On Thursday April 29, 2010, Israeli and Jordanians joint forces towards the restoration of coral reefs and development of artificial reefs in the northern tip of the Red Sea. In a workshop collimating over 3 years of joint research, funded by the USAID – Middle East Regional Cooperation program, scientists and students from the Eilat Campus of  Ben Gurion University and the Marine Science Station in Aqaba,  as well as governmental officials, representatives of governmental agencies involved in perseveration and sustainable development of marine habitats, together with representatives of the diving industry, discussed and examined methods of planning artificial coral reefs, supporting rare and sometimes endangered reef species, increasing biodiversity, ecotourism and attending to the needs of tourist.

The workshop ended with a joint dive at an experimental artificial coral reef in Aqaba.

For further information and photographs contact Dr. Nadav Shashar- nadavsh@bgu.ac.il