18.12.23 - Reef Rescue: How International Cooperation is Key to Saving Red Sea Corals

Coral reefs are an essential part of the planet's marine ecosystems. Today, they are threatened by climate change. However, scientists at Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne have noticed that certain reefs in the Red Sea are particularly resistant to the changes affecting their waters.

To better understand and protect them, the Transnational Red Sea Center was created. It seeks to promote scientific collaboration across countries and cultures. It has made it possible to set up expeditions at sea for mapping and sampling work. This will enable scientists to determine the impact of the environment on the genetic adaptation of corals and their ability to survive different stress factors.

In addition, the "Reef Environment Centralized InFormation System (#RECIFS)" web application has been launched, making it possible to find all available public domain data sets on reefs worldwide in a single folder.

Collaboration promotes better understanding and facilitates scientific research. It is more necessary than ever to meet global challenges. In this context, the existence and work of the Transnational Red Sea Center is encouraging news. The center is hosted by EPFL's Laboratory of Biological Geochemistry (LGB) and supported by regional and international marine institutions, as well as the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.