The forest that grows in the world’s tropical sea

Jubail Island, Abu Dhabi (CNN) A very salty sea that warms to planetary temperatures at the height of summer is a harsh environment for most plants to survive.

Yet in one corner of Abu Dhabi, on a salt-water, sun-baked beach, there’s a forest that not only survives, but thrives — a natural haven for wildlife and the ultimate peaceful escape from the deserts and cities of the UAE.

Jubail Mangrove Park is a green expanse of gray mangrove trees on the northeast coast of Abu Dhabi’s Al Jubaai Island, with shallow waterways flowing into the clear blue Arabian Sea.

The park, which opened as a tourist attraction before the outbreak, now houses a beautiful wooden reception center and inviting boardwalks through trees and water, offering views of this amazing flora and fauna. Place.

It’s a peaceful world away from the skyscrapers and heat-packed hustle and bustle of downtown Abu Dhabi, although it’s only a short drive away. Visitors can while away the hours here, listening to the calls of the birds, the splash of the jumping fish and the lapping of the waves.

“Being here is a healing process, like yoga, especially at sunrise or sunset,” says Dixon Dulawen, a veteran guide who runs regular kayak or powerboat trips to take small boats into the heart as the tide rises. The forest.

“It’s a great place to hang out if you’re having a really bad day.”

Humans are not the only ones to benefit from the regenerative power of mangroves. Scientists say hardy trees are restoring the planet, absorbing and storing carbon dioxide, encouraging biodiversity and staying one step ahead of climate change.

A dream destination

Jubail Mangrove Park is an unexpected green escape from the deserts of Abu Dhabi.

Barry Nield/CNN

The best way to see the mangroves work their magic is in brightly colored kayaks from Jubail, following a guide like Dulawen. Tours run during the day, and sometimes at night, depending on the tide.

Dulawen leads the way out through a man-made channel, where tiny black crabs swarm around the sandy beds around the bottom of the mangroves.

He stated that the plants have a symbiotic relationship with the crustaceans. They care for fallen leaves and hide from predators in the branches, as well as dispersing seeds and breaking up the thick, salty sediment to allow root growth.

These roots are things to look out for. Gray mangroves send out a star-shaped network of cable or anchor roots that then grow their own miniature forest known as pneumatophores, which allow the plant to breathe.

Kayaking to a pristine sandy beach that emerges only at low tide — a perfect desert island — Dulawe invites you to closely examine the mangrove leaves that look like salt sweat. It’s part of the process that allows other plants to thrive in seawater that’s toxic to them.

Dulawen points out other plants that make up the local ecosystem. There is samphire, a green and hard salt marsh similar to the plant that is often found as a kitchen ingredient. He said the local Bedouin used it as a medicine to cure camels or horses with gas.

The yellow flower that blooms on the root of the samphire is desert hyacinth, a parasitic plant often harvested for medicinal purposes, says Dulawen, natural viagra alternative.

In the unrelenting heat of an Arabian summer afternoon, on the water, the mangroves must feel unbearable. Yet a dreamlike quality hangs in the air as bathtub-warm waves splash over the kayaks as Dulawen gently points out the call of flora and fauna.

Crab plover birds and green herons glide here and there between the trees and rest to skim the soft sediment. An upside-down jellyfish can be seen floating on the swaying sea grass in clear water. Dulawen says turtles are frequent visitors.

Environmental engineers

The gray mangrove roots grow small tubes that vibrate above the water, allowing the plant to breathe.

Barry Nield/CNN

The tranquility of this corner of Abu Dhabi is partially interrupted by the jet skis and pleasure craft buzzing up and down the coast. Dulawen and his associates help out, diligently picking up any stray trash and shooing away unwanted guests.

“There is no other place in the UAE that can compare to this,” he says proudly. “Water clarity, natural wildlife, ideal.”

And it keeps getting better. Government and private planting programs have led to the expansion of mangrove areas in recent years, both in Jubail but also in Abu Dhabi’s Eastern Mangrove Park. For every tree lost to growth elsewhere, three others are planted.

It’s an environmental success story, says John Burt, associate professor of biology at New York University Abu Dhabi, who can sometimes be found sailing around the emirate’s waters in his team’s research to map the genetic information of gray mangroves.

He described mangroves as “ecosystem engineers” that not only provide their own habitat, but also create an environment for many other species.

“They are a place of diversity,” he says. Crabs are happy because of their mangrove deal. Fish are happy because there is plenty of food to take care of their young. Fishermen are happy because the young grow into commercially important crops in deep water.

And the birds are happy.

“These mangroves are on the migration route for many, many species of birds that fly between Africa and Eurasia,” says Burt. “In the fall, we see a lot of birds stop there to roost and feed because not only does it provide habitat, but dropping leaves requires tons of energy in the food web.”

There is something else. In an age of climate change, Abu Dhabi’s ultra-resilient mangroves may hold the key to predicting how regions of the planet will adapt to global warming and warming, and help mitigate some of its causes.

They are important as a “blue carbon sink,” a marine ecosystem that absorbs more carbon than it emits, Burt says.

“You’re taking carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere through photosynthesis, and a lot of energy is going into the root system,” he says. “And when they die … all the carbon 2 they took out of the atmosphere stays there.

“As long as the environment is not disturbed by development, it represents a CO2 emission. It may have the potential to offset some of the contributions we make to the air for fuel consumption.”

“Too Green”

The observation tower offers sunset views over the dense forest.

Barry Nield/CNN

And, the professor said, because they grow in the unusually salty desert coastal lagoons, which can get uncomfortably cold for normally warm species in the winter, Abu Dhabi’s gray mangroves may represent a way for other species around the world to survive.

His team is looking at specific genes in local plants that are associated with “environmental resilience,” including salt and temperature resistance.

“I think this will be useful information to look at places like Indonesia or Thailand and think about what will happen to climate change,” he says.

Mangroves in other parts of the world, like the trees in Abu Dhabi, may have strong genes just waiting to be revived under the right environmental conditions. And seeing those genes in action in Abu Dhabi could be a good sign.

“It lets us know there’s hope for systems like this,” says Burt.

Back on terra firma with Dulawen, he has time to wander the streets of Jubail Board as the sun sinks into an orange sky. It’s another peaceful experience enhanced by an observation tower that offers views over the dense foliage.

On a calm evening, a few couples and families are enjoying the scenery, among them visitor Balaji Krishna.

“It’s a good place if you want to go and mingle with nature and it’s not too far from the city,” he says. “It’s the only place in Abu Dhabi where you can see so much green.”