The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation Presents a Symposium of Coral Reef Conservation in the Red Sea

LANDOVER, Md., Jan. 8, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On January 8^th to 11^th 2012, the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation will lead a three day symposium of coral reef conservation in the Red Sea, taking place at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, (KAUST) in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.

The symposium marks the conclusion of four years of Red Sea research by the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation, working primarily in collaboration with the Saudi Wildlife Authority (SWA) and the U.S. National Coral Reef Institute (NCRI). Between 2006 and 2009, the Foundation conducted extensive reef surveys along the Saudi Arabian Red Sea coast. Researchers have now combined field data from their SCUBA assessments of corals and fishes with information from satellite imagery and field sensors to create detailed coral reef habitat maps of the Red Sea reefs of Saudi Arabia.

His Royal Highness Prince Khaled bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz said, 'It is my great pleasure to have supported this research for over four years and now to share the scientific results at this symposium. The unprecedented scope and scale of our Red Sea reef studies have advanced our knowledge of these coral reef ecosystems, resulting in comprehensive and invaluable tools for sustainable resource management."

The symposium will also mark the inauguration of the Saudi Marine Society and the Khaled bin Sultan Chair of Marine Science. Distinguished participants in the symposium include:

• His Royal Highness Prince Khaled bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, President and founder of the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation
• His Highness Prince Bander bin Saud, Secretary General of the Saudi Wildlife Authority
• Prof. Osama Tayeb, President, King Abdulaziz University
• Mr. Nadhmi Al-Nasr, Vice president, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology

The symposium brings together research and discussion from the following organizations concerned with Red Sea marine conservation;

• Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation (KBSLOF)
• Saudi Wildlife Authority (SWA)
• The Regional Organization for the Conservation of the Red Sea & the Gulf of Aden (PERSGA)
• U.S National Coral Reef Institute (NCRI)
• King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)
• King Abdulaziz University (KAU)
• Ministry of Agriculture (MOA)

For more information please visit:  http://www.crcrss.org

About the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation
Founded by HRH Prince General Khaled bin Sultan of Saudi Arabia, the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation was incorporated in California as a 501(c)(3), public benefit, Private Operating Foundation in September 2000. With its headquarters in Washington DC, the Living Oceans Foundation is dedicated to the conservation and restoration of oceans of the world, and champions their preservation through research, education, and a commitment to Science Without Borders®.

For more information, visit http://www.livingoceansfoundation.org and http://www.globalreefexpedition.com

Science Without Borders® is registered to the Foundation for financial sponsorship of marine conservation programs and scientific research and to promote public awareness of the need to preserve, protect and restore the world's oceans and aquatic resources.

SOURCE Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation