Saudi Arabia starts advanced research on unique marine environment of Red Sea

Saudi Arabia's National Center for Wildlife has discovered 20 extremely deep underwater sinkholes in the Red Sea, known as “blue holes.” This was reported by Arab News.

Mohammad Qurban, CEO of the National Center for Wildlife, said that the discovery of the blue holes was an important milestone in the kingdom's exploration of marine ecosystems.

According to the expert, researchers are using advanced diving techniques, remote sensing technologies, remotely operated vehicles, and autonomous underwater vehicles to study the geology, hydrology, biology, and chemistry of blue holes to unravel the mysteries of these unique ecosystems.

As a result of this latest expedition, researchers believe that they have managed to establish the existence of two types of blue holes: blue rings and sunken lagoons.

The source claims that a follow-up mission to map and investigate numerous blue holes that were previously unexplored is being planned by the National Center for Wildlife.

Some of the hardest and least studied organisms thrive in the depths of blue holes, which are also of interest to scientists. In this regard, the National Center for Wildlife is implementing targeted conservation efforts aimed at protecting blue holes.

These efforts include establishing marine protected areas, regulating diving and fishing, and conducting scientific research to better understand the ecosystem.

Photo: iStock