Despite the recognition of the ecological and economic value of the Red Sea’s living resources, the pursuit of the required knowledge to conserve and sustainably manage these treasures through scientific study has been slow. This has been mainly due to the lack of funding and the absence of the essential facilities for scientific investigation and long-term research projects in the region. As the Red Sea faces continuous and increasingly emerging threats, there has never been a more important time to address this.

The Red Sea Defender Research Vessel is a 37 metre steel hulled boat that is the base for field trips, educational and outreach programs throughout the Red Sea, supporting a variety of programs including undergraduate and postgraduate education and research; marine biology courses and training; and local community training schemes for conservation and tourism related roles.

Effectively, a classroom without walls, the vessel hosts scientists and researchers from all over the world who wish to conduct research in the Egyptian Red Sea. Visiting researchers are able to make full use of the sampling equipment, wet and dry laboratories, and computing and information capabilities onboard.

A number of educational outreach programs have been developed including:

Introduction to the Red Sea Marine Environment

An intensive 1 week / 10day course for university students including geology, oceanography, taxonomy of marine species, ecology of marine habitats, and threats to the Red Sea environment.

Student Outreach Program

This program is specifically aimed at schools and other organizations. Students will experience firsthand the various aspects of research, conservation and diving operations.

Sensitive Species Monitoring Programs

An opportunity to join the HEPCA research team in a wide array of monitoring programs and participate in data collection used for the management and protection of sensitive marine species.

The Red Sea Defender Research Vessel is a component part of the new HEPCA research centre, which is to be built on the coast at Abu Dabab in the near future. HEPCA would like to acknowledge the support of the Italian Egyptian Debt for Development Swap Program and their associated agencies and partners without whom this important project would not succeed.