Red Sea 2022

The Red Sea hosts some of the world’s most productive coral reef systems and large quantities of unique, endemic species that thrive in characteristically warm and saline seawater. However, much of the area has never been explored or studied beyond limited shallow-water reef surveys along some parts of the coastline. OceanX scientists and collaborating local researchers explored four locations, providing multiscale and multiresolution mapping of seamounts, submarine canyons, hydrothermal vents, and associated benthic brine pools and basins including the Al Afifi brine pool and the Al Wajh canyon in the north and the Atlantis II Deep submarine basin in the south central in the Red Sea. Mapping and monitoring marine biodiversity and migration patterns both vertically and horizontally, advanced scientific discovery and resulting data to inform the protection of these ecosystems.  

Scientists aboard also mapped both mesophotic and deep-sea coral reefs and took biodiversity inventory via aerial helicopter and drone surveys, eDNA samples, and morphological and genomic sampling of specimens collected by ROV dives. From microscopic to megafauna, marine organisms were documented in a genomic data library, and a biodiversity baseline was established for these regions and depths. Microbiomes from corals and sponges and sediment cores from deep-sea environments, including benthic foraminifera, informed scientists of the productivity and symbiosis in these locations while image analyses from Unoccupied Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and Baited Remote Underwater Vehicle (BRUV) and aerial helicopter survey photos provided insight into the habitats and movement patterns of sea turtles, sharks, rays, and dolphins. 

With new capacity to explore these deep zones, our mission discovered new depth ranges of critical predators, the bignose shark and guitarfish at 76 and 336 meters deeper than previously reported. The team also discovered a rare and potentially undiscovered rhodaliid speciesspecies of calcified algae,  inhabiting the benthic zone as deep as 500 meters, an unprecedented link between black corals and symbiotic algae, the first record of two adult heteropods, “sea elephants,” in the mollusk family, in the Red Sea, and previously undocumented feeding behaviors of a houndshark at depth for the first time.

The new species discoveries offers an understanding of how species use and adapt to the deep sea. The Red Sea Decade mission resulted in multiple peer-reviewed publications that point to the need for additional exploration of this understudied sea and significance of benthic landscapes in supporting biodiversity and migration of marine organisms. View our publications below. 

This 19-week mission brought its “floating research lab,” the OceanXplorer, across key areas of the Red Sea to accomplish several scientific objectives geared toward biodiversity and ocean health. In partnership with the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and the National Center for Wildlife (NCW), the mission's goal was to identify conservation priorities by evaluating coral communities and megafauna while assessing water composition, sediment, and microplastics— in both deep and shallow waters. A secondary goal was to observe and analyze the unique adaptive traits and behaviors of the region’s endemic marine species and organisms at new depths—including symbiotic coral and algae, other invertebrates, elasmobranchs, and fish. 

More than 20 local scientists from KAUST and NCW joined the mission as a whole and around 30 scientists joined each leg. Alongside the OceanXplorer’s investigatinos of mesophotic and deep-sea habitats, local researchers explored and characterized the shallow habitats in each location using the R/V Al Azzizi, provided by King Abdulaziz University. Together, they worked with OceanX scientists in all forms of data collection onboard both vessels with extensive work in genomics and metabolomics sequencing, benthic assemblages, acoustics, and megafauna survey methodology. Our collaboration with these scientists,and the diverse research papers that resulted from the mission continue to advance the understanding of the region’s biodiversity and how to best protect it. 

For a wider audience, our Red Sea Decade mission partnered with Nippon Hoso Hyokai (NHK), a Japanese broadcasting company, to host a television special on OceanX’s exploration of the Red Sea as well as one classroom live streaming session with the scientists aboard in both English and Arabic per leg of the mission. These outreach efforts also invited faculty and alumni from the Young Explorers program to engage in the work being conducted in the Red Sea.   

By hosting local scientists and making our collaborative discoveries accessible to multiple audiences, the Red Sea Decade mission succeeded in inspiring ocean-positive actions and increasing ocean literacy through equipping the region’s experts with new technology and skills that will help them advance the long-term protection and sustainable use of the Red Sea’s resources. 

The Red Sea Decade Mission marked a significant leap forward in deep-sea exploration and mesophotic coral reef research. The deeper understanding of the symbiotic relationship between coral and algae, especially how low-light algae adapt to challenging environments, opens new pathways for studying the physical and evolutionary mechanisms behind this partnership and offers valuable insights that could shape future conservation strategies for mesophotic coral ecosystems. 

The identification and filming of two adult heteropod species suggests they migrate vertically, as deep as 400 meters, a behavior that underscores their adaptability and importance of documenting migration up and down the water column. Similarly, the potential discovery of a new rhodaliid species adds to a growing and essential database of marine life, crucial for classifying, understanding, and protecting the ocean’s lesser-known inhabitants. 

The observation of new behavior and survival strategies of elasmobranchs like the bigeye houndshark and the bignose shark points to how these animals may be adapting to overfishing and environmental stress. Notably, encounters with sharks at great depths suggest that the deep sea may act as a vital refuge—information that could be instrumental in designating future Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and sustainable fisheries practices in the Red Sea. 

None of this progress would have been possible without close collaboration with scientists from KAUST and the NCW. As stewards of the Red Sea's unique marine ecosystems, these experts gained hands-on experience aboard the OceanXplorer and are now equipped with advanced tools and data in habitat mapping, biodiversity inventory, and environmental characterization to continue this important work. Their role is more critical than ever in turning discoveries into action, ensuring that science continues to inform policy and protect the Red Sea’s biodiversity.