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High seas

The UAE is renowned for its ambitious engineering projects, including five sets of human-made islands. These islands, however, may become vulnerable to rising sea levels caused by climate change. That’s why the UAE is working now to fortify these land masses and more.

Research in the UAE uses remote-sensing data, sea-level projections and coastal hydrodynamic models to assess the impact of rising seas along the country’s coastlines. This research has identified the country’s low-lying and shallow-sloping geography as particularly vulnerable.

“These models allow us to simulate the impacts of rising sea levels under various scenarios,” says Dr. Maryam Rashid AlShehhi, who researches reefs and reef restoration at Khalifa University.

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Research teams have identified two critical risk areas: displacement and economic instability due to flooding and erosion; and ecosystems and communities in low-lying areas, encompassing natural habitats and developed regions in low-elevation coastal zones.

“These areas face high risks of habitat loss, increased flood frequency and ecological degradation. For example, coral reefs, which rely on stable water conditions, face stress from both rising sea levels and potential increases in turbidity and sedimentation due to coastal erosion. Saltwater intrusion is another concern, as it can compromise freshwater supplies and agricultural productivity in coastal areas, leading to broader socio-economic effects,” AlShehhi tells KUST Review.

Illustration: Abjad Design
Why climate change causes rising seas

As the oceans warm due to an increasing global temperature, seawater expands — taking up more space in the ocean basin and causing a rise in water level. The second mechanism is the melting of ice over land (in polar regions and mountains), which then adds water to the ocean. — U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

To combat this, breakwaters have been constructed along the coasts of Ras al Khaimah and Fujairah, and Abu Dhabi is mandating seawalls for upcoming waterfront developments.

But sustainable methods will also be used.

One method involves mangroves, which not only act as a carbon sink, but also protect the coastline.

Their dense biomass and intricate root systems can withstand powerful waves, including those from hurricanes, and thrive in oxygen-poor coastal soils. Mangroves excel at trapping sediment from rivers and oceans, which is both a strength and a vulnerability. While sediment accumulation around their roots helps build land, a disruption in sediment supply leaves the plants vulnerable.

In 2023, Arabian Gulf Business Insight reported that the Environment Agency — Abu Dhabi in partnership with environmental tech company Dendra embarked on a project to plant 27 million mangrove trees in Abu Dhabi by 2030. This is part of the UAE target of 100 million mangrove trees within the same timeline.

“The UAE also uses artificial reefs and ‘living shorelines,’ which combine vegetation, sand and other natural elements to create more resilient and eco-friendly shorelines,” AlShehhi says. “Several projects have been supported on artificial intelligence-driven solutions for real-time monitoring and adaptive responses.”

Other collaborations will address the challenge of rising sea levels. Khalifa University recently worked in conjunction with the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) and other universities and organizations to produce a national report on the impact of climate change on the environment.

These areas face high risks of habitat loss, increased flood frequency and ecological degradation.

– Maryam Rashid AlShehhi, assistant professor of
civil & environmental engineering at Khalifa University

Additionally, the UAE Climate Change Research Network, led by MOCCAE, brings together universities, research institutions and government agencies to share data, initiate research and develop policy focused on addressing climate challenges like sea-level rise. Diana Francis of Khalifa University leads the network’s Cluster on Climate Data and Modeling.

These are only a fraction of collaborations in action locally and regionally.

“By enhancing natural defenses, the UAE strengthens its resilience against rising sea levels and extreme weather, which aligns with broader regional efforts to prepare for climate impacts. The UAE’s focus on restoring mangroves, seagrasses and coral reefs promotes biodiversity, supporting marine ecosystems that are critical for fisheries, tourism and ecological balance, which is in line with regional priorities to preserve natural habitats.

The UAE’s sustainable practices set a regional example, encouraging neighboring countries to adopt similar approaches,” AlShehhi says.

More like this: Vertical farms and 3D-printed reefs part of UAE’s plans for food security

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Ozempic for sobriety?

Drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy — mostly known for treating diabetes and offering weight-loss assistance — are being explored for a number of other applications, and it seems those struggling with alcohol use might benefit.

Early research in both animals and humans shows these medications may reduce cravings, make alcohol feel less rewarding and help people avoid relapses after quitting alcohol consumption, as seen in a recent review out of the University of Gothenburg in Sweden.

The animals tested reduced drinking, withdrawal symptoms and the likelihood of relapsing. Some humans also reported fewer cravings and less consumption. The drugs seem to quiet the reward circuits in the brain that make alcohol use feel good, especially in the release of dopamine— the brain’s pleasure chemical.

Unlike older medications that can make alcohol taste bad or knock you out, these drugs don’t seem to work through punishment or sedation. Instead, they subtly reduce the brain’s drive to seek alcohol.

Most human trials so far, however, involve people with diabetes or obesity. It’s not yet clear if the same benefits will apply to people of average weight who drink heavily. That’s why scientists are calling for bigger, more diverse studies.

Early signs, however, are hopeful.

In the future, GLP-1–based therapies could become one part of a toolkit, helping people cut back on drinking or to stay sober.

More like this: Obesity expert has the skinny on semaglutide

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Oral bacteria linked to heart
attacks

A recent study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association offers evidence that viridans streptococcal biofilm outsmarts immune detection, jump starts inflammation and possibly contributes to fatal coronary plaque ruptures. That’s right — bacteria living in your mouth might play an unexpected role in heart attacks.

Researchers in Finland found DNA from common mouth bacteria in more than 40 percent of samples of artery plaques — the build-up inside the blood vessels. And they weren’t just hanging out in plain sight; they were hiding out.

The bacteria were found in tight-knit biofilm communities inside the plaques, which makes them difficult for the body’s natural immune protectors to locate. Upon breaking the plaque apart, the immune system suddenly recognized the intruders and activated an appropriate inflammatory response. This inflammation may contribute to the fatal rupture of plaques that cause heart attacks.

The research adds to the long-running theory that infections may play a more prominent role in heart disease than originally thought. And if they really are part of the problem, it could lead to new ways of detecting or treating the hidden culprits to lower heart attack risk.

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Gravy thickener could save the sea

A recent American Physical Society Journals study by Scientists at the University of Colorado Boulder finds that common daily use starches such as corn and arrowroot can replace artificial particles used to map water movement patterns. The result is less expensive experiments that are eco-friendly, and we’ve got jellyfish to thank.

Jellyfish are great natural water mixers. Their pulsing movements stir up currents that are complex for such simple animals. Scientists study them to understand how animals move water for feeding, swimming and shaping ecosystems.

Typically, scientists use particle image velocimetry (PIV) for water movement tracking. They sprinkle small tracer particles into the water, direct a laser toward them and capture the flow patterns on film. Unfortunately, those particles are usually synthetic, sometimes made from glass or plastic. Ultimately they are not ocean friendly.

The research team tested simple cornstarch and arrowroot starch and found that they float and scatter light on par with costly synthetics. And bonus — they are biodegradable, non-toxic and significantly less expensive.

The testing was carried out with the starch tracers both in lab set-ups and with live animals like brine shrimp and jellyfish. The results were on-the-nose performance and no harm to the critters or the environment.

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Turning CO2 into fuel

A team of scientists has brought us one step closer to turning CO2 pollution into clean, high-energy fuel by tweaking nickel.

In a study led by researchers from the National University of Singapore and ETH Zürich, scientists created a new kind of nickel catalyst that’s been “doped” with fluorine.

It’s kind of like giving nickel a little chemical superpower. The doped nickel then helps guide CO2 through a special reaction path — building branched and long-chain hydrocarbon fuel that burns better and works great in engines, especially for planes and cars.

Unlike traditional copper catalysts (which often fizzle out with short chains or alcohols), this improved nickel can grow longer, more complex chains of hydrocarbons by getting carbon-based bits like *CO and *CH₂ to pair up in the right way.

By studying how these reactions happen using tricks like pulsed electricity or adding formaldehyde, the team learned how to nudge the reaction toward making the desired high-quality fuel.

This discovery could help us create greener fuels directly from CO₂, making our energy cleaner and stronger.

More like this: Ask the experts: What’s the future of hydrocarbons in an increasingly green world?