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UNESCO: Nearly Half the World's Students Not at School

Pupils sit in desks with yellow dividers, set up as a measure against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), at Dajia Elementary school in Taipei, Taiwan March 13, 2020. REUTERS/Ann Wang
Pupils sit in desks with yellow dividers, set up as a measure against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), at Dajia Elementary school in Taipei, Taiwan March 13, 2020. REUTERS/Ann Wang
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UNESCO: Nearly Half the World's Students Not at School

Pupils sit in desks with yellow dividers, set up as a measure against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), at Dajia Elementary school in Taipei, Taiwan March 13, 2020. REUTERS/Ann Wang
Pupils sit in desks with yellow dividers, set up as a measure against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), at Dajia Elementary school in Taipei, Taiwan March 13, 2020. REUTERS/Ann Wang

More than 850 million young people, or nearly half the world's student population, are barred from their school and university grounds because of the coronavirus pandemic, UNESCO said Wednesday.

Calling it an "unprecedented challenge" for education, UNESCO said schools had been closed in 102 countries, with partial closures in 11 more -- and there would be more closures.

"Over 850 million children and youth -- roughly half of the world's student population -- had to stay away from schools and universities," the UN educational organization said in a statement.

"This represents more than a doubling in four days in the number of learners prohibited from going to educational institutions," it added, citing figures from late Tuesday.

"The scale and speed of the school and university closures represents an unprecedented challenge for the education sector," it said.

UNESCO said countries worldwide were rushing to fill the void by offering real-time video classes and other high-tech solutions.

Some countries were offering classes over television or radio.

The organization said it was holding regular virtual meetings with education ministers around the world to find the best solutions and determine priorities.

Coronavirus deaths in Europe have exceeded the toll in Asia for the first time, an Agence France Presse tally of official data showed Wednesday.

By 1100 GMT, Europe counted at least 3,421 deaths, compared with 3,384 for Asia, where China was the initial epicenter of a pandemic which has infected more than 194,000 people globally and killed 7,873.

Italy has the most fatalities in Europe with 2,503.

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KAUST: Unexpected Ecosystem Found Deep Below Red Sea Coral Reef

Located in Difat Farasan, also known as the Farasan Bank near the border between Saudi Arabia and Yemen, the deep waters were found to be inhabited by corals, fish, and other marine life not typically expected to survive in environments with such low oxygen and high acidity. (SPA)
Located in Difat Farasan, also known as the Farasan Bank near the border between Saudi Arabia and Yemen, the deep waters were found to be inhabited by corals, fish, and other marine life not typically expected to survive in environments with such low oxygen and high acidity. (SPA)
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KAUST: Unexpected Ecosystem Found Deep Below Red Sea Coral Reef

Located in Difat Farasan, also known as the Farasan Bank near the border between Saudi Arabia and Yemen, the deep waters were found to be inhabited by corals, fish, and other marine life not typically expected to survive in environments with such low oxygen and high acidity. (SPA)
Located in Difat Farasan, also known as the Farasan Bank near the border between Saudi Arabia and Yemen, the deep waters were found to be inhabited by corals, fish, and other marine life not typically expected to survive in environments with such low oxygen and high acidity. (SPA)

Scientists from Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and the National Center for Wildlife (NCW) have reported the discovery of an unusual ecosystem beneath the world’s third-largest coral reef system—and the largest in the Red Sea.

Located in Difat Farasan, also known as the Farasan Bank near the border between Saudi Arabia and Yemen, the deep waters were found to be inhabited by corals, fish, and other marine life not typically expected to survive in environments with such low oxygen and high acidity.

According to a statement by KAUST, several of the species displayed unexpected coping strategies in the extreme conditions. Fish exhibited slower swimming patterns, and corals remained healthy despite environmental factors that would normally inhibit the calcification process essential for coral growth and survival.

KAUST Research Scientist Dr. Shannon Klein, who led the study, said: “The ability for these animals to live in warm, oxygen-depleted zones suggests they have an unusual ability to reduce how much oxygen they use to sustain life. This discovery highlights the need for greater marine exploration of deeper layers in tropical coastal areas, as they may hold unexpected ecosystems.”

“Although underwater, fish, corals, and many other sea creatures need oxygen to survive. While their bodies have evolved differently from land animals to metabolize oxygen, they too asphyxiate if oxygen levels drop dangerously low. However, in the Red Sea, there are resistant ecosystems,” Klein added.

“Considering that oxygen depletion in the sea is one consequence of rising temperatures, greater study of how these creatures exist there may help us understand how marine life can withstand the challenges of climate change. Coral reefs usually exist in shallow waters. But the study found depressions that went more than 200 meters deep throughout the Farasan Bank coral reef system,” she said.

CEO of the National Center for Wildlife and contributor to the study Dr. Mohammad Qurban stated: “This research highlights the significance of the Red Sea as a natural laboratory for studying marine resilience. Discovering ecosystems that thrive in extreme conditions expands our understanding of how marine life adapts and reinforces the need for continued exploration and conservation of these unique habitats.”