Red Sea 2022

The Red Sea hosts some of the world’s most productive coral reef systems and unique endemic species that thrive in unusually warm and saline seawater. However, much of the area has never been explored or studied beyond limited shallow-water reef surveys along parts of the coastline. OceanX scientists and collaborating local researchers conducted comprehensive research across the entirety of the Eastern Red Sea, providing high resolution mapping of seamounts, submarine canyons, hydrothermal vents, and associated benthic brine pools and basins. These “Discovery Features” included the Al Afifi brine pool and the Al Wajh canyon in the north and the Atlantis II Deep submarine basin in the south-central Red Sea.

Scientists aboard also mapped both mesophotic and deep-sea coral reefs, collecting biodiversity inventory via aerial surveys, eDNA samples, and sampling of specimens collected by ROV dives. From microscopic to megafauna, marine organisms were catalogued, and a biodiversity baseline was established. Microbiomes from shallow reefs and deep-sea sediment cores informed scientists of the productivity and symbiosis in these locations, while image analyses from Unoccupied Aerial Vehicle (UAV), Baited Remote Underwater Vehicle (BRUV), and helicopter survey images provided further insight into the habitats and movement patterns of local megafauna.

Our mission discovered new depth ranges of critical predators: the bignose shark and guitarfish at 76 and 336 meters deeper than previously reported, as well as previously undocumented feeding behaviors of a houndshark at depth. The team discovered a rare and potentially undiscovered species of calcified algae living as deep as 500 meters, an unprecedented link between black corals and symbiotic algae, as well as the first record of two adult heteropods known as “sea elephants.”   

These discoveries offer an understanding of how marine organisms behave in the deep sea. The Red Sea Decade mission resulted in multiple peer-reviewed publications describing those species, while underscoring the need for additional exploration of this understudied sea, particularly the significance of its benthic landscapes that support marine biodiversity and migration. View our publications below. 

More than 20 local scientists from NCW and KAUST joined the mission. Alongside the OceanXplorer’s investigations 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 metagenomics sequencing, benthic assemblages, acoustic mapping, 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 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 additional 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 that will inform protective measures and sustainable use of marine resources in this unique sea. 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 relationship and offers valuable insights that could shape future conservation strategies for fragile coral ecosystems worldwide. 

None of this progress would have been possible without close collaboration with scientists from NCW and KAUST. 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.