Layan Damanhouri
Saudi Gazette
JEDDAH — The Center for Marine Geology at the Saudi Geological Survey announced the publication of two new volumes that will cover new issues related to the Red Sea. This was disclosed here on Sunday at the inauguration of a three-day workshop on geology, oceanography and environment of the Red Sea.
“Marine science continues to grow with greater awareness of regional environmental problems. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has a very long coastline along the Red Sea in the west and an extensive coastline along the Arabian Gulf in the east, and we are actively involved in exploring the strategic resources in addition to fundamental research in these areas,” said President of the Saudi Geological Survey Dr. Zuhair Nawab.
As many as 36 researchers and scientists from the Kingdom and 20 other countries will discuss dozens of topics relating to the history and geology of the Red Sea as well as its mineral resources, among other environmental issues. The experts will in a closed-door workshop discuss the abstract of the two volumes that will complement the most recent book ‘The Red Sea: The Formation, Morphology, Oceanography and Environment of a Young Ocean Basin’ published by Springer Earth System Sciences.
Speaking to Saudi Gazette, Nawab said, “The scientists currently examining the work claim there are parts of the Red Sea still uncovered and it should be documented. We came across lots of new topics that will need two volumes to cover all aspects of the sea.”
Author and editor Najeeb Rasul told Saudi Gazette, “The Red Sea is in the making, which means it’s a fairly recent sea. It’s still opening at a rate of about 1.6 centimeters per year. The coral reefs are still in pristine condition but there are some environmental issues though very locally."
He added: “We don’t have any rivers forming into the Red Sea, but we have the valleys which are seasonally active so pollution is less. Where you have the population on the coast, you might have some destruction of the coral reefs. We have to educate our people not to destroy them as such. We need to secure our seas.”
As one of the world’s major transport routes and a young ocean basin, the Red Sea has been a subject of interest for scientists.
The upcoming two volumes will complement the first book published in spring 2015 and will present the latest updates on the geological formation and oceanographic development of the Red Sea to the environmental influences on its ecology and the changes on its coastlines. The book is a compilation of contributions from researchers in geology, geophysics, oceanography and environment specialized on the Red Sea. The book aims to be a long-lasting resource for those managing the Red Sea, its environment, its resources as well as the neighboring countries.
Rasul said after this publication is completed, they have plans to move on to researching the Arabian Gulf.
