Despite the restrictions imposed by the pandemic, 2021 was a truly remarkable year for the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation.
After spending ten years in the field circumnavigating the globe in an effort to understand the coral reef crisis, we concluded the Global Reef Expedition (GRE)—the largest coral reef survey and mapping research mission in history. Prince Khaled made the formal announcement at the IUCN World Conservation Congress, where we also presented our data and findings from this groundbreaking research mission.
Now that the Global Reef Expedition is complete, we are taking our coral reef research to the next level. This year we signed a Space Act Agreement with NASA to help them map the world’s coral reefs. We have shared over 65,000 square kilometers of our coral reef maps with NASA so they can use them as a guide for how to map coral reefs from space. We are also using our GRE data and expertise in a new partnership with the Pacific Blue Foundation that will use machine learning to automate image analysis of benthic photo transects. Meanwhile, we continue to work with our partners at the University of Miami on new coral reef health and resiliency models. This includes a new project funded by the National Science Foundation that uses benthic foraminifera (from sand samples collected on the GRE) as bioindicators of coral reef health.
In addition to our scientific accomplishments, the Foundation had several notable achievements in outreach and education as well. Last year we launched a new TV show, Our Living Oceans, now playing on EarthxTV. This 6-part documentary series takes viewers on a journey of discovery, educating viewers on the health of our living oceans, the threats they face, and what is being done to save them through conversations with scientists, conservationists, and local leaders from around the world. We also expanded our offerings on our Education Portal, which continued to be a valuable resource for students and teachers, especially for those learning remotely during the pandemic.
We are very proud of what we have been able to achieve this past year and look forward to what we will be able to accomplish in the years to come.
To learn more about our recent accomplishments, check out our 2021 Annual Report:
Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation 2021 Annual Report
