Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation
Providing science-based solutions to protect and restore ocean health
Our Reefs at Risk Activity and Coloring Book teaches children about the wonders of coral reefs through fun and educational activities. The book takes students on a learning adventure through interactive activities, thought-provoking questions, and captivating coloring pages. It raises …
As teachers gear up for the start of the academic year, the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation has released some exciting educational resources for teachers to use in their classrooms. These resources were created to further the Foundation’s goals of improving ocean literacy around the world. We hope teachers (and life-long-learners of all ages) find our educational resources useful in helping them learn about coral reefs, mangrove forests, and other tropical marine ecosystems…
For over two decades, the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation has been at the forefront of marine conservation, striving to protect and restore the world’s oceans through cutting-edge research, education, and outreach initiatives. In this time, one of the …
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, 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 past 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 to assess the long-term health of coral reefs.
In addition to our scientific accomplishments, the Foundation had several notable achievements in outreach and education. In 2021 we launched a new TV show, Our Living Oceans, which is 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 the 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:
It’s time to apply for our annual student art contest, the Science Without Borders® Challenge! This international contest engages students and teachers in ocean conservation through art. This year, we are asking students to submit artwork that illustrates how people can preserve coral reefs using a “Ridge to Reef” approach to conservation. The Challenge is open to primary and secondary school students 11-19 years old, with scholarships of up to $500 awarded to the winning entries.
We are holding virtual Q&A sessions on January 20th and 26th for students and teachers who want to learn more about the Science Without Borders® Challenge. Join us for one of these sessions to have all of your questions answered about the contest, hear directly from some of the judges about what types of art we are looking for, and what you can do to increase your chance of success (hint: your artist’s statement matters a lot, it lets us know how your art relates to the theme).
Tune into EarthxTV tonight to watch the season finale of Our Living Oceans!
Our Living Oceans is a documentary series that explores 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. The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation is proud to partner with EarthX to produce this remarkable series.
This week’s episode focuses on Ocean Optimism. In it, we share success stories of ocean conservation and the hope we have for preserving our oceans for the use and enjoyment of current and future generations. This episode features the renowned marine biologist and coral conservationist Dr. Nancy Knowlton, one of the founders of the #OceanOptimism movement. She talks about what gives her hope for our ocean’s future. This episode also features Her Deepness, Dr. Sylvia Earle, talking about how a TED prize made it possible for her to launch Mission Blue and create a global network of Hope Spots to help protect our living oceans. The season finale also includes our Education Director, Amy Heemsoth, who discusses the education and outreach work we did on the Global Reef Expedition and how the Living Oceans Foundation continues to inspire the next generation of ocean advocates.
Coral reefs are majestic undersea wonders that contain some of the most unique and mysterious creatures I have ever observed. Ever since my first encounter with one while snorkeling, the natural awe and intrigue I feel in the presence of these incredible ecosystems has never left me. Throughout my education I have learned about the biology, the functions, and the benefits of coral reefs, and the natural and anthropogenic activities that threaten them. But it wasn’t until I started teaching about coral reefs on the Global Reef Expedition (GRE) that I truly understood the interconnectedness between people and the reefs. It was an insight gained not through a textbook, but, rather, from listening to, speaking with, and directly engaging those whose lives—and livelihoods—are impacted by coral reefs.
During the GRE Fiji mission, we launched our first large-scale education and outreach program that coincided with the scientific research taking place. Before we could proceed, however, we first needed to meet with the chiefs of the local villages to discuss our scientific and educational objectives, as well as seek their approval to continue in our mission. With the helpful guidance of our local liaisons and education partners, Roko Josefa Cinavilakeba and Laitia Raloa, we were able to have fruitful discussions with the chiefs of each village, after which the science team was granted permission to continue in their research. The education team, after continued discussions with the chief and other community members, were able to establish a schedule for coral reef education seminars for the schools and local communities.
The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation has created an award-winning Coral Reef Ecology Curriculum to engage and inspire students to learn about coral reefs and to become stewards of this vital ecosystem. Designed for middle and high school students …
Scientists spend a lot of time reading and writing. Our scientists have written hundreds of field blogs about the coral reef research that we have conducted around the world. We have incorporated these blogs into our Coral Reef Ecology Curriculum. …
Our Coral Reef Ecology Curriculum contains a variety of fun and engaging educational activities for students. Most require very few materials. Each activity is part of a unit in the curriculum and has a corresponding worksheet that contains instructions guiding you …
