KUWAIT: The Kuwait Dive Team said that it noticed the presence of a dense coral of several types of colonies near the coasts extending from Kuwait Towers to Ras Salmiya, during a general observation visit done to monitor the corals of the Gulf coasts. This discovery is the first of its kind. The Head of the Environmental Projects in the team, Mahmoud Ashkanani said on Monday, that "preserving the coral reefs is one of the most important activities of the team," as it has been monitoring the sites and ensuring its safety.

Ashkanani said the team launched an initiative of checking and following up on the growing coral colonies near the coasts of the Gulf, carried out in cooperation with several entities and spread over several tours of Kuwait and the Gulf coasts. These were made to be familiar with the nature of these colonies, determine their types, their condition and the depths where they grow.

He said the locations of coral reefs are concentrated in the South of Kuwait coasts due to the nature of water that suits their growth and provides for their requirements, contrary to the middle and northern coasts which is considered a very harsh environment for their growth due to the increased turbidity, salinity and temperature.

"The team, during their various activities carried out in the middle and Northern Kuwait coasts, in addition to the Kuwait Bay and in depths of no more than 10 meters, noticed many scattered coral colonies that were spread in good numbers and varieties and in some cases dense, but they do not form coral reefs, which is formed when several colonies connect with each other."

Ashkanani said the discovery of coral colonies in these tough environments is a notable development in coral growth in Kuwait and its adaptation with the circumstances and it is an encouragement to sustain coral in the country, particularly when corals were harmed due to the bleaching that led to the death of 75 percent of corals in 2010.

He explained that corals were living creature that secreted a solid material to build cavities where the colonies settle, and is considered among the most important sea locations in producing the biological secretions, adding that the coral skeletons are considered natural barriers for protecting coasts and Islands from large waves. They also contribute to forming the coral Islands that are considered tourist sites and a source for cosmetic, medical and construction material, he added.

The team carried out a preliminary examination of the colonies' site on the northern rocks of Marina (Yachts Club) and followed its condition, types and size.

Ashkanani said that there were three types of coral - the hoards, cerebral and hummock corals, in addition to the green Zwanthid which was highly dense with good colors and sizes that reached more than 80 cm at a depth of 3 to 5 meters in a highly turbid environment, with temperatures of 34 degrees Celsius in summer and 15 degrees Celsius in winter. - KUNA