KAUST researchers, partnering with the Queensland Government, discovered 34 previously unknown seagrass meadows in the Red Sea by tracking the foraging behavior of green turtles. They tagged and tracked 53 turtles, revealing that the turtles were approximately 20 times more reliable at identifying seagrass meadows compared to the Allen Coral Atlas. This method also proved to be significantly more cost-effective than traditional methods like airplanes with hyperspectral sensors. Why it matters: This study highlights a novel, cost-effective approach to mapping blue carbon ecosystems, crucial for carbon capture and marine habitat preservation, and provides valuable data for sustainability policies in the Red Sea region.
Researchers from KAUST and Beneath The Waves used camera tags on tiger sharks in the Bahamas to map the world's largest seagrass ecosystem, estimated at 92,000 km2. The study, published in Nature Communications, details how the sharks' movements helped validate spatial estimates of these blue carbon ecosystems. Carlos Duarte (KAUST) realized the potential of the shark movement data to map the extensive seagrass meadows in the shallow sand banks of the Bahamas. Why it matters: The innovative approach demonstrates a novel method for mapping and quantifying vast underwater ecosystems, crucial for understanding and conserving blue carbon sinks.
KAUST held a Research Workshop on Blue Carbon on March 20 and 21. The workshop focused on the role of blue carbon ecosystems, such as mangroves and seagrass meadows, in mitigating climate change. Experts discussed the importance of these ecosystems. Why it matters: This highlights growing research and awareness in Saudi Arabia around leveraging natural resources for climate solutions.