Intertidal clean-up activities and natural regeneration on the Gulf coast of Saudi Arabia from 1991 to 1992 after the 1991 Gulf oil spill

Abstract

Various clean-up techniques, some of which were done on a trial basis, are described. These were applied to various habitats in the Dawhat ad Dafi and Dawhat al Musallamiya area on the Gulf coast of Saudi Arabia (the study area) and the offshore islands ofKaran and Jana in the Gulf. The results from these clean-up activities are compared with the natural recovery taking place in the area. At present there is little to indicate any biological improvement on the trial clean-up sites over the natural recovery taking place in the impacted area. Natural recovery could be encouraged by certain clean-up activities such as the removal of the tar mats which encrust the upper shores of many sediment shores, precluding the settlement by typical upper shore fauna into these areas. Results from a rapid assessment survey of the Gulf coast of Saudi Arabia, from Kuwait to Dammam, are discussed briefly. Current clean-up activities (January 1993) taking place in the study area are also briefly described.