Center to protect the Red Sea ecosystem

Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), announced on Tuesday Switzerland's support for EPFL's project to create a "Transnational Red Sea Research Center". The project is based on EPFL research on corals in the Gulf of Aqaba. The coral reefs of the Gulf of Aqaba were the focus of an international conference held on Tuesday in Bern on the theme of dialogue between science and diplomacy. The head of the FDFA, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, announced Switzerland's support for an EPFL project to establish a transnational Red Sea research centre. A study published in 2017 by researchers from the Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry (LGB) directed by Professor Anders Meibom at EPFL, showed that corals in the Gulf of Aqaba and the Red Sea are more resistant to rising water temperatures than corals anywhere else in the world. This discovery has the potential to help restock coral reefs in other parts of the world which are more vulnerable to the effects of global warming. Transnational Red Sea Centre Against this backdrop and in order to facilitate collaboration among the region's scientific communities, the EPFL has decided to set up a regional research facility, the Transnational Red Sea Centre.  Addressing the conference, Federal Councillor Cassis explained the reasons that motivate the FDFA to support projects that provide opportunities for dialogue between scientists and policymakers. As an innovative country with a large scientific community, Switzerland has the resources and credibility to facilitate and promote dialogue in the Red Sea region, which remains a politically and culturally fragile part of the world. Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator foundation