The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences
Lights, Sounds, Action
Thanks to a prestigious Horizon Europe grant, a Bar-Ilan marine ecologist will help countries protect their underwater ecosystems—and strengthen the world’s vital aquatic biodiversity.
Running Interference
Once a year, on cues from the lunar cycle, coral-reef colonies release both their eggs and sperm in a blizzard of colorful flakes, the start of a weeks-long process that can result in new coral growth. Given the rarity of the occurrence and the number of factors that must be in place, it can seem nothing short of miraculous when the process ends in success. And given the critical role of corals reefs in protecting the world’s coasts from devastating waves, storms, and floods—as well as their importance to the one billion people who depend upon them for their livelihoods—preventing interference in coral reproduction is in all countries’ best interests.
Prof. Oren Levy
Now, through a €5M grant from Horizon Europe, the EU’s premier program for research and innovation, awarded in 2024, a consortium that includes Bar-Ilan’s Prof. Oren Levy will shine a light on little-known causes of interference—literally. Part of the AquaPLAN project for studying the effects of light and sound pollution on Europe’s marine ecosystems, the grant will focus on the tropical coral reefs in the Red Sea off Eilat. By first determining the amount of light and sound pollution caused by shipping, military sonar, construction, and nearby urban life, and then assessing their combined impact on coral reefs and tropical fish, Levy—a leading Israeli expert on coral-reef biology, restoration and chronobiology—hopes to provide policymakers with key information for use in devising environmental regulations. “The goal is not to prevent needed human activity in our oceans and seas, but rather to use research to inform decisions and behaviors that benefit life on land and in the water. The outcome,” says Levy, “is better for us all.”
Above: Prof. Oren Levy exploring a coral reef; banner: Prof. Oren Levy teaching a seminar to Bar-Ilan students at the Red Sea in Eilat.
Restoring Hope through Reef Transplants
Last year, a research team led by Prof. Oren Levy offered hope for coral reefs damaged by pollution, over-fishing, and ocean warming: transplants. After submerging specially designed terracotta tiles to attract diverse marine organisms, the team retrieved them six months later and transplanted the encrusted sediment to a far-away reef. Not only did the reefs incorporate the new marine life, they also showed marked improvement in overall health and resilience.
