HE the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Sheikh Dr Faleh bin Nasser bin Ahmed bin Ali al-Thani, received high-resolution maps of Qatar's beaches, during his visit on Monday to the ExxonMobil Research Qatar (EMRQ) Center at Qatar Science and Technology Park.
HE the Minister listened during the visit to an explanation of the most important activities of the centre and reviewed with officials the prospects for co-operation in various fields of common interest.
Between 2016 and 2020, EMRQ developed the map covering 4,500sqkm of the coastal area of the State of Qatar, using new geospatial algorithms and techniques, such as remote sensing and light and range detection (LiDAR).
The final map shows the abundance and diversity of coastal habitats, including seagrass, mangroves, and coral reefs. The main results obtained also showed that the benthic areas near the beaches in Qatar are covered by 55% sand, 14 % by scattered seaweed, 14% by macroalgae, 13% by dense seaweed and 2% by coral reefs.
Benthic coastal mapping helps decision makers understand the natural environment around them and analyse changes on an ongoing basis. These maps play a key role in making ecosystem-based management decisions related to fishing management, supporting the development of offshore oil and gas infrastructure, and many other fields.
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