Author: Dr. Dor Shefy
Eilat is Israel’s southernmost city, with a population of ~53,000, a busy port and popular resorts at the northern tip of the Red Sea, on what is known in Israel as the Gulf of Eilat and in Jordan as the Gulf of Aqaba (GOE/A). The city is considered a tourist destination for domestic and international tourists heading to Israel.
Eilat is located at the southernmost tip of Israel, at the southern end of the Arava valley and the Negev Desert, adjacent to the Egyptian resort city of Taba to the south, the Jordanian port city of Aqaba to the east, and within sight of Haql, Saudi Arabia, across the gulf to the southeast. In some spots in Eilat, it is possible to actually see 4 different countries.
The geology and landscape are varied: igneous and metamorphic rocks, sandstone and limestone; mountains up to 892 meters above sea level; broad valleys such as the Arava, and seashore on the GOE/A. With an annual average rainfall of 28 millimetres, temperatures that often exceed 43 °C in summer and 21 °C in winter, and water temperatures that range between 21 and 29 °C, water resources and vegetation are limited.
Eilat has only 11 km of coastline in which only 7 km are coral reefs. The comfortable water temperature year-round, lack of strong currents, clear water with an average visibility of 20-30 meters and the fringing reefs make Eilat a popular destination for diving tourism, with activities such as snorkelling and scuba diving.
The coral reefs of Eilat are characterised by fringing reefs. Due to the clear water, sunlight can penetrate deep into the water and provide sufficient light for the zooxanthellae, creating spectacular mesophotic reefs.

Despite the favourable oceanographic conditions in Eilat that should, in theory, support the coral reefs, anthropogenic activities and climate change pose significant threats. Sea temperatures are rising at an alarming rate of 1°C per decade 1, putting corals at risk of bleaching. Additionally, as important port cities, Eilat and Aqaba expose the reefs to heavy metal pollution from shipping activities and are under constant threat from oil spills due to nearby oil terminals.
Rapid urbanisation in the four surrounding cities is also taking a toll on the reefs. The Gulf of Eilat is now one of the most light-polluted reef areas in the world,2 which disrupts the synchronisation of coral reproduction 3 and recruitment4. Furthermore, the high number of tourists introduces traces of pharmaceuticals and other chemicals into the water, compounding the stress on the reef ecosystem.


Despite the relatively small size of Eilat’s reef, the city is home to three prominent research institutions—Ben Gurion University, the Interuniversity Institute, and the Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research Institute—which have established Eilat as a leading centre for coral studies. Pioneering restoration techniques, such as the coral gardening method developed by Prof. Baruch Rinkevich, have their roots here. Today, numerous reef restoration projects, innovative designs, and floating reef experiments are underway in Eilat.
In recent years, Eilat has also become a focal point for aquaculture development, with the government designating it as a national hub for this industry. This strategic decision has attracted various aquaculture startups, including V-Corals, which is focused on coral enhancement technologies, sustainable growth, and biodiversity.
The Gulf of Eilat has significant potential to become a biodiversity hotspot, with conservation efforts in the region playing a key role in protecting marine ecosystems. While scientific collaboration could enhance these efforts, the priority remains on effective marine conservation and climate change mitigation strategies.
- Shaked, Y. & Genin, A. Israel National Monitoring Program at the Gulf of Eilat, Scientific Report 2020. Interuniversity Institute for Marine Sciences (IUI) Eilat (2021).
- Aubrecht, C. et al. A global inventory of coral reef stressors based on satellite observed nighttime lights. Geocarto Int 23, 467–479 (2008).
- Shlesinger, T. & Loya, Y. Breakdown in spawning synchrony: A silent threat to coral persistence. Science (1979) 365, 1002–1007 (2019).
- Navon, G., Nordland, O., Kaplan, A., Avisar, D., & Shenkar, N.. Detection of 10 commonly used pharmaceuticals in reef-building stony corals from shallow (5–12 m) and deep (30–40 m) sites in the Red Sea. Environmental Pollution, 360, 124698 (2024).
- Guerrini, G., Yerushalmy, M., Shefy, D., Shashar, N. & Rinkevich, B. Apparent recruitment failure for the vast majority of coral species at Eilat, Red Sea. Coral Reefs 39, 1715–1726 (2020).