global conditions, such as the warming of seawater and the increase in acidity, are not improving and even deteriorating—the reef will have difficulty dealing with local impacts of sea pollution, oil spills, and irresponsible development," the minister said.
"All entities must act responsibly and make extensive use of science to formulate environmental policies, with the aim to preserve the ecosystem and the coral reef in the Gulf of Gilat," Silman said.
The report was prepared by the Interuniversity Institute of Marine Sciences in Eilat, funded by the Environmental Protection Ministry's Marine Pollution Prevention Fund, and conducted under the guidance of the ministry's chief scientist, Professor Noga Kronfeld-Schor.
Eilat's coral reefs continue to deteriorate says Israeli government
Artificial light, desalination plant, storms and rising temperatures all problems for the ecosystem
![articlemain](https://api.thejc.atexcloud.io/image-service/view/acePublic/alias/contentid/172670rijjr2x5oarc9/0/gettyimages-1410025511.webp?w=1045&h=588&q=0.90&f=16:9)
EILAT, ISRAEL - JULY 14: A stony coral from the genus Stylophora at 10 metres deep on July 14, 2022, in Eilat, Israel. Coral reefs are complete ecosystems, and although the reef in Eilat is perhaps capable of withstanding climate change, it is also under threat from human factors - tourism development, waste run-offs into the sea and light pollution. Despite sea temperatures rising faster in the Gulf of Aqaba (also known in Israel as the Gulf of Eilat) than the global average rate, the coral reef of the northernmost point of the Red Sea exhibit remarkable resistance and seem immune to the effects of global warming. Scientists are trying to understand the biological capacity of these corals to live at higher temperatures, hoping this knowledge could help reefs elsewhere in the world. The scientific community estimates that over 90% of reefs will die by 2050 due to climate change and direct human impact. The Gulf of Aqaba corals might be one of the last remaining complete ecosystems by 2100. However, there is a possibility that this surviving coral reef could be used as a blueprint for an entirely new climate-resistant ecosystem. (Photo by Lukasz Larsson Warzecha/Getty Images).
Have the JC delivered to your door ![](/img/arrowdark.svg)
©2024 The Jewish Chronicle