impact on the surrounding environment, resulting in changes to area wildlife, coastal erosion, alongshore sediment transport, and wave patterns. Sediment stirred up by construction has suffocated and injured local marine fauna and reduced the amount of sunlight that filters down to seashore vegetation. Variations in alongshore sediment transport have resulted in changes in erosion patterns along the UAE coast, which has also been exacerbated by altered wave patterns as the waters of the Persian Gulf attempt to move around the new obstruction of the islands. For example, according to a study published in the journal Water in 2022, the construction of Palm Jumeirah Island has increased water-soluble materials, changed Water's spectral profile, and increased the water surface temperature around the island. Greenpeace has criticized The Palm Islands for lack of sustainability, and non-profit environmental news service Mongabay has reported on Dubai's artificial islands, stating that: Significant changes in the maritime environment [of Dubai] [... ] As a result of the dredging and redepositing of sand for the construction of the islands, the typically crystalline waters of the Persian Gulf at Dubai have become severely clouded with silt. Construction activity is damaging the marine habitat, burying coral reefs, oyster beds and subterranean fields of seagrass, threatening local marine species and other species dependent on them for food. Oyster beds have been covered in as much as two inches of sediment, while above the water, beaches are eroding with the disruption of natural currents. Structural importance Palm Jumeirah was built entirely from sand and rocks, no concrete or steel was used to build the island. This was done in accordance with the order of the Ruler of Dubai, who came up with the idea for Palm Islands and the design. Construction resources involved 5.5 million cubic meters of rock were brought from over 16 quarries in Dubai. 94 million cubic meters of sand brought from deep sea beds 6 nautical miles from the coast of Dubai. 700 tons of limestone Project risks and threats Sinking Waves 2 meters high Annual or biennial storm frequency Weak soil due to constant exposure to the rising sea water Water pollution Hidden problems Erosion caused by winds and water currents is one of the biggest problems, as it strips away the sand that forms most of the island. Damage to the marine ecology (e.g. the loss of reefs and fish), including disturbances in the reproductive cycles