The 2004 report of Israel’s National Monitoring Program in the Northern Gulf of Aqaba (Gulf of Eilat) points to the continued accumulation of nutrients in the Gulf of Eilat, which adversely impacts water quality and coral reef development. It recommends a “sweeping response” through which a substantial reduction will be enforced on all potential sources of deterioration known to date. The monitoring program for 2004 was undertaken in parallel with the International Expert Team (IET) Project, the goal of which was to test the effects of the fish cages on the Gulf’s open water and coral reef ecosystems. According to the report, the trend of organic enrichment and eutrophication, which has been observed in the Gulf’s deep waters since 1999, is continuing. Furthermore, according to the report, “substantial amounts of nitrogen from allochtonous (outside) sources are delivered to the northern region of the Gulf. The main source, amounting to ~280 tons N /year (IET report) is the fish cages.” Israel’s National Monitoring Program for the Gulf of Eilat is implemented by the Interuniversity Institute in Eilat, with Ministry of the Environment funding. An annual report is published each year and monitoring takes account of the results of both present and past research studies in the Gulf waters. The objectives of the monitoring program are to: - Test and assess the state of the Gulf of Eilat ecosystem.
- Define criteria for the “health” of the Gulf of Eilat ecosystem.
- Determine the impact level of different pollution sources on the state of the ecosystem.
- Issue alerts on potential dangers to the system.
- Establish a computerized database of oceanographic data on the Gulf of Eilat.
- Consolidate and propose recommendations for environmental management of the Gulf of Eilat ecosystem.
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