Inside the Red Sea Mission

Summary by Krater

Marine scientists aboard the research vessel OceanXplorer investigate the Red Sea's coral reefs to study their resilience to rising ocean temperatures and climate change.

From the video

Answers: How are scientists studying coral reef resilience in the Red Sea?

• Red Sea coral reef biodiversity
• Coral bleaching and climate change resilience
• Crustose coral line algae (CCA) function
• Submersible and ROV marine research
• Multispectral drone mapping of coral reefs

What it concludes

• Red Sea coral reefs have potentially been spared more than reefs in other parts of the world over recent decades due to a small, restrictive strait.
• Crustose coral line algae (CCA) acts as the cement that holds the coral reef together and creates a safe space for juvenile corals to land.
• Coral bleaching occurs when corals expel symbiotic algae due to temperature stress, turning translucent and starving if the temperature does not cool down.
• The 2015 global coral bleaching event was the largest on record, devastating reefs around the world.
• Mesophotic coral ecosystems house high biodiversity and are being studied using submersibles, ROVs, and multispectral drones to aid reef restoration.