Read Dr. Andy Bruckner's Daily Updates archive to get a sense of how this exciting expedition unfolded! Saturday, April 4. Our research team boarded the Golden Shadow on Saturday morning, departing from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia around mid day for a 7 hour (120 mile) journey to the northern end of the Farasan Banks. We reached our first anchorage about 10 km north of Abu Latt Island just after dark.
Al Rajhee shrimp farm and Abu Latt | Sunday, April 5. For our first set of dives we surveyed reefs off Abu Latt Island. The island is located approximately 15 miles offshore from the coastal town of Al Lith. Just north of town is a large lagoon, with extensive mangroves and the world’s largest desert coastal shrimp farm, Al Rajhee. As of 2006, Al Rajhee had developed 6000 hectares of shrimp ponds, capable of producing 30,000 metric tons of shrimp annually; about 80% of these shrimp are destined for Japan, United States, Australia, China, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand. This farm has adopted best management practices, including use of sediment basins to reduce effluent; chemical and antibiotic free farming operations; protection of mangroves; lowering of nutrients; and selective breeding practices. |
