Atlantis Dubai announces the selection of eight local and international conservation and sustainability projects set to receive funding from the Atlantis Atlas Project 1 USD initiative. From June 2023 to May 2024, for every marine animal experience participated in by a guest, Atlantis Dubai contributed $1 (USD), resulting in a $126,000 (USD) fund, which aims to support projects that help protect the ocean and our environment. The 1 USD contribution initiative has raised $386,000 since its inception in 2021.
Since April, organisations around the world were invited to apply for funding, after which proposals were solicited and assessed against their contributions to scientific advancement, conservation, and sustainability by the internal Atlantis Dubai Conservation & Science Committee. Atlantis Atlas Project currently focuses on four key groups of wildlife; sharks, rays, dolphins, and corals, and two key threats to the ocean; unsustainable seafood and plastic pollution. With this in mind, projects were selected based on their support of these conservation goals. This year, the 1 USD contribution fund will continue to support six organisations from previous years, as well as welcoming two new organisations.
2024-25 New Project Partners
A new partner this year is the Environmental Voluntary Foundation (EVF) and its project to further understand the Indian Ocean humpback dolphin in Kuwait waters. The study will investigate the status and support the conservation of this endangered species through boat surveys located in the southern area of Khiran.
A debut year of funding will also go to the Marine Megafauna Foundation to support the protection of endangered whale sharks in the Gulf of Oman. The project will kick off a dedicated research programme on whale sharks in the UAE and Oman, utilising ‘citizen science’, dedicated fieldwork, as well as satellite-linked tags to track the movements of tagged sharks.
2024-25 Returning Project Partners
A second year of funding will go to the Fujairah Research Centre to support research of two threatened marine species in the UAE, the hawksbill and the green turtle. The team will explore spatiotemporal patterns, habitat selection and population genetics to understand why these turtles utilise the Fujairah area and develop data-driven recommendations for sea turtle conservation.
A further year of funding has been initiated with the Zayed University and lead UAE-based researcher, Dr Ada Natoli, on the Dubai Dolphin Survey, which supports boat-based research of local dolphin populations. During the last three years, this project saw a total of 141 boat surveys spanning a distance of 11,106km along the UAE coastline and more than 584 man-hours, with dolphins spotted 44 times. This year’s project will focus on gaining further awareness of the marine mammals through ‘citizen science’ and engaging with local authorities to support and advise on dedicated conservation measures.
Funding will continue to support the UAE’s leading social enterprise Goumbook to build upon their ‘Save The Butts – Waste To Value’ campaign. This year’s project will expand beyond cigarette butt pollution to broader marine plastic debris. In addition to cleanup efforts, focus will be placed on bridging data gaps in marine litter distribution through empowering citizen scientists and training volunteers in scientific data collection and analysis, fostering long-term agents of change.
The 1 USD contribution initiative will provide a further year of funding to support the implementation of shark specialist group targets for the IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group, led by UAE-based Dr Rima Jabado. Sharks and rays are a key conservation focus for Atlantis Atlas Project and this IUCN specialist group is the leading authority on the status of sharks, rays, and chimaeras globally. They remain pivotal in the development and implementation of conservation strategies for these species.
Funding will also be provided again to New York University Abu Dhabi to support their investigations into the impact of climate change on shrinking fish sizes and determining the ecological drivers surrounding this. Understanding the cause of reductions in maximum body size has significant relevance to local conservation efforts, as fish fertility is strongly related to body size.
Finally, another year of funding has been initiated with Global Diving Research SL to support a study on using electrical impedance topography (EIT) to measure regional lung air filling during breathing in bottlenose dolphins and sealions. The project aims to better understand respiratory limitations and provide the first view of how the lungs function in diving animals.
Kelly Timmins, Executive Director of Marine Animal Operations and Sustainability, Atlantis Dubai, commented: “We are all extremely proud to announce the third year of projects supported by our 1 USD contribution programme. These eight incredible initiatives demonstrate significant expertise, ingenuity and innovation in their work to protect our environment and the ocean while sharing our conservation goals – and the need to accelerate progress towards them. Driving conservation and sustainability outside of Atlantis Dubai as well as transforming operations inside the destination are critical to Atlantis Atlas Project’s long-term strategy – and through this, our collective aim is to make positive, measurable impacts on our planet and its people.”