Asst. Prof. Dr. Osama S. Saad 

We are living in a time of incredibly fast global degradation of our marine coral reef ecosystems due to the consequences of global warming. This decline of coral reefs presents profound challenges for humanity, not only because of the gigantic loss of biodiversity but also from a socio-economic perspective. Even though most of the corals around the world are vulnerable to extinction, the coral of the Red Sea, including the coral reefs of my home country – Sudan is extremely resistant to warming. This gives real hope to humanity to save at least one of the most pristine and biodiverse reefs that exist. Nevertheless, a lack of effective conservation, and management, of such an important and treasured reef ecosystem will lead to its disappearance. This research aims to develop an environmental DNA (eDNA) protocol for monitoring the diversity of the coral reef of Sudan. The eDNA approach relies on detecting the DNA shed by organisms such as scales, tissue, and feces into their environment, thus eDNA is non-invasive, effective, and applicable to a wide range of marine habitats and organisms. The cutting-edge molecular technology at HIFMB laboratories will allow us to test and verify our eDNA protocols, through computational analysis, and laboratory experiments. It is hoped that this attempt will advance our understanding of the coral reef community and inform decisions for appropriate interventions and management of coral reefs in Sudan.