Author Archives: Arpita Chattopadhyay

About Arpita Chattopadhyay

I am Arpita Chattopadhyay, an Environmental Science graduate from the University of Exeter, currently based in Abu Dhabi. Growing up between the vibrant energy of Dubai and the coastal calm of Abu Dhabi, Kayaking through mangroves and exploring the Corniche sparked something deeper — a curiosity about how nature survives, adapts, and connects. That curiosity led me to study marine resilience, coral restoration, and environmental outreach. Through writing and fieldwork, I hope to inspire others in the MENA region to rediscover the wild spaces around them and protect the fragile ecosystems that hold our future.

Mining the Deep: How the Indian Ocean Ridge Faces Ecological Crossroads

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Primarily, deep-sea mining is done by extracting minerals from the ocean at thousands of meters of depth. The ocean ridges contain millions of dollars’ worth of minerals that are produced due to different chemical reactions near hydrothermal vents, undersea volcanoes, and other areas with immense geological activity. The Indian Ocean is especially known for containing minerals like nickel, cobalt, and manganese, which are essential for the construction of wind turbines, car parts, airplane parts and other important materials used in our everyday lives. How Deep-Sea Mining is done In this generation, deep-sea mining methods use remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and … Continue reading →

لماذا تظل أشجار القرم في الإمارات عُرضة للخطر

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تمتلك دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة العديد من الكنوز الخفية، مثل أشجار القرم. تكمن وظيفتها في عزل الكربون (carbon sequestration) وليس إنتاج الأكسجين. يُطلق على نوع أشجار القرم الموجود في الإمارات اسم “القرم الرمادي” (Avicennia marina)، وغالبًا ما يوجد في منطقة الخليج. وقد اختارت هذا الموقع تحديدًا بسبب مياهه المالحة وشبه الاستوائية ألضحله. خلال العقدين الماضيين، واجهت أشجار القرم تهديدات هائلة مع تزايد التطور الساحلي السريع في الإمارات (حسيبة، 2025). إشكالية الهشاشة إحدى التهديدات الرئيسية التي تواجه أشجار القرم في الإمارات هو تطوير الجزائر الاصطناعية. لإنشاء جزيرة اصطناعية، يتم استصلاح الأراضي عن طريق التجريف. يتم التجريف عن طريق الحفر العميق للمناطق المستهدفة، مما يزيل … Continue reading →

Why Mangroves in the UAE Remain at Risk and How Restoration Can be Improved

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The UAE, as a country, has many hidden treasures, such as the mangroves. Their function is carbon sequestration and not oxygen production. The type of mangroves found in the UAE is called Avicennia marina, and they are often found in the Gulf region. They chose this particular location due to its salty and subtropical shallow waters. In the past two decades, mangroves have faced immense threats as coastal development has rapidly increased in the UAE (Haseeba, 2025). The Vulnerability Problem One of the main threats to UAE mangroves is the development of man-made islands. To create a man-made island, land … Continue reading →

Red Sea “Super Corals” – A Ray of Hope for Global Reef Survival

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Coral reefs often known as the rainforests of the seas are a critical part of our ecosystem due to its role in providing coastal stability, species habitat, and nutrient cycling. Corals are known to share a symbiotics relationship with algae which provide them with nutrient byproducts from photosynthesis and in return the algae have can live in the host coral giving it its colour. These natural barriers protecting us against storms and floods are in threat from global warming as even a slight increase in the local average maximum temperature can activate coral stress response which can lead to increased … Continue reading →