As part of preparation for the UN climate change conference (COP27), Egypt’s Ministry of Environment announced on Sep. 4 a pioneer project to restore coral reefs in the Red Sea that have been damaged by human activity.

The pilot project, a collaboration between the Environmental Affairs Agency, the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology and the company Gabrtek, is establishing dozens of coral nurseries off the coast of Hurghada. Coral nurseries are structures, in this case made of organic materials, that facilitate rapid growth of small coral fragments in order to later replant them in damaged reef areas.

“I realized a long time ago that there is a problem with coral reefs [in Egypt]. I can see that it’s degrading everywhere I go,” Ahmed Gabr, a former Egyptian Army officer with a long experience in diving and the person in charge of the pilot project, told Al-Monitor. “It’s very important to focus on curing and taking care of these coral reefs.” 

The Red Sea hosts one of the longest continuous living reefs in the world, stretching some 4,000 km along its coastline and harboring an estimated 350 different coral species. About 15% are unique to the region, the third largest such proportion in the world. And in Egypt, where coral reefs extend into the gulfs of Suez and Aqaba, they represent an important source of food and livelihood.