In celebration of Qatar Sustainability Week, TotalEnergies and Qatar University participated in the ‘Meet the Expert Series’ for members of the community organized by Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP) in TotalEnergies Research Center – Qatar (TRC-Q).
Regenerating Coral Reefs
Often dubbed “the rainforests of the sea”, coral reefs make up less than 0.2% of the ocean floor but are home to 25% of all marine species. They represent one of the most biologically and socio-economically important natural assets in Qatar.
These unique and fragile ecosystems are currently being degraded or damaged due to various reasons such as climate change.
TotalEnergies, in partnership with Qatar University and France-based marine biodiversity company Seaboost, have deployed ‘QataREEF’, an innovative solution inspired by nature, aimed to restore degraded coral areas.
A solution inspired by nature
QatarREEF explores the natural ability of corals to spawn and regenerate by deployment of innovative reef structures in the proximity of healthy coral reefs. These structures, once colonized by corals, can be moved to new areas to allow an enhanced recovery of the corals, allowing them to spawn again, based on connectivity between the “host” and “new” locations.
18 reef structures were deployed 120 kilometers offshore and 20 meters underwater in two areas in Qatari waters, chosen in coordination with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change in Qatar. These test areas will be closely monitored over the next few years.Fabricated out of biocompatible materials in Mesaieed - Qatar, these reef structures are designed to mimic the places where corals grow in their natural habitat.
The artificial reef was designed to enhance settlement and survival of the widest variety possible of coral spaces, and to promote its colonization by fish species, which will benefit the coral survival over time.
Matthieu Bouyer, TotalEnergies Qatar Country Chair, and Managing Director TotalEnergies EP Qatar.
Supporting biodiversity through innovation
"Coral reef restoration has been fully integrated into TotalEnergies Qatar’s fast growing biodiversity initiatives. Over time, by using innovative approaches, we could recover the degraded coral reefs to reclaim their role in biodiversity .If QatarREEf project proves successful, we will then have a solution that can be deployed not only in Qatar and in the Arabian Gulf, but anywhere in the world.," said Matthieu Bouyer, TotalEnergies Qatar Country Chair, and Managing Director TotalEnergies EP Qatar.
