EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Coral reefs offer a variety of ecosystem services, including sustenance, economic opportunities, and protection from natural disturbances, as well as playing an essential cultural role for thousands of communities. However, globally, the extent of the world’s reefs is being degraded at an astounding rate. The coral reef crisis has led to substantial coral declines ranging from 40% in the Indo-Pacific to more than 80% coral loss in the Caribbean. To better understand the coral reef crisis, the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation (KSLOF) embarked on the Global Reef Expedition (GRE), the world’s largest coral reef survey and high-resolution habitat mapping initiative, to assess the status of Earth’s reefs during a period of time. Data collected on the expedition will help scientists and marine managers better understand the extent of the coral reef crisis and provide valuable baseline data that can be used in both local and large-scale conservation efforts.
The expedition was conducted by KSLOF, a US-based nonprofit environmental organization dedicated to providing science-based solutions to protect and restore ocean health. Starting as early as 2001, the foundation conducted field research to survey and map coral reefs to aid in coral conservation efforts. These research missions culminated in the Global Reef Expedition, which brought together an international team of over 200 scientists, educators, photographers, and filmmakers who circumnavigated the globe surveying some of the most remote coral reefs in the world. This report presents findings from the intensive GRE field research, education, and outreach that took place from 2006-2015, and from this point forward, references to the GRE in this document reflect the findings from the work completed during this period. From 2006-2015, the GRE visited 16 countries and territories around the globe, starting along the Saudi Arabian Red Sea coastline, traveling throughout the Caribbean and tropical Pacific Ocean, and ending in the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean. Local representatives from the communities provided invaluable knowledge and helped us share our findings with the residents. Our team of scientists used standardized methods to map and assess the benthic and fish
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communities, allowing us to evaluate the reefs across large geographic areas. To better understand large-scale trends, we grouped data into three datasets: the Saudi Arabian Red Sea, the Caribbean, and combined data from the Pacific and Indian Oceans. The primary scientific goals of the expedition were to: Map and characterize coral reef ecosystems. Identify the current status of and major threats to the world’s reefs.
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Examine factors that enhance a reef’s ability to resist, survive, and recover from disturbance events such as bleaching, cyclone damage, and crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks.
As the science team was conducting research, our team of educators worked in real time with communities to share discoveries. In turn, knowledge of how the local communities managed their marine resources was shared with the scientists at sea. Our photographers and filmmakers produced award-winning films to showcase the work and transport audiences to places they may have never otherwise seen.
