Marine scientist’s 25-year Ecoreef project in UAE shows new way to rebuild fish populations

Just metres beneath the surface off Fujairah’s coast, clouds of juvenile fish darted in and out of specially designed reef structures as divers descended to examine what one marine scientist describes as the culmination of a 25-year idea.

For more than two decades, marine ecologist Dr Aaron Bartholomew carried around an idea he believed could change the way artificial reefs work.

The concept first took shape during his PhD research in 2001, long before conversations about biodiversity loss, climate resilience, and nature-positive…