Ben Gurion University researchers have created an artificial coral reef in the Red Sea, where tourism has threatened the natural coral reefs. "A sad situation now exists whereby the same tourists who love the sea and the life-forms in it destroy that which attracts them," according to Marine Biology researcher Dr. Nadav Shashar.

The increasing popularity of recreational underwater diving has had a negative impact on the natural reefs in the region. The artificial reef was established on a sandy base at a depth of 6-7 meters, where more than 20 species of fish and numerous species of invertebrates have settled.