RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s natural history is “not fully appreciated and not fully documented,” a King Abdullah University of Science and Technology expert has said, highlighting opportunities for new discoveries.
“Just in our backyard, we have access to these really incredible coastal tropical habitats,” said Prof. Michael Berumen, an expert in marine science and engineering originally from Arkansas.
“I think there are very few places in the world that have that combination of access to tropical habitats like these, and the high quality research facilities we have inside the university.”
KAUST undertakes extensive research and documentation of marine habitats in the Red Sea, which the university’s website says is “one of the world’s most unique and understudied oceans.”
In October, the university published evidence that showed the Red Sea had completely dried around 6.2 million years ago and was then refilled by a massive flood from the Indian Ocean.
