CORDAP started 2025 by forging and renewing partnerships that will be key to raise awareness on corals throughout the year. E1 Series was one of them. As part of the renewed three-year partnership, E1 will inspire its network and audiences to support CORDAP’s fundraising efforts — setting the stage for exclusive roundtable events with high-net-worth individuals and philanthropists and providing support for crowdfunding campaigns.
Providing CORDAP with a central place during the Acceleration Festival at the E1 Jeddah GP was another way of E1 showing its support towards CORDAP. Over two days, we engaged with the public, sparking lively conversations and raising awareness about the urgency of saving corals worldwide. We spoke with more than 100 people! But CORDAP’s participation did not end here. During this event, we also took part in key debates to reinforce the message about the coral crisis among different stakeholders. And before the race, we took world-famous DJ Steve Aoki for a dive in the Red Sea.
Two of the many young people that visited CORDAP’s booth during the Acceleration Festival at the E1 Jeddah GP.
E1 Series – Season 2
The 2025 edition of the UIM E1 World Championship kicked off in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on January 24–25, 2025. The event hosted the Acceleration Festival, where CORDAP set up an interactive booth to raise awareness about the status of corals and the science needed to secure their future.
At the Ocean Club, a series of expert talks explored the role of sports in ocean conservation and the launch of E1’s Blue Impact Championship, including:
- KSA National Red Sea Sustainability Strategy (hosted by Prof. Carlos Duarte, CORDAP)
Panelists: Dr. Maryam Ficociello (Red Sea Global), HRH Prince Sultan bin Fahd bin Salman, Sharif Abdel-Magid (Saudi Space Agency) - Racing for the Ocean: Launching the Blue Impact Championship (hosted by Anna Kebke)
Panelists: Prof. Carlos Duarte (CORDAP), Prof. Sandra Damijan, Rodi Basso, Leonardo Leone Manzo - Tomorrow is Today: Corals Under Crisis (hosted by Anna Kebke)
Panelists: Prof. Carlos Duarte (CORDAP), Sir Edward Byrne (KAUST), Dr. Shannon Klein (KAUST), Dr. Khaled Asfahani (SHAMS)
These discussions also highlighted the current coral crisis and the urgent actions required to ensure their survival for generations to come. Professor Carlos Duarte, Executive Director of CORDAP was a key element of all talks, highlighting the urgency to act now because from the corals’ point of view “tomorrow is today”.
Professor Carlos Duarte speaking at the panel “Facing the coral crisis” during the Acceleration Festival.
Diving in the Red Sea with Steve Aoki
UIM E1 World Championship teams are owned by renowned global figures, including global icon DJ Steve Aoki. Before the race, CORDAP and KAUST (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology) took members of the E1 series team and Aoki Racing Team on a diving expedition to witness the corals of the Red Sea firsthand.
Despite 80% of the corals being bleached or dead due to a recent marine heatwave, the Red Sea reefs still revealed surprising biodiversity beneath the surface.
Following the dive, the E1 team, Aoki Racing Team, and HRH Prince Sultan Fahd Salman Al Saud visited KAUST to meet KAUST President Sir Edward Byrne, and learn how researchers are advancing science for both marine ecosystems and human well-being.
Key presentations included:
- A coral reef soundscape experience by Nayra Pluma and PhD student Michele Havlik
- An update on the KAUST Coral Reef Initiative by Professor Mark Gillan
- A briefing on the KAUST-E1 research partnership by Professor Matteo Parsani
During the coral reef soundscape experience, our guests had the chance to listen to coral reefs and their inhabitants. In this experience, Dj Steve Aoki and HRH Prince Sultan Fahd Salman Al Saud, together with the other team members, discovered what snapping shrimps sound like.
From left to right: Professor Carlos Duarte, the Executive Director of G20 CORDAP, HRH Prince Sultan Fahd Salman Al Saud, DJ Steve Aoki, and KAUST President Sir Edward Byrne.
Saving corals starts with raising awareness and inspiring action. We need everyone to join the race. It’s time to take action #ForCoral.
Join us in our mission.