LANDOVER, MD June 7th –‐The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation will celebrate World Oceans Day by sharing a stunning underwater photo exhibit for their local community. The exhibit features images from a collaborative project the Foundation did with the International League of Conservation Photographers and Michele Westmorland. Michele joined the Foundation on the research ship M/Y Golden Shadow earlier this year in French Polynesia. From September 2012 to May 2013 the Foundation’s researchers conducted one of the most extensive assessments of French Polynesian reef systems ever done.

The Living Oceans scientists researched in four of the five archipelagos, Society Islands, Tuamotu, Gambier and the Austral Islands. These research missions were designed to compare and contrast reefs over a large area of human impact. During the surveys the foundation identified coral and fish species’ diversity among others, population numbers, and health, and made note of any major threats to the ecosystems. The scientific findings will be used to develop sound management strategies which will benefit the reef ecosystem.

But the foundation wanted to share more than just the scientific results, they wanted to share a glimpse of what the world was like on these remote reefs, to help people really connect with the creatures that live there. So in January of 2013 the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation partnered with Michele and iLCP to help achieve that goal.