Our History
Over 25 Years of Marine Conservation
Our History
Over 25 Years of Marine Conservation
Accomplishments
A History of Accomplishment
What We’ve Achieved So Far
Since our founding in the year 2000, the foundation’s three-pronged approach to marine conservation has yielded many positive results for the ocean. Our work led to the development and expansion of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Jamaica, the Cook Islands, and Fiji, and our scientific research is currently being used to inform marine spatial planning efforts across the South Pacific. Prince Khaled has received many awards on behalf of the Foundation, including the Peter Benchley Award for Excellence in Ocean Exploration, the Fabian Cousteau Blue Award, and the Perseus Award for his contribution to ocean conservation.
The Global Reef Expedition
Completed the largest coral reef survey and mapping expedition in history.
The Foundation completed the Global Reef Expedition, a 10-year research mission that circumnavigated the globe, surveying some of the most remote coral reefs on the planet. The primary goals of the Expedition were to map and characterize coral reef ecosystems, identify their current status and major threats, and examine factors that enhance their ability to resist, survive, and recover from major disturbance events. We also engaged in outreach and education efforts to disseminate the knowledge gained and share the results of our work freely with participating countries and scientific and regulatory organizations.
Pioneered new ways to map reefs
Using Remote Sensing Technology to map coral reefs from space
We gathered high-resolution satellite imagery and collected data in the field to create extremely detailed habitat and bathymetric maps of the ocean floor. We used this new technology to map over 65,000 km² of coral reefs and surrounding habitats on the Global Reef Expedition—by far the largest collection of high-resolution coral reef maps ever made. These types of GIS maps can help policymakers and conservation organizations develop management strategies to ensure the long-term health of coral reefs, mangrove forests, and seagrass meadows. We have also partnered with NASA, which is using our maps to train supercomputers to create high-resolution maps of the world’s coral reefs.
Coral Reef Education
Brought coral reef education to thousands of students, teachers, and communities around the world
We have created thoughtful and engaging educational materials to teach students about coral reefs and led innovative outreach and educational programs in schools and communities. Our award-winning online Coral Reef Ecology Curriculum contains lesson plans, educational videos, interactive exercises, and games that have been used by tens of thousands of students and teachers around the world. Originally designed for use in middle and high school classrooms, our educational materials are constantly evolving as we strive to create the best coral reef educational resource available for students and life-long learners of all ages.
Mangrove Restoration
Helped local students restore mangrove forests in Jamaica and The Bahamas
Our Mangrove Education & Restoration programs work to increase environmental awareness and restore mangrove forests in the Caribbean. We partner with local high schools to implement a mangrove program in science classrooms that engages students in local conservation efforts. Students participating in the program learn about mangroves, get to visit a local mangrove forest, and help restore the ecosystem by planting mangroves they grew in their classrooms over the course of the school year. As this program continues to evolve and expand, we have developed a monitoring program, citizen science initiative, and community outreach efforts that bring mangrove education to key stakeholders throughout the country, including educators, community members, and government officials.
Award-Winning Films
Produced dozens of award-winning documentary films
We have created Emmy® award-winning conservation films that have been shown at film festivals around the world, broadcast on television, streamed online, and incorporated into our educational materials. These films transport viewers to places that they may never otherwise see, make complicated science easy to understand, and connect people in a visceral and emotional way to the incredible beauty of the natural world.
Critical Field Guides
Developed guides for identifying coral diseases and managing crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks
In order to help countries manage their coral reefs, we created guides to help people identify and combat local threats to coral reefs. This includes a field guide to help communities identify different types of coral diseases, and a best-practice guide to help communities combat outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish, a voracious coral predator.
Timeline
10 Years
The Global Reef Expedition circumnavigated the globe to complete the largest coral reef survey and research mission in history.
16 Countries
The Expedition studied reefs in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans as well as the Red Sea, surveying some of the most remote coral reefs on Earth.
1,000 Reefs
A team of over 200 scientists surveyed coral reefs around the world, establishing a global baseline of the state of corals and reef fish.
project Archive