Participated in the Red Sea Biodiversity Project, a research initiative to catalog all the living marine organisms in the Red Sea.

The Foundation’s prior research in the Red Sea became an important scientific resource for the Red Sea Biodiversity Project, a long-term initiative led by the Senckenberg Research Institute and King Abdulaziz University to catalogue all living organisms in the Red Sea. Our ecological assessments and high-resolution satellite-derived reef maps demonstrated how large-scale mapping and habitat classification could help researchers better understand patterns of biodiversity across the region.

KSLOF scientists also played an active role in shaping the direction of the project. Coral reef ecologist Alexandra Dempsey was invited to give the keynote presentation at the Red Sea Biodiversity Conference, sharing insights from our Red Sea work and early findings from the Global Reef Expedition. Dr. Sam Purkis, then the Foundation’s Chief Scientist, contributed expertise in remote sensing and habitat mapping, pioneering methods that were later published in the Atlas of Saudi Arabian Marine Habitats.