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1 Climber Dead, Another Seriously Hurt after 305-meter Fall on Alaska Peak

The face of the Mendenhall Glacier on Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Juneau, Alaska. AP
The face of the Mendenhall Glacier on Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Juneau, Alaska. AP
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1 Climber Dead, Another Seriously Hurt after 305-meter Fall on Alaska Peak

The face of the Mendenhall Glacier on Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Juneau, Alaska. AP
The face of the Mendenhall Glacier on Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Juneau, Alaska. AP

A climber is dead and another seriously injured after falling about 1,000 feet (305 meters) while on a steep, technical route on Mount Johnson in Alaska’s Denali National Park and Preserve, authorities said Friday.
The fall Thursday night was witnessed by another climbing party, who reported it around 10:45 p.m. and descended to where the climbers had fallen. They confirmed one of the climbers had died and dug a snow cave and tended to the hurt climber, according to a statement from the park.
Early Friday, a rescue helicopter and two mountaineering rangers left Talkeetna, where the park's mountaineering operations are based. They were able to rescue the injured climber, who was later medevacked for additional care. The helicopter and rangers returned to the mountain later to recover the body of the climber who died but were forced back by deteriorating weather, the statement said. Rangers plan to return when conditions allow, the park said.
The name of the climber who died was not immediately released, pending notification of family, The Associated Press reported.
The fall occurred on a route on the 8,400-foot (2,560-meter) Mount Johnson known as “the Escalator” on the mountain's southeast face. The route involves navigating steep rock, ice and snow, the park said.
Denali National Park and Preserve is about 240 miles (386 kilometers) north of Anchorage.

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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.”