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A benthic habitat sensitivity analysis of Qatar's coastal zone

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DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112333

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 Marine Pollution Bulletin 167 (2021) 112333

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Marine Pollution Bulletin

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A benthic habitat sensitivity analysis of Qatar’s coastal zone

Josh D. Butler a, *, Lotte M. Purkis b, Sam J. Purkis c, Ruqaiya Yousif d, Ismail Al-Shaikh a
a
Environmental Management Division, ExxonMobil Research Qatar, Qatar Science and Technology Park, Tech 2, PO BOX 22500, Al Wosail Tower, Doha, Qatar
b
Sea from Space Inc., Miami, Florida, USA
c
CSL – Center for Carbonate Research, Department of Marine Geosciences, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33149,
USA
d
Contractor to Environmental Management Division, ExxonMobil Research Qatar, Qatar Science and Technology Park, Tech 2, PO BOX 22500, Al Wosail Tower, Doha,
Qatar

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Keywords: Characterizing benthic habitat sensitivities of rapidly-developing countries is of paramount importance. Recent
Remote sensing efforts defining the benthic habitat of Qatar’s coastal zone with a high-resolution, ground-truthed benthic habitat
Sensitivity analysis map has provided a framework on which to develop a habitat sensitivity map. Here we present a sensitivity
Satellite imagery
analysis catered towards identifying habitats with varying sensitivities to natural and anthropogenic stressors on
Habitat map
a quantitative scale from 1 to 5, low to high. We have identified that the majority of the coastal area is low risk
habitat (i.e. sandflats). However, there are six areas which are assigned as high risk by virtue of their rich oc­
currences of seagrass meadows, mangrove forests, and coral reefs - [1]. The reefs offshore of Al Zubarah on the
west coast of the peninsula; [2] The Al Ruwais fringing reef on the northern tip of the peninsula; [3] The east-
coast bays of Al Khor and Al Dhakira; [4] The shore-attached reef complex off Mesaieed (east coast); [5] The
Jazirat al Bushayriyah offshore high; and, [6] The entire shelf of Halul Island. The sensitivity analysis presented
here builds on a recently-developed benthic habitat map of Qatar’s coastal zone and covers a total are of
4500km2. Results gleaned from this analysis can be used to support marine spatial planning objectives and
ecosystem-based management decision making.

1. Introduction dredging, reclamation and infilling and can adversely alter important
environmental habitats (i.e. seagrass, mangrove forests, coral reefs, etc.)
The Persian/Arabian Gulf – hereafter referred to as the ‘Gulf - is an both directly and indirectly. Direct alteration of coastal habitats usually
incredible resource for the countries that share its borders (Fig. 1). These occurs by removing mud, sand, rocks, etc. from one area and dumping
eight nations have experienced unprecedented population growth in the them in another. This has resulted in direct burial of mangrove forests,
past 50 years’ resultant of the regional oil boom of the 1970s which is seagrass meadows, and turtle nesting grounds (Burt, 2014). Indirect
now the region’s number one source of income (Warren et al., 2016; effects are typically associated with reclamation or dredging and alter
Burt, 2014; Kubursi, 2015). This large-scale population growth has the environment through changes in hydrodynamics and sedimentation
succeeded in similar urban development (Vaughan et al., 2019). Similar as part of the development process (Erftemeijer et al., 2012). These
to urban development the transient tourism industry has increased practices have been shown to decrease habitat biodiversity and depress
exponentially over recent years as a result of tourism-based infrastruc­ species richness and abundance.
ture (i.e. resorts, hotels, malls, etc.) (Nadim et al., 2008; Henderson, Managing human activities to ensure sustainment at a large scale
2015). Most of this rapid modernization has occurred along the coast­ requires information delineating ecosystem sensitivity (Burt et al.,
line. Other potential anthropogenic stressors to the environmental sus­ 2017). A robust understanding of the spatial distribution of ecosystem
tainment of the Gulf include industrial and domestic wastewater vulnerability is a key precursor to the continuous development of the
effluent, desalination activities owing to the arid climate and limited coastal-zone management plan through the use of marine spatial plan­
freshwater input, as well as shipping traffic; both recreational and ning. The objective of this study is to build on recent efforts by Butler
commercial (Vaughan et al., 2019). Often, coastal construction involves et al. (2020) to provide a sensitivity map of the Qatari coastal shelf and

* Corresponding author.
E-mail address: josh.d.butler@exxonmobil.com (J.D. Butler).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112333
Received 27 January 2021; Received in revised form 23 March 2021; Accepted 27 March 2021
Available online 16 April 2021
0025-326X/© 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
J.D. Butler et al. Marine Pollution Bulletin 167 (2021) 112333

Fig. 1. The Arabian Gulf occupies more than 5000 km of shoreline and shares a border with eight countries.

Halul Island. The work is motivated by the fact that the coastal marine 2.2. WorldView-2 satellite imagery
ecosystem of the State of Qatar is sensitive to; 1. Anthropogenic stressors
induced by coastal development requiring construction activities that Building forwards from the work of Warren et al. (2016) and Purkis
adversely affect the marine environment (i.e. reclamation, dredging, et al. (2017) in the north of Qatar, Butler et al. (2020) assembled
sedimentation, etc.) (Khan, 2007; Yousuf, 2015; Burt et al., 2016) and 2. WorldView-2 satellite imagery for the complete 4500 sq. km of the Qatar
Environmental change primarily driven by high temperature extremes coastal zone. These data covered the countrys entire coastal shelf from
causing decreased seagrass distribution/die-off and coral bleaching the intertidal to a water depth of 15–20 m, including Halul Island. The
events (Richer, 2008; Erftemeijer and Shuail, 2012; Burt et al., 2017). WorldView series of satellites offer visible-spectrum spatial resolutions
of 1.85 m, two orders of magnitude finer than the general purpose
2. Methods remote sensing satellite systems, Landsat or Systeme Probatoire d’Ob­
servation de la Terre (SPOT) of a generation ago. Beyond enhanced
2.1. LiDAR topo-bathymetry for the Qatari coastal zone spatial resolution, the WorldView Program delivers data in eight spec­
tral bands, of which five are water penetrating, which are the coastal
The state of the art for mapping seabed topography in water depths blue band (400–450 nm), blue (450–510 nm), green (510–580 nm),
of less than 60 m is aerial bathymetric Light Detection and Ranging yellow (585–625 nm), and red (630–690 nm) facilitating improved
(LiDAR) (Brock and Purkis, 2009; Hostetler et al., 2018). LiDAR pro­ separation of seabed types and more accurate bathymetry derivation
vides a high-resolution digital terrain model of the seabed by confining (Collin and Hench, 2012; Goodman et al., 2013; Roelfsema et al., 2014,
coherent light energy within a very narrow beam, providing pulses of 2018; Glynn et al., 2015; Hedley et al., 2016; Warren et al., 2016; Kerr
very high peak intensity. Bathymetric LIDAR instruments are typically and Purkis, 2018; Purkis, 2018; Purkis et al., 2019). These satellite
aircraft or aerial drone mounted and operate on the transmission of scenes were stitched into a mosaic using the image-processing software
green laser light (typically ~500 nm). Water depth is derived by ENVI (v. 5.4, Harris Geospatial Inc.). Lastly, pairing high-resolution
comparing the travel times of the LiDAR pulses reflected from the seabed satellite imagery and LiDAR bathymetry into an object-based classifi­
and from the water surface. The high energy of the LiDAR laser offers a cation workflow, a habitat map for Qatar’s coastal zone was executed
much greater depth of penetration as compared with passive technolo­ (Supplemental Information Fig. 2).
gies such as aerial photography, hyperspectral airborne surveys, or
satellite imaging, which are typically limited to 1.5 Secchi depths
2.3. Country wide field truthing
(Purkis, 2018). The LiDAR data utilized in this study were acquired by
the Qatar Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning in 2002. This
The logistical challenge of ground-truth collection was answered in
country-wide bathymetry survey was processed to an elevation surface
this project by the intensive collection of field data along shore-normal
with a spatial resolution of 5.0 × 5.0 m (Supplemental Information,
transects stretching from the intertidal to up to 20 km offshore. In excess
Fig. 1) which was in turn was used to compute seabed rugosity. These
of 74,000 seabed observations were made (Supplemental Information,
data are important since rugosity has long been recognized as an
Fig. 3). Georeferenced seabed video along with Scientific SCUBA divers
important determinant of reef health and resilience, particularly so for
was collected continuously along each transect and interpreted into map
promoting high biomass and diversity of reef fish (e.g. Purkis et al.,
classes as defined in Butler et al. (2020). Quantitative analysis
2008).
comparing ground-truthed data to mapped data revealed an overall
accuracy of 92% (Butler et al., 2020). The mapping was conducted using
28 habitat classes, each describing an assemblage of sub- or inter-tidal
biota (see Supplementary Tables 1 & 2). A country-wide ground-

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J.D. Butler et al. Marine Pollution Bulletin 167 (2021) 112333

Fig. 2. Sensitivity map for the Qatari coastal zone and Halul Island created by consolidating habitat classes according to their ecological fragility, as captured in the
matrix at the base of the figure. Areas classified as ‘5. very-highly sensitive’ consist of biomes which are especially susceptible to disturbance, such as coral reefs and
mangrove forests.

truthing campaign was initiated in 2015 and completed in 2019 (the Grandcourt, 2012). Dense seagrass meadows and the creeks incising
same time period as for the acquisition of the WorldView-2 satellite mangrove forests are both classified as ‘highly sensitive’, by virtue of
imagery). their high contribution to the biodiversity of the coastal shelf, whereas
sparse seagrass and benthos dominated by all forms of algae are ranked
2.4. Development of the sensitivity map for the Qatari peninsula third in the scale – ‘sensitive’. ‘Low sensitivity’ habitats span uncolon­
ized near-shore sand sheets and ‘very low sensitivity’ encompass the
Production of the sensitivity map (Fig. 2) was proceeded by the same environment when situated farther offshore, as well as human-
lumping of classes from the habitat map (Supplemental Information built infrastructure. The same scheme for matching of habitats to
Tables 1, 2 & Supplemental Information Fig. 2) according to the scheme sensitivity classes as adopted here was also followed by Creocean, a
developed in Supplemental Information, Table 3 & Fig. 2. The GIS-based marine consultancy, who, in 2010, created sensitivity maps for the east
spatial analysis called upon five categories of sensitivity defined on the and west coasts of Qatar and Halul Island (Dutrieux et al., 2010). Our
basis of the ecological composition of the seafloor as determined by work therefore builds forward on that previously achieved by Creocean
satellite mapping calibrated by exhaustive field validation (Purkis et al., and is conducted using satellite imagery which is more than one order of
2017; Butler et al. 2020). The sensitivity of the ecological assemblage magnitude finer in resolution than that available to Dutrieux et al.
captured by each benthic habitat class was appraised according to its (2010). Furthermore, our maps were developed using more than double
species complement, as was recorded during the collection of field data. the number of habitat classes than Dutrieux et al. (2010) and we had the
This scheme places all coral-containing habitats and mangrove forests as resources to vastly enhance the rigor of ground-truthing our remote-
“very highly sensitive”, by virtue of the fact that these habitats are both sensing products, as compared to the work which preceded our own.
critically endangered in the Gulf (Purkis and Riegl, 2005; Sheppard
et al., 2010; Purkis et al., 2011; Riegl et al., 2012, 2017, 2018; Riegl and 3. Results
Purkis, 2015) and valued for the ecosystem they provide, for instance in
terms of nursery grounds for commercially-important fish species (Lee The sensitivity maps provide a spatial overview of the areas of the
and Al-Baz, 1989; Coles and Tarr, 1990; Siddeek et al., 1999; Qatari shelf which are vulnerable to environmental change, be that

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J.D. Butler et al. Marine Pollution Bulletin 167 (2021) 112333

Fig. 3. Distribution of ecosystem sensitivity by sector of the country. Level 1 = Very-low sensitivity, Level 2 = Low sensitivity, Level 3 = Sensitive, Level 4 = Highly
sensitive, and Level 5 = Very-highly sensitive. The occurrence of Level 5 areas on the coastal shelf of the peninsula is rare – the southeast quadrant has 5% followed
by the northeast with 3%. Note that the southwest quadrant has no Level 5 areas. Halul Island boasts nearly 20% of its shelf as Level 5 sensitivity, emphasizing the
conservation value of this offshore ecosystem. In all localities, even Halul Island, Level 1 dominates.

naturally or anthropogenically forced. Hotspots of ‘very high sensitivity’ occupancy of the five sensitivity levels can then be appraised in each of
are centered around the reefs offshore of Al Zubarah and Al Ruwais the six quadrants. In terms of the prevalence of Level 5 (very highly
(Fig. 2A & D, respectively), the two reef complexes offshore Mesaieed, sensitive) areas, Halul Island is emphasized, with nearly 20% of its shelf
Fascht al Aref and Fascht Al Hedadi (Fig. 2B & F), the east-coast bays of in this category. Adorned by a fringing reef, sheltered by two beachrock
Al Khor and Al Dhakira and the entire shelf of Halul Island (Fig. 2E & C) islands, Jazeerat Reken and Umm Tays, the North quadrant would be the
which is located approximately 80 km northeast of Doha. The expansive next most abundant occurrences of very-highly sensitive habitat. Just
Halul reef and the live coral cover that it accommodates, is perhaps North of Al Mafjar and Al Ruwais a dense mangrove forest transitions to
surprising given the fact that the island hosts a sprawling storage area a dying reef, which terminates in a steep margin from shallow subtidal to
and loading terminal for oil from the surrounding offshore fields. depths of approximately 3 m water depth (Butler et al. 2020; Purkis
Because of the security afforded to the latter facility, however, Halul is a et al., 2017). In a seaward direction, meaningful stands of living Porites
de facto marine protected area which, combined with its nearby deep harrisoni corals are encountered, albeit limited to a 15 m wide discon­
offshore waters, should be anticipated to deliver exceptional reef-fish tinuous shore-parallel beyond the fringing reef. The reef flat turns into
biomass and diversity, as documented by Al Ansi and Al-Khayat dense seagrass beds in front of Al-Mafjar Village. The southeast quadrant
(1999), Riegl and Purkis (2012), and Foster et al. (2013). including the two offshore reef complexes would be the third most
sensitive quadrant followed by the northeast and northwest quadrants
4. Discussion encompassing the expansive mangrove forests and dense seagrass
meadows of Al Khor and Al Dhakira and the dense seagrass meadows off
4.1. Areal distribution of ecosystem sensitivity the coast of Al Zubarah respectively. The occurrence of habitats with
Level 5 sensitivity in these quadrants is only 5% for the north, 5% for the
Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis was used to explore southeast, and 3% for the northeast, which further emphasizes the
the spatial distribution of the coastal zone sensitivity in Qatar. First, uniqueness of Halul Island. In all cases, including Halul, the dominant
taking the entire coastal shelf and Halul Island into consideration category is Level 1 (very-low sensitivity), which owes its abundance to
(Supplemental Information, Fig. 4), only 3% of this area satisfies the the vast swaths of unvegetated sand sheets which is the most expansive
‘very highly sensitive’ criteria for Level 5. The split between Levels 4, 3, benthic habitat in the Qatar coastal zone (Butler et al., 2020).
and 2 is near equal (12%, 16%, and 23%, respectively) and Level 1 (very
low sensitivity) is the most abundant category by area (46%). Sensitivity 5. Conclusions
is, however, unequally distributed around the country. As developed in
Fig. 3, the peninsula can be split into five quadrants (N, NE, SE, SW, and Qatar’s nearshore supports some of the most productive and valuable
NW) plus a sixth quadrant which is Halul Island. The proportional habitats within the country’s exclusive economic zone (Burt, 2014;

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