Revolutionary Reef Restoration
Climate change poses an immense and increasing risk to coral reefs. Not only are reefs composed of thousands of species of living coral, they house millions of marine species and are an integral part of healthy ocean food webs. Ocean Aero commits to fighting the climate-driven coral crisis and is proud to be a part of the largest reef restoration project in the world.
This project, the Reefscape Restoration Initiative, is spearheaded by KAUST (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology) in partnership with NEOM. It aims to restore and replenish 100 hectares of reef surrounding Shushah Island by 2025. This Red Sea reef, off the coast of northwest Saudi Arabia, is home to 300 native coral and over 1,000 native fish species. KAUST has constructed the world’s largest coral reef nursery to supply an array of healthy, burgeoning coral plants of varied species for rewilding the reef. The university’s Red Sea Research Center in tandem with their Coastal and Marine Resources Core Lab have championed MaritechtureTM technologies that have been, and will continue to be, employed in onshore coral nurseries and used to populate the submerged gardens surrounding Shushah Island.
Shushah Island, in the Red Sea, home to 300 types of coral and over 1,000 species of fish.
Aerial view of Shushah island showing designated 100-hectare reefscape area to be reforested. Image credit: KAUST
Digital modeling of the Shushah Island reef scape and its surrounding marine habitat is required to establish a baseline of current state to be measured against future state in support of project development. Ocean Aero and it’s partners Saudi Shelf Subsea have deployed two TRITON AUSVs to collect and provide bathymetric data, HD video footage, and water chemistry sampling for this essential and foundational understanding of the reefscape.
One TRITON was tasked with acquiring multi-beam bathymetry data of the shallow water reef areas along the eastern boundary of the island. This data will be merged with HD underwater photography of the same area to generate a georeferenced digital twin photogrammetric model of the shallow water reef scape. The second TRITON acquired single-beam bathymetry data, video footage, and water chemistry data in an area east of the shallow water reefscape. This data will be utilized for benthic habitat classification. This mapping and modeling mission will provide the framework for restoration initiatives by informing the placement of coral species on the reef. It will also establish a barometer for success by serving as a reference point for restoration and reforestation progress.
The TRITON autonomous underwater and surface vehicle (AUSV)
TRITON off the coast of Shushah Island
