KAUST Research Vessel Keel Laid at Freire Shipyard
chapter in marine research in Saudi Arabia, driving innovation in this crucial field for the country. The contract for the newbuild was announced in August 2024.“The RV Thuwal II represents a decisive step in our commitment to strengthen Saudi Arabia's scientific infrastructure and protect the Red Sea ecosystem. This new addition will open the door to high-impact technology collaborations in the region. Its commissioning promises to position Saudi Arabia as a world leader in marine research,” says KAUST.RV Thuwal II was designed by Glosten, a renowned U.S. naval architectural firm with
Global Coral Bleaching Crisis Spreading
New Guinea were recently added to the list of 82 countries and territories registering bleaching-level heat stress in their waters.It will take scientists years to understand the global extent of coral reef death, but they say they have already observed widespread mortality in parts of the Caribbean, Red Sea, and along Australia's Great Barrier Reef.(Reuters - Reporting by Gloria Dickie and Ali Withers; Editing by Alexandra Hudson
MoU Signed for Pan-Arctic Cable System
of the fiber for European research and education.Currently, all traffic goes either over the US which is a long path or over the Suez Canal which is a politically unstable region, says NORDUnet CEO Valter Nordh. Today, approximately 90% of data communication between Europe and Asia travels via the Red Sea.“Joining forces with European partners in the evolution of PACS will be a significant contribution to realizing NORDUnet’s long-term Polar Connect strategic goal of establishing new subsea cable routes to Asia via the Arctic”, he said. “Realizing PACS would substantially
Building AI’s Subsea Cable Infrastructure
the Jan/Feb issue of Marine Technology Reporter, Alisa Reiner explains why risk mitigation is so important: “Subsea infrastructure is increasingly threatened by activities that fall within the realm of plausibly deniable, sub-threshold operations.”She notes that the South China Sea and the Red Sea have been identified as chokepoints for undersea cables. In March 2024, several major cables in the Red Sea were cut, impacting 25% of data traffic between Asia and Europe.“These threats are not just isolated incidents but may form part of broader strategic maneuvers. At the onset of potential
Tech in Focus: MiniSpector's Mini-ROV System
on 19 platforms, deployed directly from platform facilities in Malaysia, Egypt, and Qatar, with inspections in Qatar focusing on flare platforms without requiring shutdowns.Showcasing its innovative capabilities, the MiniSpector completed a 40-day high-pressure water jet cleaning project in the Red Sea for a major Middle Eastern client.Operating at 1200 bar (17400 PSI), it effectively removed marine growth, barnacles, and algae from steel and platform materials at depths of -1m to -30m, reducing structural loads and preparing the platform for new installations.It also inspected more than 175 km
Endangered Hawksbill Turtles Set Free into the Red Sea
Israeli conservationists released three hawksbill turtles into the Red Sea in an effort to rehabilitate the population of the critically endangered species in the wild, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority said.The three females were raised for more than two decades at an underwater observatory on the shore of Eilat, a port city along the northern tip of the Red Sea, and were set free after reaching maturity.Each was fitted with a satellite transmitter on their shell so their movements can be tracked and viewed by the public on the website, Wildlife Computers.Shortly after swimming away from shore
Satellite-based Solution Helps to Prevent Ship Groundings in Coastal Waters
product offers 10-meter detail, making it an excellent resource for spotting coastal shoals in remote regions that do not appear on existing nautical charts. Large contiguous G-SDB products are readily available for critical areas, including the South China Sea, Arabian/Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea, Black Sea and Eastern Mediterranean
Italy Oyster Farmers Dream of Pearls from Warming Mediterranean
Pearls may soon be cultivated in European seas for the first time ever, as Italian oyster farmers seek to exploit an unexpected opportunity offered by the rapidly warming Mediterranean.In late 2023, the first specimens of Pinctada radiata, a pearl oyster native to the Red Sea, were spotted in the Gulf of Poets, a popular tourist area around 100 kilometres (62 miles) from Genoa on Italy's north-western coast.Less than a year later, they are proliferating in what have always been some of the Mediterranean's coldest waters, more normally associated with other types of oyster used for food rather
Saudi Red Sea Authority, KAUST ink MoU
The Saudi Red Sea Authority (SRSA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) to explore aspects of cooperation in biodiversity sustainability, support for marine environment protection initiatives, and assess the impact of coastal tourism activities on the Red Sea. The MoU also aims to leverage their combined capabilities and expertise to achieve mutual benefits.The MoU was signed by Mr. Mohammed Al-Nasser, CEO of SRSA, and Dr. Tony Chan, President of KAUST.The MoU aims to explore collaboration in various areas, including identifying
February 2025
