She said "Qatargas"Since 2007, it has moved more than 12,000 live corals from nearshore pipelines to marine protected areas, including the deployment of more than 1,200 artificial coral reef units to enrich the local marine environment.
This came during Qatargas’ review of its experience during a workshop hosted by Qatar University in partnership with the Aquarium Research Center in Ras Kitchen, where Qatargas presented its marine biodiversity projects to a wide range of stakeholders. During the opening session of the workshop, environmental initiatives devoted to preserving marine biodiversity in the State of Qatar were discussed, including a group of projects that focus on the essential role of coral reefs in protecting the country’s coasts at risk, while at the same time providing a sustainable habitat for vibrant groups of species. Fish, sea urchins, algae, diverse flora and fauna. The workshop focused on the collaborative partnership between Qatargas and Qatar University in a coral reef incubator, the first of its kind to be opened in 2021 at the Aquarium Research Center in Ras Kitchen. The latest ideas and results for coral reef reproduction in the incubator were presented and discussed with technical experts and the wider public, including This includes the possibility of using the Qatargas Coral Reef Incubator as a national bank for coral reefs, thus contributing to marine biodiversity projects and protecting coral reefs in the future, in the State of Qatar in particular and the region in general. This unique program is expected to pave the way for sustainable methods to preserve the marine ecosystem and improve the technical readiness for the level of procedures and facilities for the reproduction of local coral species in a wild incubator. The workshop participants visited a coral reef incubator, where they got an accurate and direct explanation of coral breeding in the laboratory or incubator, while they watched young corals in their development stage after fragmentation of the corals in order to grow them externally in the future in the targeted sites near the shore. During the workshop, the participants were able to exchange experiences in the field of biodiversity, and best practices presented by environmental and marine scientists, researchers and practitioners from the Ministry of Municipality, Qatar Energy, Qatargas, Qatar University, Aquatic Research Center, and other major companies in the energy field, including Exxon. Mobil, Total Energies, North Oil Company, Shell, and Ras Laffan Olefins Company. As the LNG specialist, Qatargas has an environmental commitment that goes beyond regulatory requirements and serves the goal of environmental sustainability with a focus on protecting the country’s rich marine biodiversity, being an important component of the company’s long-term environmental strategy and a key enabler of the environmental development pillar. Emanating from the Qatar National Vision 2030 and the Qatar National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan 2015-2025.
