An Egyptian Guinness World Record holder is on a mission to save “the rainforests of the ocean’’ – in a bid to help fight the climate crisis.
Coral reefs support 25% of all ocean life and are the most biologically diverse ecosystem on Earth.
Ahmed Gabr, a 50-year-old ex-soldier, has created dozens of nurseries off the coast of Hurghada made from tiny fragments of damaged reefs.
Once they have regrown, after several months, they are replanted back into the original reef.
He told the Mirror at COP27: “I realised a long time ago that there is a problem with coral reefs [in Egypt]. I can see that they’re degrading everywhere I go.
“It’s very important to focus on curing and taking care of them.”
Researchers warn that Egypt – among a number of other coastal countries such as Mexico, Indonesia, Maldives, Malaysia, Australia and Thailand – faces the risks of losing more than 90% of its income from coral-reef tourism if countries do not take serious measures to stem the rise in global warming emissions.
“Egypt without coral reefs means no tourism and no economy so it is vitally important for us and other countries that rely on beaches to protect our natural resources,” Ahmed said.
“Coral reefs also provide a natural defence against flooding and tsunamis, crucial as sea levels rise. They also help absorb carbon, a tool in fighting the climate crisis.”
Ahmed, who spent over 20 years in the army and holds the record for the world’s deepest scuba dive (from Sept 2014) at 1,090ft, hopes his project, Gabr Tek, funded by the Egyptian government, will be replicated around the world.
British endurance swimmer Lewis Pugh also urged nations at COP27 to drastically cut emissions to tackle the climate crisis and protect our oceans.
It comes after he has just completed the world’s first swim across the Red Sea to highlight the vulnerability of the reefs.
“If we lose them, we will not just drive thousands of species into extinction, we will lose an entire ecosystem. This would be unprecedented in human history. Coral reefs are the nurseries of our oceans, and home to some of the most incredible life. I refuse to accept that we could lose them in my lifetime,” he said.
