Real-Time Monitoring of Environmental Parameters in Abu Dhabi’s Coastal Waters Using Buoy Data: Insights and Implications for Sustainable Management

The present study was carried out to study the hydrological parameters of Abu Dhabi coastal waters during January 2022 to December 2023 by using integrated real time buoy data which is an effective tool for early warning systems for conservation needs. The variations in temperature, salinity and pH were prominent in relation to stations and seasons. Pronounced changes were also observed in other parameters such as chlorophyll-a, DO and density of blue-green algae. Temperature and conductivity were found maximum at open sea coastal stations, Salinity and DO values were recorded maximum open sea coastal stations during winter month. Maximum value of pH, blue-green algal density and chlorophyll-a concentration was recorded during winter months. The spatial and seasonal variation of algal density was observed during August, June and February, which showed a strong positive correlation with the station S5 and S3, September, October, November and December had strong positive correlation with the station (S2, S8, S7, S1 and S9) and January and March had strong positive correlation with the station (S4 and S10). The findings of cluster, MDS and PCA analysis showed that variations in hydrological parameters significantly alter the Blue Green algal density. The findings of this study offer enhanced insight into how physico-chemical factors interact and vary over space and time, which is crucial for evaluating the effects of abiotic parameters. To help identify the seasonal variations, trends, and long-term changes in water quality, a long-term real time monitoring through buoy-satellite data needs to be carried out over a number of years.