Our Chief Scientist, Dr. Sam Purkis, returned to the Red Sea to participate in another OceanX research mission in the northern Red Sea and Gulf of Aqaba. The OceanX research mission complemented the foundation’s earlier work in the region, which we conducted 15 years ago. Whereas in 2007, the foundation focused on mapping the shallow-water reef systems of the northern Red Sea and setting a baseline for their health and vitality, the focus of the latest expedition was on the deep-water system, which extends from the mesophotic zone down to the abyssal plains of the Red Sea. This new focus allowed the underpinnings of the shallow-water reefs to be examined and shed light on the incredibly high diversity of reef morphology observed in the waters offshore Saudi Arabia. It also led to the discovery of the first brine pool discovered along the coast in the Gulf of Aqaba.
From Students to Stewards: A Full-Circle Moment for J.A.M.I.N.
There are certain faces you never forget.
Over the years, hundreds of students have stepped into mangrove forests with us through the Jamaica Awareness of Mangroves in Nature (J.A.M.I.N.) program. I may not always remember every name, but I remember the expressions — the hesitation before stepping into thick mud, the laughter when someone loses a shoe, the look of surprise when they catch that unmistakable sulfur smell rising from the mangrove soil…
