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Reef’s edge

January 3, 2009

An inflatable boat and dive-tour operators stand by at a coral reef’s edge in the Red Sea, where WHOI scientists are studying the unique, pristine reef ecosystems along Saudi Arabia’s coast, through a research agreement with King Abdulla University of Science and Technology. Tropical coral reefs, a small part of Earth’s ocean, are among the most diverse, productive, and threatened ecosystems in the world. WHOI research on coral reefs includes studies of how climate affects corals; how reef ecosystems are connected with each other and with mangroves; and how corals react to environmental stress.
(Photo by Konrad Hughen, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)