Dubai 92 Coral Reef Conservation

BY STUDENTS FROM THE STAR INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL MIRDIF

During the last half term of the academic year 2020-2021, Dubai 92 launched a coral reef project for children to register with. The children at Star International are keen ocean enthusiasts and ambassadors who are always looking for ways to educate and empower our Mirdif community regarding saving our planet, inclusive of our oceans.

Working with Mohamed Helmy, a PADI Course Director at Al Boom Dive Centre, Ms Gill Roberts, the former Principal of the school (also an IDC Staff Instructor) decided to create a competition for the children which highlighted the top ten pollutants of the ocean. Rather than just mentioning the top ten pollutants, the children had to identify how these pollutants injure marine life.

As you can see from the images, the children fully researched this topic; their entries to the competition enabling their audience to understand why these pollutants are harmful and why we must educate people not to throw their debris into the ocean, or even on the beach.

Our Year 6 also looked at the irony of the mask. The mask being worn by all to protect us against COVID-19.

Why the irony? As you can see, our children found out that the main pollutant of our oceans at present, are these masks. They were made to protect our human species, however their lack of correct disposal is killing our ocean life.

YASMINA (10 years old) “I sometimes do beach clean-ups where I’ve found masks and plastic bottles…and bags.”

THE DANGEROUS HELPFUL MASK

Hey, I’m a mask, you can call me Bob! I always try protecting humans, but they don’t care! They always throw me in the sky blue beautiful ocean but never understand that THE OCEAN ISN’T MY HOME!!! I try to swim, but instead I sink.

Sea turtles and many sea creatures come and eat me. Sea creatures choke on me and die. So please take my advice, and NEVER throw masks or plastic stuff in the ocean.

AISHAM (6 years old) “One time we were washing my mommy’s car and we found a plastic bottle on the floor. Then I told my mom, can we take a video please? My mom said yes, then I got the plastic bottle up, then she took a video when I was saying things and throwing the plastic bottle in the bin .”

ADAM (6.5 years old) “People are saying stop trashing our oceans. And other people are saying the oceans are very important because a lot of animals are living there and it’s full of plants which produce oxygen that helps us breathe. Oceans provide humans and animals with food.”

LYAN (7 years old) “My poster is about the ocean. A mask might get stuck in reefs and fish might eat them. Plastic bags look like jellyfish and turtles might eat them by mistake. Bottles and straws can get stuck in fish and shark gills, and rubber bands can get stuck in coral reefs or around fish.”

JAKE (10 years old) “I wrote the poem as if I was a mask and I’ve fallen into the ocean. And to my surprise, everywhere I look it’s just plastic and pollution. I don’t think it’s right. If we kill sealife, we’re also killing ourselves. It’s not right because it’s all part of our life cycle. ”

ALESSIA (6 years old) “My project is about ocean awareness. My fish has a stomach full of plastic straws, plastic bags, clingfilm, and masks.”

OMAR (7 years old) “Don’t throw plastic bags inside the ocean, the fish will die. Don’t throw things inside because the fish will eat it.”

HAYA (7 years old) “My drawing is about saving the oceans. Never put plastic anywhere or the fish and sea animals could die…it’s bad.”

MAYAR (6 years old) “My drawing is about these animals saying help me. The rubbish is stuck to them and the coral, and I say to keep them safe. There’s a plastic bag coral, a bottle and a mask, and a straw in there.”

AIDAN (10 years old) “My project is about the coral reef and how I want it to be. I don’t want it to die because it affects our oceans and we need the fish.”

Year 2 have been reading about the Mirdif staff’s ‘Dive for Debris’. They decided to re-create the ocean and the conditions of the dive, to enable our younger school pupils to visualise what it might be like under the sea and to show them all the beautiful creatures that you can find. Join Ms Gill and Mr Kyle in their underwater adventure.

Year 1 have been looking at the different sorts of coral that are found in our coral reefs on the East Coast. They then decided to design some corals of their own using their knowledge of the corals they had seen.

EVENA (7 years old) “My project was about a plastic bag in the ocean and sea creatures coming to eat it. The prize I won was a certificate and voucher to dive in October. Yes, I’m looking forward to it.”

SAIF (7 years old) “My poster is about the stuff you should’t throw in the sea. You shouldn’t throw straws, plastic bottles, cans or masks, or plastic bags, or cans with plastic…and elastic bands.”

YOUSEF (6 years old) “My poster is about Hazourdous waste. I added toy sea animals, and I added some blue glitter. The turtle is close to the face mask and it might die. Dolphins also might die from these things.”

JESSE (10 years old) “My project is about how we should not throw shoes or slippers into the ocean.”

HANNAH (10 years old) “My project is about a picture down deep in the ocean showing the coral reefs and fish.”

NURAN (12 years old) “I wrote that we shouldn’t be throwing plastic in the oceans because it’s been damaging it for a really long time.”