Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation
Providing science-based solutions to protect and restore ocean health
Published in Discover Oceans Abstract To restore degraded coral reef habitats, it is critical to ensure that the scleractinian broodstock utilized can withstand future heatwaves. However, reef coral resilience is normally assessed only after catastrophic stress events. By tapping into …
In the Washington Post by Kasha Patel April 14, 2033 A new study estimated the Tonga volcanic explosion was 15 megatons, equivalent to 15 million tons of TNT The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haʻapai undersea volcano eruption in 2022 was larger than …
In Popular Science by RAHUL RAO April 14, 2023 A detailed simulation of underwater shockwaves changes what we know about the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai eruption. When the Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai volcano in Tonga exploded on January 15, 2022—setting off a sonic …
In Nature By Gemma Conroy April 14, 2023 Detailed analysis of the January 2022 event shows how underwater blasts generated huge waves that battered coastlines throughout the island nation. The events following last year’s massive eruption of an underwater volcano in the …
Published in Science Advances Abstract The 2022 Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai eruption generated a once-in-a-century magnitude tsunami. The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai (HTHH) volcanic eruption in January 2022 generated a catastrophic tsunami and contends for the largest natural explosion in more than a …
A new study led by scientists at the University of Miami and the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation measured the size of the Tongan tsunami and found that it was similar in size to the one caused by the …
The Global Reef Expedition Final Report summarizes the findings from our 10-year research mission to survey and map coral reefs across the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans as well as the Red Sea. The Expedition involved hundreds of research scientists …
Published in Pacific Conservation Biology Abstract Environmental conditions and anthropogenic impacts are key influences on ecological processes and associated ecosystem services. Effective management of Tonga’s marine ecosystems therefore depends on accurate and up-to-date knowledge of environmental and anthropogenic variables. Although …
New evidence suggests that reef sharks exert weak control over coral reef food webs Shark populations are dwindling worldwide, and scientists are concerned that the decline could trigger a cascade of impacts that hurt coral reefs. But a new paper published …
Published in Ecology Abstract Global overfishing of higher‐level predators has caused cascading effects to lower trophic levels in many marine ecosystems. On coral reefs, which support highly diverse food‐webs, the degree to which top‐down trophic cascades can occur remains equivocal. …