Tropical forests of the Red Sea

From the International Space Station (ISS), an astronaut captured this view of the northwest coast of Saudi Arabia, where up to 260 species of coral reef thrive. The salty and warm waters off the coast of the Arabian Peninsula create an optimal environment for the growth of coral reefs, mainly in the shallow lagoons where the shore meets the Red Sea. The water changes from the vivid turquoise of the lagoons to the deep blue as the depth increases.

Fringing reefs, which start from the shore and grow out to sea, line the northwest coast of Saudi Arabia. The biodiversity of coral reefs increases towards the south, where patch and barrier reefs combine with fringing reefs to form rich ecosystems. Coral reefs are known as the “tropical rainforests of the sea” for their biodiversity and functionality in nature – providing a source of food for other marine species and humans, while protecting shorelines.

With the growing human population in the arid Arabian Peninsula, there is an increasing demand for fresh water supply. This demand is often satisfied by the use of desalination plants. Currently, the country is home to the world’s largest desalination plants, which produce fresh water and brine, a by-product of saline wastewater. Some of the brine returns to the Red Sea and can decrease dissolved oxygen in aquatic ecosystems. This is known as hypoxia and can pose a serious threat to coral reef ecosystems and the biodiversity of the Red Sea.

Photograph of Astronaut ISS064-E-6296 was acquired on November 26, 2020 with a Nikon D5 digital camera using a 400 millimeter lens and is provided by the Earth Observation Service of the crew of the ISS and the Earth Sciences and Remote Sensing Unit, Johnson Space Center. The image was taken by an Expedition 64 crew member. The image has been cropped and enhanced to improve contrast, and lens artifacts have been removed. The International Space Station program is supporting the laboratory as part of the ISS National Laboratory to help astronauts take and render photos of the Earth that will be of the greatest value to scientists and the public. available free on the Internet. Additional images taken by astronauts and cosmonauts can be viewed at the NASA / JSC Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth. Caption by Amber Turner, Jacobs, JETS contract with NASA-JSC.