Red Sea

I Live in the Desert, So Why Care About the Ocean?

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As a resident of Saudi Arabia, I’m frequently met with puzzled looks when I express my passion for ocean conservation. People often wonder why someone living in a desert would be concerned about the health of the oceans. Similarly, despite being surrounded by endless stretches of sand, my father founded an ocean conservation foundation. But the truth is, the desert and the ocean are more connected than meets the eye. From influencing weather patterns to supporting biodiversity, the ocean’s impact extends far beyond coastal regions, reaching even the heart of the desert.

Living in the heart of Saudi Arabia, it’s easy to feel disconnected from the ocean. After all, our vast deserts dominate the landscape, covering about 95% of the country. But did you know that Saudi Arabia boasts a coastline stretching over 2,500 kilometers along the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf? Despite the desert’s prominence, the health of our oceans directly impacts life in the desert and beyond…

Saudi Red Sea Authority Partners with the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation

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We are thrilled to announce a significant new partnership between the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation and the Saudi Red Sea Authority (SRSA). This collaboration marks a major milestone in our ongoing efforts to advance marine conservation and promote sustainable marine tourism in the Saudi Arabian Red Sea.

The partnership was officially established today with the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The signing ceremony was attended by prominent representatives from both organizations, including Mr. Mohammed Al-Nasser, CEO of SRSA, and HRH Princess Hala bint Khaled bin Sultan Al-Saud, president of the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation.

Tsunamigenic Potential of an Incipient Submarine Landslide in the Tiran Straits

Published in Geophysical Research Letters Abstract The Red Sea is a maritime rift. Tsunamigenic submarine landslides are common in these deep, steep-sided, and seismically active basins. Because the rift is narrow, tsunami formed on one margin dissipate little before impacting the opposite side. Red …

Sea Secrets Lecture: Beauty and Peril in the Red Sea

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Our Chief Scientist, Dr. Sam Purkis, will be giving a virtual lecture on January 18th at 7pm ET entitled “Beauty and Peril in the Red Sea.”

Dr. Purkis has joined the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation on many research missions, including several to the Red Sea. We hope you take this opportunity to hear more about his work and learn about the remarkable diversity and resiliency of coral reefs in the Red Sea.

The Red Sea and the Future of Coral Reefs

G20 Riyadh Summit November 19, 2020 A short film featuring the Khaled bin Sultan Living Ocean Foundation’s Chief Scientist, Dr. Sam Purkis, and his research in the Red Sea was shown at the G20 meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. After …

Mapping the abyssal depths of the Northern Red Sea

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During a month-long expedition in 2007, the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation (KSLOF) conducted a comprehensive assessment of the coral reefs situated in the Ras Qisbah region of the northern Saudi Arabian Red Sea. Thirteen years later, KSLOF Chief Scientist Sam Purkis is embarking on a return mission to revisit this area and extend the mapping of the shallow-water reefs conducted by KSLOF into the abyssal depths of the Northern Red Sea.

Living Oceans Foundation Completes Global Coral Reef Atlas

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The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation has completed the World Reef Map, an online interactive coral reef atlas that allows users to explore all of the coral reefs and shallow water marine habitats mapped on the Global Reef Expedition. With over 65,000 square kilometers of shallow water marine ecosystems mapped, this is by far the largest collection of high-resolution coral reef maps ever made.

2016 Annual Report

This past year was a very different year for the Foundation’s staff, it was the first year in many that we were not occupied with field work aboard our research vessel in some far-flung corner of the world. Having completed …