Once considered the ugly duckling of environmental conservation, seagrass is emerging as a powerful tool for climate action. From drawing down carbon to filtering plastic pollution, marine scientist Carlos M. Duarte details the incredible things this oceanic hero does for our planet -- and shows ingenious ways he and his team are protecting and rebuilding marine life.

A memorable experience with a menu inviting us to eat the Red Sea by 3* Chef Angel Leon; the first time ever that mangroves have been eaten by humans!

We have now started an instagram account for Prof. Duarte! Search @carlosduartephd to follow along.

"This ground-breaking review made our list because it calls for a widespread and permanent change in how routine cell culture is done: with careful attention to environmental controls for better scientific reproducibility. Please read and absorb every word of this landmark paper. We couldn’t agree more." - BioSpherix, 2021

From the 3rd - 9th December, a group of physicists learnt about complex modelling for applications for coral reef ecosystems - and even joined the lab on a snorkel trip!

EXPEDITION ALERT! A collaboration between BTWaves and TAJRC to visit Exuma Sounds, Bahamas, for some seagrass, sediment and shark science!

On the 30th November, TAJRC PhD students presented their research as part of 'Environment' day in KAUST's Research Open Week 2021.

On the 25th and 26th of November, a few members of the TAJRC lab were filmed by National Geographic concerning their mangrove research.

Carlos Duarte is recognized as a 'Web of Science' Highly Cited Researcher 2021, in two categories: Environment and Ecology, and Plant and Animals Science. 

In early November, Professor Carlos Duarte participated in several different engagements surrounding COP26: the unveiling of a new car with Extreme E, announcing a UK Blue Carbon project with the Blue Marine Foundation; and discussing seaweed at the UN SDG Pavillion.

The Youth Green Summit is a series of workshops that brings together environmental advocates, scientists, and policy makers. Their aim: to instigate climate action using the Saudi Green Initiative targets (reducing emissions, greening Saudi, and protecting biomes).

KAUST shows itself as a global leader in the field of marine biology, as Distinguished Professor Carlos Duarte is ranked number one in the world by SCOPUS.

Distinguished Professor Carlos M. Duarte has been appointed Academic with the Spanish Royal Academy of Science for his seminal contributions to further understanding marine ecosystems and their responses to global change.

The BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Ecology and Conservation Biology has gone in this twelfth edition to marine biologists Carlos Duarte, Terence Hughes, and Daniel Pauly for “their seminal contributions to our understanding of the world’s oceans, and their efforts to protect and conserve marine biodiversity and oceanic ecosystem services in a rapidly changing world,” in the words of the award citation.

Tropical and subtropical coral reefs will increasingly experience bleaching and substantial declines in productivity, calcification and survival within the next two decades under low and intermediate greenhouse gas emission scenarios.

Ocean noise is increasing in prevalence and scale from human sources such as cargo shipping, seismic blasting, active sonar, pile driving and fishing vessels. The extent to which it is changing the character of the ocean soundscape and impacting marine life and their habitats is a largely understudied and unaddressed area. A multi-institutional meta-study published in Science, in February 2021, "The soundscape of the Anthropocene ocean", documents the adverse effects of this sonic footprint, and presents a path toward solutions in a context of ocean health and sustainable ocean economies.

Prof. Duarte's paper entitled "The soundscape of the Anthropocene ocean" was included in the 5 most popular scientific papers of February 2021 in the Nature Index journals.

Extreme E has expanded its Scientific Committee with the appointment of KAUST Distinguished Professor of Marine Science Carlos Duarte, one of the world's leading minds on marine ecosystems. His appointment comes in advance of Extreme E's opening race in Saudi Arabia as the series strengthens its commitment to raise awareness for the climate issues facing the locations in which it races.

When most of the world went into lockdown to limit the spread of COVID-19, ecologists realized that these tragic circumstances presented a unique opportunity to study how the presence, or absence, of humans affects biodiversity. The freedom to travel and transport goods by land, air or sea has underpinned social and economic progress yet has been costly to the natural world, destroying habitats and contributing to climate change. In April 2020, an estimated 4.4 billion people experienced a full or partial national lockdown, compelled to severely limit their movements. And the natural world expanded its reach.

Humans have altered the ocean soundscape by drowning out natural noises relied upon by many marine animals, from shrimp to sharks. Sound travels fast and far in water, and sea creatures use sound to communicate, navigate, hunt, hide and mate. Since the industrial revolution, humans have introduced their own underwater cacophony from shipping vessels, seismic surveys searching for oil and gas, sonar mapping of the ocean floor, coastal construction and wind farms. Global warming could further alter the ocean soundscape as the melting Arctic opens up more shipping routes and wind and rainfall patterns change.