Marine life is home to thousands of habitats and species. These habitats are under increasing pressure and threat from general coastlization activities; coastal development, and increasing tourism and pollution. The fact that Jordan’s coast line is only 27 km long is a sufficient incentive for JREDS to protect it and to labor to bring issues affecting it to the attention of the public, the media and the decision makers.
JREDS’ marine conservation program aims to protect, preserve and restore the special marine ecosystems, and to control human-caused damage.

• Underwater Clean-up Project
  This project focuses on the conservation of the marine ecosystem in the Gulf of Aqaba through clean-up activities. By monitoring trash pollution, JREDS has designed under-water maps plotting the locations of under-water trash. Our goal is to establish a monitoring system to track the quantities and types of trash and to research its impact on marine life. Clean-up efforts are geared towards researching the origins and reasons for littering to promote public awareness and resolve this issue.
  This project recruits professional diver volunteers to conduct regular underwater clean-up dives in corporation with Aqaba Marine Park and the dive centers.
  
• Monitoring of the Crown-of-Thorns Starfish (COTS)
  The Crown-of-Thorns starfish can cause indescribable damage to coral reefs if an epidemic occurs due to the absence of its natural predator. This causes stress on the coral reef since this starfish feeds on coral polyps. Removing the starfish from the reef has to be carefully accomplished since it defends itself with extremely sharp and toxic spines that can break off and remain embedded in a person’s skin. Once caught, the starfish must be buried deep in sand.
  In coordination with the Marine Science Station, Aqaba Marine Park and all diving centers, JREDS has asked the divers to report any presence of COTS in order to keep a record of every reef where the starfish is witnessed (including the depth and size) and act upon that information after analyzing the data collected.
  
• Coral Monitoring
  JREDS coordinates with the Marine Science Station and the Aqaba Marine Park to conduct regular survey dives to monitor the health of the coral reef. Data collected from these dives is fed into a database and the resulting indicators are taken into consideration when implementing the appropriate protective interventions.
  
• Clean Up the World Campaign
  Clean Up the World is one of the most inspiring and effective international environmental campaigns in the world, attracting more than 35 million volunteers from over than 100 countries each year. This campaign is held under the auspices of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).
  Clean Up the World is a not-for-profit, non-governmental, apolitical organization that unites nearly 700 members with a shared vision of a cleaner and healthier environment. Clean-up events take place annually on the third weekend of the month of September. Campaign members mark more than a decade of participation in the global environmental campaign.
  
  The campaign’s activities range from educational programs to rubbish collection to awareness activities, environmental concerts, creative competitions and exhibitions, and tree planting projects to the establishment of recycling centers and waste-minimization projects.
  
  Since the international campaign started, JREDS has been part of this international family coordinating the campaign in Aqaba and promoting environmental conservation. The campaign is annually implemented in coordination with the Aqaba Special Economic Zone, the private sector, the Aqaba Local Authorities, NGOs, CBOs, schools, youth as well as thousands of volunteers.
  
  JREDS has been able to build an efficient network of partners whose mission and vision are complementary to its own and with whom a relationship facilitates the campaign growth, extends public environmental awareness and increases public participation.
  
  This partnership enabled JREDS to develop its program areas and to expand all related activities in general and has thus become an effective awareness tool on the local level.