Seminar on Ocean Forecasting

20 October 2025

A seminar on the “Map the Giants” project was recently conducted by the MaRHE Center, highlighting a global citizen-science initiative dedicated to discovering, studying, and protecting giant corals—defined as colonies exceeding five meters in any linear length. Amidst climate change and anthropogenic pressures that threaten reef biodiversity, these ancient and highly resistant corals face potential loss before they are even documented. The project aims to locate these giants through public reports from divers, researchers, and ocean enthusiasts, investigate their role in reef resilience, and raise public awareness to inspire a sense of monument-like protection for these charismatic marine giants, which can serve as living archives of past oceanographic conditions. Ahmed Raif Shahid of CFOS took part in the expedition. The initiative not only fills critical knowledge gaps about rare and resilient coral colonies but also fosters ocean literacy by engaging communities in the conservation of what researchers describe as “monumental” marine organisms that may hold keys to reef survival in a changing climate.

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