Coral Reef Conservation Efforts (various initiatives)

Coral Reef Conservation Efforts (various initiatives) is sponsored by Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation. The Living Oceans Foundation focuses on conserving coral reefs and other tropical marine ecosystems.

Science-Based Ocean Conservation | Living Oceans Foundation Providing Science-Based Solutions to Protect & Restore Ocean Health. Providing Science-Based Solutions to Protect & Restore Ocean Health. A Global Leader in Conservation For over 25 years, the Foundation has worked around the world to preserve, protect, and restore the world’s oceans and aquatic resources through scientific research, outreach, and education.

Success in these three pillars of our work has made us a global leader in conservation. Winners of the 2026 Science Without Borders® Challenge Discover the winning artwork from our annual student art competition, which challenged young artists around the world to explore the fascinating world of microscopic marine life and its importance to ocean health.

Learn how simple navigation decisions can help protect marine life, coral reefs, and coastal ecosystems while keeping boaters safe at sea. Explore our global campaign with the International Foundation for Aids to Navigation (IFAN).

Celebrating International Day for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Explore highlights from a special photography exhibition at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris that showcased Palau's coral reefs and highlighted the challenges island nations face from sea-level rise. Looking for summer learning opportunities?

Explore our Coral Reef Ecology Curriculum and discover the science behind coral reefs through interactive lessons, videos, quizzes, games, and activities. Our flagship initiative, the Global Reef Expedition , spanned over a decade and stands as one of the most comprehensive coral reef studies ever conducted.

Through this expedition, we mapped and surveyed the health and resiliency of coral reefs across the globe, providing invaluable data that has shaped marine conservation strategies worldwide.

Today, we continue to support coral reef conservation efforts by sharing our data, using the knowledge we gained to support science-based conservation initiatives, and co-designing conservation strategies with local communities to protect these fragile ecosystems. Restoring Mangrove Forests Mangroves are vital to coastal protection, carbon sequestration, and marine biodiversity.

Through our Mangrove Education and Restoration program , we work with schools and communities to raise awareness of the importance of mangroves, teach conservation practices, and actively engage students and community members in restoration efforts. These programs are transforming local perceptions of mangroves, fostering the next generation of environmental stewards, and helping to restore these critical habitats.

Education is key to driving change. That is why we provide high-quality educational materials and resources for teachers and students around the world. We create lesson plans, activity books, and online tools for students of all ages designed to inspire a love for the ocean while highlighting the importance of marine conservation.

Our professional development programs help teachers bring ocean education into their classrooms and build capacity in local communities. Meanwhile, our education programs engage young minds through interactive and immersive learning experiences, ensuring that future generations have the knowledge and passion to protect the ocean.

At the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation, we believe that by working together, we can make a difference. With our experience conducting field research and designing education and community outreach programs, we combine our passion with deep knowledge to save our oceans. Help us meet the challenge of our generation.

Join us in our efforts to preserve, protect, and restore our living oceans—before it’s too late. 2025-2026 B. A.

M. Student Voices Throughout the Bahamas Awareness of Mangroves (B. A.

M.) and Jamaica Awareness of Mangroves in Nature (J. A.

M. I. N.)

programs, we evaluate each phase of the mangrove education and restoration process to better understand how students are learning, growing, and connecting with their coastal environments. Before the programs begin, students share what they already know about mangroves and how they feel about them.

As the program progresses, we continue to gather feedback to see how their knowledge evolves from identifying mangrove species and understanding food webs to recognizing the role mangroves play in coastal protection and climate change mitigation. But the surveys go beyond science content. Throughout the Bahamas Awareness of Mangroves (B.

A. M.) and Jamaica Awareness of Mangroves in Nature (J.

A. M. I.

N.) programs, we evaluate each phase of the mangrove education and restoration process to better understand how students are learning, growing, and connecting with their coastal... Ten Years of B.

A. M. : Rooted in Partnership, Growing in Purpose Ten years ago, the Bahamas Awareness of Mangroves (B.

A. M.) program began with a simple but meaningful commitment: to connect Bahamian students with the mangrove ecosystems that shape and protect their island home.

Since 2015, B. A. M.

has been implemented in partnership with Friends of the Environment, whose dedication to environmental stewardship in Abaco has made this program possible year after year. Together, we have worked alongside Patrick J. Bethel High School and Forest Heights Academy to bring hands-on mangrove science into classrooms and out into the field.

What makes ten years remarkable is not just longevity — it is consistency... Ten years ago, the Bahamas Awareness of Mangroves (B. A.

M.) program began with a simple but meaningful commitment: to connect Bahamian students with the mangrove ecosystems that shape and protect their island home. Since 2015, B.

A. M. has been implemented in partnership...

From Mangrove Mud to Meaningful Work: Desta’s J. A. M.

I. N. Journey Some students I remember for their grades, their quick answers, or a moment that made the whole class laugh.

Others I remember for the way they stepped into the mangroves. Desta was the kind of student who thrived outdoors. While some students hesitated at the edge of the mud, he walked right in.

And when he inevitably got stuck — because everyone does — he didn’t get frustrated. He laughed. Covered in mud, holding mangrove propagules in his hands, he embraced the experience fully.

Even then, it was clear that he was connecting with the environment in a way that went beyond the lesson plan... Some students I remember for their grades, their quick answers, or a moment that made the whole class laugh. Others I remember for the way they stepped into the mangroves.

Desta was the kind of student who thrived outdoors. While... From Students to Stewards: A Full-Circle Moment for J.

A. M. I.

N. There are certain faces you never forget. Over the years, hundreds of students have stepped into mangrove forests with us through the Jamaica Awareness of Mangroves in Nature (J.

A. M. I.

N.) program. I may not always remember every name, but I remember the expressions — the hesitation before stepping into thick mud, the laughter when someone loses a shoe, the look of surprise when they catch that unmistakable sulfur smell rising from the mangrove soil...

There are certain faces you never forget. Over the years, hundreds of students have stepped into mangrove forests with us through the Jamaica Awareness of Mangroves in Nature (J. A.

M. I. N.)

program. I may not always remember every name, but I remember... World Oceans Day: Protecting the Ecosystems That Protect Us This World Oceans Day, the global community is being challenged to think differently about the ocean.

The 2026 World Oceans Day theme, "Reimagine: Beyond the World We Know, A New Relationship With Our Ocean," invites us to recognize that the ocean is not something distant or separate from our lives. It regulates our climate, supports our economies, provides food for billions of people, and sustains the natural systems that make life on Earth possible.

Few places illustrate this connection more clearly than the coastal ecosystems that protect our shores and support marine life. While coral reefs, mangrove forests, and seagrass meadows are often... This World Oceans Day, the global community is being challenged to think differently about the ocean.

The 2026 World Oceans Day theme, "Reimagine: Beyond the World We Know, A New Relationship With Our Ocean," invites us to recognize that the... After the Storm: Standing with Our J. A.

M. I. N.

Family in Jamaica There are moments in this work that feel heartbreakingly familiar. Two weeks after we completed our Jamaica Awareness of Mangroves in Nature (J. A.

M. I. N.)

programming, Hurricane Melissa made landfall. A powerful Category 5 hurricane, Melissa is now tied with Hurricane Allen in 1980 for the strongest winds ever recorded in an Atlantic storm. Like Hurricane Dorian, which devastated The Bahamas in 2019, Melissa will be remembered as one of the strongest hurricanes on record in the region.

For 11 years, the University of the West Indies Discovery Bay Marine Laboratory and William Knibb Memorial High School have been more than program partners. They have welcomed us into their classrooms and labs, shared meals and laughter, and committed themselves to educating their students about mangroves and coastal resilience. These colleagues and students are not distant collaborators.

They are family. And they were hit hard... There are moments in this work that feel heartbreakingly familiar.

Two weeks after we completed our Jamaica Awareness of Mangroves in Nature (J. A. M.

I. N.) programming, Hurricane Melissa made landfall.

A powerful Category 5 hurricane, Melissa is now tied with Hurricane Allen... B. A.

M. Turns 10: A Year of Milestones, Resilience, and Growth The 2025–2026 academic year was one of those defining years for our Bahamas Awareness of Mangroves (B. A.

M.) and Jamaica Awareness of Mangroves in Nature (J. A.

M. I. N.)

programs. It was a year marked by celebration, challenge, growth, and powerful full-circle moments, and a reminder of why mangrove education matters. In The Bahamas, B.

A. M. reached a major milestone: ten years of partnership and environmental education in Abaco.

Since 2015, in collaboration with Friends of the Environment, we have worked alongside Patrick J. Bethel High School and Forest Heights Academy to bring hands-on mangrove science into classrooms and into the field. This year, we were proud to expand the program to S.

C. Bootle High School, increasing access for students who live... The 2025–2026 academic year was one of those defining years for our Bahamas Awareness of Mangroves (B.

A. M.) and Jamaica Awareness of Mangroves in Nature (J.

A. M. I.

N.) programs. It was a year marked by celebration, challenge, growth, and powerful full-circle moments, and...

Meet Olivia Shin, Our 2026 Art Contest 1st Place Winner (Ages 11-14) When we think about the largest animals on Earth, it’s hard to imagine that their final chapter depends on some of the smallest. That’s exactly the story Olivia Shin set out to tell in her award-winning piece, “The Giant and the Invisible: A Story of Ocean Recycling.

” As the first-place winner in the 11–14 age group of the 2026 Science Without Borders® Challenge, Olivia brought this year’s theme, Microscopic Marine Life, to life in a way that feels both powerful and deeply thoughtful. Using charcoal on recycled cardboard, Olivia illustrates the carcass of a blue whale being broken down by microscopic marine organisms—highlighting their critical role in ocean recycling...

When we think about the largest animals on Earth, it’s hard to imagine that their final chapter depends on some of the smallest. That’s exactly the story Olivia Shin set out to tell in her award-winning piece, “The Giant and... Meet Sophia (Jiye) Lee, Our 2026 Art Contest 1st Place Winner (Ages 15-19) The Science Without Borders® Challenge continues to inspire young artists around the world to explore ocean issues through art.

This year’s first-place winner in the 15–19 age group, Sophia (Jiye) Lee, brought the 2026 theme, Microscopic Marine Life, to life in a really unique way with her piece, “Ocean’s Hidden Jewel Box. ” From the moment I saw her artwork, I could tell how much thought and intention went into both the science and the message behind it.

Sophia’s piece transforms microscopic marine organisms into glowing, jewel-like forms, highlighting both their beauty and their importance. Painted in acrylic on a custom-built wooden panel shaped like an oxygen molecule, her work pushes beyond a traditional canvas to show how these tiny organisms play a huge role in producing oxygen and supporting life on Earth....

The Science Without Borders® Challenge continues to inspire young artists around the world to explore ocean issues through art. This year’s first-place winner in the 15–19 age group, Sophia (Jiye) Lee, brought the 2026 theme, Microscopic Marine Life, to life... Where Coral Reefs Are Found The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation works to conserve coral reefs and other tropical marine ecosystems wherever coral reefs are found.

We focus our attention on working with coastal communities, indigenous leaders, and government agencies who ask for our help to protect, preserve, and restore their marine ecosystems. Together, we co-design science-based solutions to protect and restore their marine ecosystems so they can continue be used and enjoyed for generations to come.

Learn more… The Living Oceans Foundation surveyed coral reefs across the Caribbean as part of the Global Reef Expedition. We continue to work in the Caribbean as part of our UN Ocean Decade project, Science Without Borders®: Conserving the Tropics , and work with local partners to run mangrove education and restoration programs in Jamaica and The Bahamas.

The Living Oceans Foundation surveyed and mapped over 1,000 reefs in the Pacific Ocean, studying some of the most remote and undisturbed reefs on the planet. The Foundation is now focused on using this wealth of information for conservation, helping small-island nations create community-based marine protected areas to protect their reefs, mangrove forests, and seagrass beds.

The first of these pilot programs is working in Fiji with our partners at Pacific Blue Foundation on the Beqa Lagoon Initiative. Over the course of four years, the Living Oceans Foundation surveyed and mapped all the coral reefs and shallow-water marine ecosystems in the Saudi Arabian Red Sea, publishing the first comprehensive atlas of these marine habitats in 2011.

These maps and data have become extremely useful as Saudi Arabia plans to sustainably develop a large section of the Red Sea coast. We have shared our knowledge of the reefs in the region with local partners, and have participated in more recent research missions, including the OceanX and NEOM Red Sea research missions to help protect these reefs for current and future generations.

The Living Oceans Foundation has studied coral reefs in several island groups in the Indian Ocean. This included creating maps of reefs in the Seychelles to help the government with marine spatial planning and conservation efforts, developed a management plan to save reefs from a deadly outbreak of crown-of-thorns starfish in the Maldives, and surveyed reefs in the Chagos Archipelago—the largest no-take marine reserve on Earth.

Science Without Borders ® Understanding that collaboration across borders and geographic boundaries is necessary for effective marine conservation, the Foundation forms partnerships with scientists and conservationists around the world. Since our founding, we have brought these experts together with local communities to help them conserve their coastal marine ecosystems.

This co-designed approach has allowed us to leverage the resources, commitment, and ideas necessary to make substantial progress in marine conservation.