Rhonda Suka
From Hawaii to Saudi Arabia, Dr Rhonda Suka has made saving the world’s coral reefs her life’s work. Here she talks mapping ocean floors, moving to the Middle East and how the world needs a little more Ohana…
Rhonda Suka started her marine career in Hawaii specialising in optical mapping. In 2021, she moved to Saudi Arabia where she is marine planning and monitoring manager at the Red Sea Global Project, which aims to protect the area’s natural habitats as the region gears up for tourism. Suka leads a team of 20 scientists using advanced AI tools to survey coral reefs and the local fish population. The technology helps predict how coral reefs can change in a future defined by the climate crisis and rising sea temperatures.
I grew up knowing nothing about the ocean. I’m from Oregon, and even though I loved swimming, we didn’t visit the sea because it was too far away and too cold. After high school, I worked in a nail salon, doing manicures and pedicures: I had no idea I’d end up working in conservation.
The first time I went diving in the ocean, that was it. The whole trajectory of my life changed instantly. From that moment on, I was committed to figuring out how to get a job where I could be in the ocean all the time.
Volunteering is one of the best ways to enter a competitive industry. I’d moved from Oregon to Hawaii, where I was working in a cemetery and doing odd-office jobs. But after my diving epiphany, I did whatever I could to get hands-on work with the ocean includingvolunteering at hawksbill turtle nesting surveys. I also studied underwater ecological surveying classes. This led to my first job, as a diver in an aquarium at a Waikiki hotel.
We can all learn from the Hawaiian term ‘Ohana’. Put simply, it means ‘family’. Along with the Hawaiian creation story of Kumulipo – where many people believe the coral polyp is their ancestor – Ohana ensures locals have a strong connection with the environment and are committed to protecting it.
The first time I noticed the impact of climate change was finding some bleached coral in Hawaii in the late-1990s. Everybody was like, ‘Why are these corals turning white?’ It didn’t take us long to figure out it was heat-related and the problem was global. It made me scared. You just felt so helpless.
It’s my role to advocate for these corals. They’re under a lot of stress and I’m doing everything I can to reduce that.
The most terrifying thing for marine scientists isn’t sharks, but isolation. I’ve been on many remote expeditions such as on far-flung Pacific islands which are out of helicopter range and the nearest person is hundreds of miles away. If one little thing goes wrong, such as you get a cut which becomes infected, it could be life-threatening.
Moving from Hawaii to Saudi Arabia in 2021 involved swapping one paradise for another. I’d spent 30 years working in Hawaii but was feeling stagnant, as my job increasingly involved analysing datasets. I was ready for something new.
There’s an ‘Aloha’ spirit in Saudi too. Every Saudi you meet, the first thing you hear is ‘welcome’. The next is ‘You can come over to my house for tea or dinner’. This kindness and generosity isn’t something you hear about when reading western news about Saudi Arabia.
Technology is enabling us to do some amazing things. For Red Sea Global we have a team of 20 people mapping a marine area 4.5 times the size of London. We use underwater cameras to take thousands of pics and then use special software to build a 3D recreation ofthe reef. It means we can have a picture of 100 sq m of the seafloor. Previously, we’d have to visit the seafloor and write down what we saw by hand.
AI is enabling us to accomplish so much more as scientists. Whether it’s a tool delineating coral species or AI gathering a year’s worth of data in one month, you just couldn’t do that volume of work before; it’d take too much time.
Red Sea Global is doing some groundbreaking work. There are some hotel resorts here which will be powered through solar energy – a no-brainer given there’s so much sun here in Saudi. We’re also planting mangrove forests where we build rocks and crevices, so birds can get into the shade. Meanwhile our wastewater treatment centre uses reeds and grasses to take junk out of the water.
Saudis are very excited about sustainable tourism. Having been isolated as a country for so long, Saudi now has a new industry (as part of its Vision 2030 plan, the country is embracing sustainable tourism as it diversifies away from oil) where young people can learn new things and have jobs. They are so enthusiastic, posting on social media and telling all their friends.
Tourism and sustainability can live together harmoniously. I went to Bhutan last year where a daily $100 tourism tax helps create a new more careful, older tourist. Here in Saudi, the resorts are low-density: having less people means they use less water, food and have less carbon footprint which brings them here.
A good conservationist focuses on people, not just plants and animals. Part of our work is engaging with the local community of fishermen, who have some great long-term knowledge about the area. We share our knowledge with each other which is helping our goal of establishing a marine-protected area.
Even if you don’t live by an ocean, there’s so much you can do to protect it. Remember, all rivers flow into the ocean. So, make sure your rivers and oceans are clean!
Sometimes it’s easy to think ‘I’ve worked 30 years and have nothing to show for it than lots of pictures of coral’. But I feel my contribution to the future is trying to push this tech forward to give people (of the future) a tool which helps protect these environments more. If I can do that, I’d be really happy.
Find more about Red Sea Global