JAMSTEC, KAUST Collaborate on Red Sea Research

New technologies and expertise are being applied to study areas of the Red Sea, thanks to a partnership between Saudi Arabia and Japan. 

Researchers at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) have teamed with engineers and scientists at the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), a leading institute in deep marine science, to advance research in deep-sea and shallow reef environments of the Red Sea.

The teaming will enable scientists to investigate some of the sea’s most extreme environments and the marine life adapted to live there. Some of these areas include underwater brine pools that are so hot, that typical industrial grade marine equipment would melt. High salinity is another challenging factor. KAUST scientists and crew provide the access to and in-depth expertise of the sea, and the Japanese crew bring the specialty equipment needed to withstand these extreme conditions.