From Space to Seabed: Researchers use satellites to analyze global reef biodiversity

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Researchers used Earth-orbiting satellites to map coral reef biodiversity at a global scale to show that areas of high habitat diversity also have high species diversity. This new satellite mapping technique, developed by researchers at the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation (KSLOF) and the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science, can help guide future efforts to identify and protect highly biodiverse reefs…

Lau Seascape Initiative

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The Lau Seascape Initiative (LSI) is a program that focuses on the conservation and protection of marine ecosystem resources in the Lau region of Fiji. With multiple stresses such as climate change and overharvesting of coastal fisheries, the Indigenous peoples of Lau, in conjunction with the NGO Conservation International, have joined together to create a roadmap for protecting Lau’s biodiversity and ecosystems while in tandem with promoting sustainable development solutions for the local stakeholders.

One of the goals of this program was to bring together scientists, traditional leaders, government officials, and the people of Lau for the LSI Planning Retreat. The retreat took place in early March of this year in Suva, Fiji’s capital city. I was asked by Conservation International to speak to the LSI group about past work conducted in Lau by The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation (KSLOF) as well our future work with our in-country conservation partner the Pacific Blue Foundation. The title of my presentation Reefs of Lau Province: Past, Present, and Future, explains local, regional, and global context for status of the Lau reefs and what new technologies and methods KSLOF is helping refine for sustainable coral reef management…

Fire Walking

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As the sun begins to set and the lagoonal waters are calm, I begin to smell the strong aroma of burning coconut husks and leaves as we approach the beach near the village Rukua on Beqa Island. The Pacific Blue Foundation (PBF) team and I are attending a fire walking ceremony, an important cultural and spiritual exercise that has its roots strongly tied in with the Beqa Island community.

Fire walking is a traditional ritual that has been practiced in various cultures around the world for centuries. One of the most well-known places where this ritual is still performed is in the Beqa Lagoon in Fiji. This ancient tradition is not only a testament to the Fijian culture but also a spectacular event that draws tourists from all over the world…

Vote for your favorite artwork in the 2023 Science Without Borders® Challenge!

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It’s time to cast your vote for the best artwork in the 2023 Science Without Borders® Challenge! This annual art contest, run by the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation, is designed to raise awareness about important ocean issues and engage students in ocean science and conservation through art.

This year’s theme is “The Sixth Extinction,” and students from around the world have submitted their best artwork of endangered species that call the ocean home. The artwork is judged in two categories based on age, with winners selected from younger students (11-14 years old) and older students (15-19 years old). But that’s not all — there’s also a “People’s Choice” award that you can help decide!

To cast your vote, simply head over to the Living Oceans Foundation’s Facebook page and “like” your favorite photo in the photo gallery of the finalist’s artwork from each age group. It’s that easy! The finalists with the most likes in each category by noon ET on Tuesday, May 16th will be crowned the “People’s Choice” winners and receive a $50 scholarship.

The largest natural explosion in a century

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Today we’re interviewing our Chief Scientist, Dr. Sam Purkis, about his latest research paper, which measured the size of the 2022 eruption of a submarine volcano in Tonga and the resulting tsunami.

Published in this month’s issue of Science Advances, the study found that the volcanic explosion in Tonga was the largest natural explosion in more than a century. The explosion was so large that it produced a tsunami that at one point was as tall as a 20 story building, and was similar in size to explosion of Krakatoa in 1883.

Q: What led you to do this research on the tsunami that hit Tonga last year?
A: It was the event itself that led us to start this study. We began work…

Measuring the size of a Tsunami

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How big was the size of the tsunami that hit Tonga last year? A new study led by scientists at the University of Miami and the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation measured the size of the Tongan tsunami and found that it was similar in size to the one caused by the eruption of Krakatoa in 1883.

The 2022 eruption of a submarine volcano in Tonga was more powerful than the largest U.S. nuclear explosion, according to a new study led by scientists at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science and the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation.  

The 15-megaton volcanic explosion from Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai, one of the largest natural explosions in more than a century, generated a mega-tsunami with waves up to 45-meters high (148 feet) along the coast of Tonga’s Tofua Island and waves up to 17 meters (56 feet) on Tongatapu, the country’s most populated island.

In a new analysis in Science Advances, researchers used a combination of before-and-after satellite imagery, drone mapping, field observations collected by scientists at The University of Auckland, and high-resolution bathymetric maps from the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation’s Global Reef Expedition, to produce a tsunami simulation of the Tongan Archipelago. The results showed how the complex shallow bathymetry in the region acted as a low-velocity wave trap, capturing a more than hour-long tsunami with waves up to 85 meters (279 feet) high one minute after the initial explosion.