Abu Dhabi Mangrove Earth Bank EarthCache
Abu Dhabi Mangrove Earth Bank
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This cache looks at the sedimentary substrate that the mangroves grow in rather than the mangroves themselves.
At the given coordinates you should be looking at Abu Dhabi Mangrove Natural Reserve. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf and is built on sandbanks formed approximately 6000BCE together with its various other islands. Due to the force and energy of the ebb and flow of the sea, erosion is commonplace on shorelines made up of sedimentary earth. Even shorelines made of igneous rock are subject to erosion due to the constant movement of the water. Natures’ way of reducing this erosion is mangrove forests. They absorb 70-90% of energy from a normal wave hence their importance in preserving the balance of the Island’s ecology and the actual sand it lies on. Where Mangroves have been removed (usually through tourism development) you will see less environmentally friendly man-made alternatives to counter the erosion of the sedimentary rock. Another way of preserving the coastline is by having breakwaters forming harbours and inlets. Whichever way is used, it is important to have some form of barrier to protect the sandbank that Abu Dhabi is built upon. At the coordinates you will be able to see how fragile the sand is on the beach and how mangroves help to bind the sand particles together to reduce this erosion.
During the Asia tsunami disaster of December 2004 two people died in a settlement with dense mangrove and scrub forest, while up to 6,000 people died in a village without similar vegetation (BBC News).
The nearby beach is a good place to see the sediment being held together by the mangrove roots. The roots of the mangrove plants stabilize the sand and mud and help form the island. In areas of the world where mangroves have been removed for development purposes, the coastline has been subject to rapid erosion.
With thanks to Abu Dhabi Environment Agency and TDIC for the above information.
In order to substantiate your visit and be able to claim this Earthcache, a number of questions need to be answered and submitted to the cache developer, via e-mail. You should also post a photograph on the site with your log of your GPSr near GZ (optional).
1. As you walk along the short stretch of beach to the Mangroves you will see evidence of erosion. Describe what the erosion of the beach is. How far into the beach from the furthest part of the Mangrove trees is the erosion line?
2. At the location you will be able to see sand around the mangroves close-up. What difference do you see between the sand around the Mangroves and their pneumatophores and the sand on top of the bank?
3. What does the sand around the mangroves feel like?
NOTE: You may log your visit prior to approval, but e-mail submissions that do not meet the above criteria will be deleted.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Erzrzore gb fraq lbhe rznvy naq ybt n cubgb (bcgvbany) va lbhe cbfg! Ab culfvpny pbagnvare urer – guvf vf n IVEGHNY pnpur.
Treasures
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