The Foundation formed new relationships with partners in the Kingdom to advance coral reef conservation initiatives in the Red Sea. Using our expertise and vast historical database of the coral reef environment of the Red Sea, the foundation partnered with the National Center for Wildlife (NCW) in Saudi Arabia, sharing our maps, data, and knowledge with the government agency, which they intend to use to create protected areas along the Saudi Arabian Red Sea coast.
In 2022, KSLOF was also invited to present our work at several conferences in the Kingdom. The United Nations invited KSLOF to speak at Riyadh Blue about data sharing and providing science-based solutions for conservation. The Minister of the Environment asked KSLOF to discuss threats to and solutions for the sustainability of marine ecosystems on World Oceans Day. We were also asked to speak on our experience creating management protocols for combating crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) outbreaks and addressing the harmful effects they cause on coral reefs. These collaborations helping to solidify the foundation’s engagement with the new marine environmental initiatives in the region.
