Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation
Providing science-based solutions to protect and restore ocean health
After two weeks, we’ve completed reef assessments around Rangiroa, Aratika, and Raraka and are now examining Fakarava. Tuamotu reefs are dramatically different from Society Islands. Besides the near absence of crown of thorns seastars (we’ve seen a handful in the …
There are risks in every work environment, so working on and around boats brings with it unique safety concerns. We stress safety at the beginning of every mission, and give reminders of various risks throughout the mission. In order to …
Several of the scientists on the ship are from the US and were obviously not able to make it home for Thanksgiving. This is a time when many of us would go home to visit family and have a big …
We spent three days at the beautiful Rangiroa atoll. If you read the Aerial Reconn blog, then you will know that this atoll is large. It is so large that when you are in the center, you are unable to …
Very few of us are fortunate enough to have opportunities to explore and discover the world, and I certainly consider myself to be extremely privileged to have the full time job as Captain of the research vessel Golden Shadow, living …
There are a lot of moving parts involved with a research mission. If one of these parts does not work, say the engines of the Golden Shadow, everything else shuts down. That has been the case so far on this …
Our coral reef research in the Tuamotu archipelago began with an aerial survey, at an elevation of 500-1000 feet above sea level, using the Golden Eye seaplane. The Tuamotu islands constitute the largest archipelago in French Polynesia, spanning an area …
The Golden Shadow is docked in Papeete, Tahiti and the scientists are arriving tonight for our second mission in French Polynesia. Originally, we had planned a midnight departure to arrive at Rangiroa to start research on the 16th. However, after …
My two weeks aboard the Golden Shadow have come to a close. During that time, I spent the days diving with the science team. At night, as the ship swayed with the swells of the ocean, I reflected on their research as …