Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation
Providing science-based solutions to protect and restore ocean health
For the last week, the Global Reef Expedition scientists have been diving and surveying the leeward side of fore reefs around Raiatea, French Polynesia, focusing their efforts on the reef slope. This particular reef community changes its structure along a …
When I arrived on the Golden Shadow on October 1st as part of the Coral Reef Educator on the Water program, I knew I would be participating in a very unique opportunity – to be able to witness firsthand the …
Most coral reefs thrive in shallow depth, where light can easily penetrate the water. Corals depend on the energy of sunlight, through the photosynthetic microscopic algae that reside within their tissue, to grow and survive. For the first time in …
Coral reefs are often called the rainforests of the seas. Teeming with life, reefs harbor a broad range of organisms that rely on a complex network of ecological interactions and symbiosis (close and often long-term interaction between two or more …
At first sight, Huahines’ reefs appeared to lack vertical relief; the bottom was barren and without much life. It was obvious to all of us that a disturbance had impacted these reefs sometime in the past. Locals indicated it was …
Life on a coral reef in French Polynesia can be extremely unforgiving. Natural coral threats, especially cyclones, crown of thorns starfish (COTS) outbreaks and coral bleaching events, have caused severe damage. Fortunately, because of the isolation and low human population …
What comes to mind when thinking about a coral reef is a colorful undersea garden teaming with life: corals, fish, urchins, starfish, molluscs, crustaceans, sponges and other animals and plants, many still unknown to science. French Polynesia coral reefs should …
The most critical part of creating benthic habitat maps is the ground-truthing process for several reasons. First, exploring the research site improves the producer’s understanding of the landscape being mapped, thus allowing them to assess the maps qualitatively as they …
One of our local partners, Dr. Sylvain Petek, from the Institute for Research and Development (IRD) in Tahiti studies sponges. He is looking at the taxonomy of sponges throughout French Polynesia and chemical compounds found within these animals. On every …
This is my second mission on the M/Y Golden Shadow and I have enjoyed the company of the many scientists of different expertise and cultural backgrounds who have joined us. One participant in particular has really caught my attention. All …
