The Fisherman, the Scientist,and the Diver
As dawn breaks over the Red Sea, Captain Ahmed pushes his small fishing boat away from shore.
The sea is calm. The coastline behind him is only beginning to wake. For Ahmed, this routine is nothing new
He has spent a lifetime on these waters, following routes his father and grandfather navigated before him.
But what guides him is not a map.
It is the reef.
Beneath the surface, coral reefs shape the currents he follows, provide habitat for the fish he catches, and sustain the livelihoods of thousands of families along Egypt's Red Sea coast.
For many people, coral reefs are something to admire during a holiday or a diving trip. For Captain Ahmed and countless others, they are something far more fundamental: a source of income, food security, culture, and identity.
"The reef is our life," he says. "If the reef disappears, we lose more than fish. We lose opportunities for our children and the future of our communities."
