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Indicators of ocean health

February 16, 2010

Tropical coral reefs make up a small part of Earth’s ocean but are among the most diverse, productive ecosystems in the world. The fisheries and tourism that reefs support make them important to many nations’ economies. Yet they are also among the most threatened of ecosystems. WHOI scientists are working to understand how past and present climate changes affect corals; how reef ecosystems interact with each other and with coastal mangroves to maintain fish populations; and how corals and their symbiotic algae react to environmental stresses. WHOI developed a collaborative partnership with King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) that gives our scientists new access to some of the world’s most beautiful, diverse and pristine reefs — those on the Red Sea.

(Photo by Jesus Pineda, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)