JERUSALEM (Xinhua), March 23rd, 2003 — A research conducted by Israel found that Eilat’s rapid urban development had a significant impact on the local marine environment. This was according to Bar Ilan University (BIU), Wednesday.
The study was published in Global Change Biology and it took a year for researchers from BIU to find damage to corals in Red Sea’s northern Gulf of Eilat in southern Israel.
The team discovered that Eilat emits pollutants like light, noise, and chemicals that can be harmful for marine environments.
Researchers used sampling at the daily, monthly, and seasonal times points to compare corals from urban areas with those from non-urban areas.
It was discovered that the natural biological rhythms of urban corals were disturbed despite their relatively healthy appearance.
The study found that urban conditions have affected the lunar cycles of coral metabolism, predation, biological clock functions, and resulted in lower physiological performance, as well as the disappearance or diminished reproductive cycles in urban corals.
They concluded that scientists should participate in assessing the potential impacts of urbanization on marine environments before making decisions about urban development.
