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RESOURCES

Welcome to the DNHG Resources page. Our members have gathered together a wealth of information regarding the natural history of the UAE. From online articles, to published reports and field guides, and from our very own field work. If you are looking for something in particular and can't find it on our website, please contact us. We are more than happy to help you out.

DNHG LIBRARY

The DNHG Library offers members a modest and very interesting collections of books, pamphlets, maps and many arcane and hard-to-find publications for reference or purchase.

FEATURED ARTICLES

Over the years DNHG members have compiled and written many interesting reports regarding the natural history in the UAE. Members have also contributed to the recording of many new species.

WHERE TO GO

Want to get out an explore the natural history of the UAE, but not sure where to start? Here you will find an extensive list of places and things to see to help get you started.
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TRIBULUS

Tribulus is a peer-reviewed scientific journal published by the ENHG–Abu Dhabi and devoted to original research relating to the natural history of the UAE and Eastern  Arabia. Tribulus was published semi-annually from 1991 through 2006 and is now published annually. It is available online in both PDF and OCR formats and can be found in the following link: http://enhg.org/Home/Publications/Tribulus.aspx

Tribulus is the successor to the ENHG’s Bulletin, published thrice annually throughout the 1980s.The Bulletin is also available online:   http://enhg.org/Home/Publications/Bulletin.aspx

ONLINE GUIDES

There are several excellent Arabian field guides that are not readily available in print and have been made available online with the cooperation of the concerned authors. These include:

Butterflies of Oman (1984) by Torben and Kiki Larsen
View or download book

Insects of Eastern Arabia (1987) by D.H. Walker and A.R. Pittaway
View or download book

Flora of the United Arab Emirates - An Introduction (1989) by A.R. Western
View or download book

Environmental Atlas of Abu Dhabi - Environmental Agency Abu Dhabi
https://www.environmentalatlas.ae/

Geological Features of the United Arab Emirates by Dr. Ben Jordan, printed by UAE University
View or download book
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Geological Overview of the United Arab Emirates by Gary R. Feulner
View or download article

Geotrekking in South East Arabia – A Field Guide to World Class Geology in the United Arab Emirates and Oman
View or download article
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Rough Sheller’s Guide to the UAE  by Dr. Sandy Fowler
View or download book

The Comprehensive Guide to the Wild Flowers of the UAE by Marijcke Jongbloed (with G.R. Feulner, B. Böer, A.R. Western)
View or download book

Spiders of the United Arab Emirates: An Introductory Catalogue by Gary R. Feulner and Binish Roobas
View or download article
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UAE Spider Website
http://www.uaespiders.com

Freshwater Snails of the UAE (1999) by Gary R. Feulner and Stephen A. Green
View or download article

Terrestrial Molluscs of the UAE (2003) by Gary R. Feulner and Stephen A. Green
View or download article

Natural History Films on UAE/Arabia by Yusuf Thakur
Arabia's Natural World - View video 
Tracking Mermaids - View video
Jewel of the Mangroves - View video 
RAK - Tree of Life - View video
Abu Dhabi - Home of the Legendary Mermaids - View video 
Endangered Dugongs - View video
(See also the link to vfxme.com, under Other UAE Organizations, below)

Most of the above publications can also be found via the www.enhg.org website, hosted by the Al-Ain branch of the ENHG.

OTHER UAE ORGANISATIONS

The following is a selected list of other UAE (and some regional) organizations whose programmes, activities and/or information relate to natural history and/or the wildlife, environment and/or traditional culture of the UAE and Arabia.


Arabian Wildlife
http://www.uaeinteract.com/nature/default.asp
 
Archaeology Conference 2022 – Advances in UAE Archaeology
Conference Program: Link
Proceedings of Day 1: https://youtu.be/iyRi8YAW5-4
Proceedings of Day 2: https://youtu.be/DxpKaOMeslk

Architectural Heritage Society of the UAE
http://www.adias-uae.com

ARKive: Jewels of the UAE
http://www.arkive.org/uae/

Dubai Astronomy Group
http://www.dubaiastronomy.com/

Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD) 
http://www.ead.ae/en/

Emirates Diving Association (EDA)
http://www.emiratesdiving.com/index.php
 
Emirates Environmental Group (EEG)
http://www.eeg-uae.org/

Emirates Marine Environmental Group (EMEG)
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Emirates-Marine-Environmental-Group-EMEG-UAE/276319499091948

Gulf Photo Plus
http://www.gulfphotoplus.com/
 
Hanne & Jens Eriksen‘s Birds Oman website
http://www.BirdsOman.com
 
Sharjah Museums – Note the virtual tours
http://www.sharjahmuseums.ae
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Ornithological Society of the Middle East, The Caucasus and Central Asia
​https://osme.org/

UAE Birding
http://www.uaebirding.com

UAE Dolphin Project
http://www.uaedolphinproject.org/

UAE Hiking
http://www.dubaihiking.org

Wildlife Middle East News
http://www.wmenews.com

vfx (producers of natural history and other films about UAE, Arabia, Africa et al.)
https://ww.vfxme.com

PAPER NAUTILUS REGISTER

Beryl Comar compiles reports sightings of “shells” (which are actually egg chambers) of the Paper Nautilius, Argonauta sp. If you happen to come across any, please notify her by email: [email protected]
Please try to provide her with the dimensions of the shell and a brief description, e.g.darkly marked, perfect, broken etc.

TURTLE RESCUE

The Burj Al Arab Aquarium is equipped and staffed for the rehabilitation of sick sea turtles. If you hear of or find, a sick or injured sea turtle, please contact the aquarium at the address below. They will respond as soon as possible. In the meantime, they advise keeping the turtle comfortable in fresh, shallow water at about 26°C in order that the turtle can easily lift its head to breathe.


Email: [email protected]
Tel: +971 4 3017198

Sea Snake Research: Academic study into the pesticide concentrations in the tissues of stranded sea snakes
July 2024: EPAA (Sharjah) published research into the organochlorine pesticide concentrations found in the tissues of stranded sea snakes found.

Title: "Levels of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and Organochlorine Pesticides (OCPs) in Sea Snakes (Elapidae: Hydrophiinae) from Sharjah, United Arab Emirates,"
  • Published in the Marine Pollution Bulletin (206 (2024) 116666), July.2024
  • Authors: Fadi Yaghmoura, Fatin Samara, Meera Al Hammadi, Waqas Ahmad, Nedal Abu-Farha, Richard Ploeg, Amber Gillett, Mohamed Yousuf, Susannah Philipe, Johannes Els, Jane Budd.

Objectives of Study: evaluation of the concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (PAHs and OCPs) in the liver, muscle, and fat tissues of stranded sea snakes from Sharjah, UAE.

Why is this of merit?
Example of local research by the Sharjah EPAA team, led by Fadi Yaghmour in Khor Kalba.

Presented as the first assessment of persistent organic pollutants in the tissues of Arabian Gulf coral reef sea snakes and ornate sea snakes, and is the first-ever assessment of OCPs in the tissues of any sea snake species.

Key Findings:
  • Higher concentrations of OCPs were detected compared to PAHs, while PAHs were more ubiquitous.
  • Significant correlations indicated bioaccumulation of both OCPs and PAHs in sea snake tissues.
  • Lower log Kow OCPs were mainly found in muscle samples, while higher log Kow OCPs were prevalent in liver and fat samples.
  • OCP concentrations in this study exceeded those reported in other UAE marine reptiles and sea snakes from different regions.

For more information, refer to the attached research paper (click for full text PDF) and Graphical Abstract (click to download/view)

Website for EPAA, Sharjah: https://epaashj.ae 

Resources kindly shared by:
  • Fadi Yaghmour Scientific researcher, 
    Environment and Protected Areas Authority (EPAA) - Sharjah

Wild flowers / ​زهرة برية

Section title: zahrat bariya, and a poem:
​زهرة برية
لفائدة الأزهار ، تُروى الحشائش أيضًا
Note: this section has been included to validate correct display of Arabic content on this website.

Wadi Aboul ( ) - Photo Essay

Wadi Aboul, 2000-2010
A Photo Essay by Gerald (Jerry) Buzzell

Jerry shares his collection of memories & photographs from his exploration of wadis and villages located in the Hajar Mountains of north central Oman. He recounts his observations on how the local inhabitants have adapted to the harsh conditions of limited water and stony soil.

​PDF Download (English)

To email the author: ​[email protected]