Reem AlMealla
Marine Biologist
Reflections of resilience (in the world’s hottest sea)
Working in the world’s hottest sea, which is rapidly changing, exploration for me has never been about traveling far, it has been about safeguarding what is closest to the heart, life in all its forms. The Arabian Gulf is a place where species live in the extreme but survive at the edge of possibility. Understanding how life endures here and uncovering the story of resilience offers important insights the world urgently needs. My work pushes boundaries by bringing scientific exploration to a region often overlooked globally, and by grounding that science in local knowledge, cultural heritage, and lived experience.
As the first Bahraini woman marine field ecologist, I navigate not only extreme environmental conditions, but social, institutional, and political barriers. Through Nuwat, the environmental think tank I founded, I am building locally led research systems where young Gulf scientists, especially women, can step into spaces that were once inaccessible. Part of my work lies in generating evidence that shapes national conservation decisions, from identifying critically endangered elasmobranchs and the habitats they use, to investigating the thermal tolerance of pearl oysters, monitoring reefs, and aligning national biodiversity targets with the Global Biodiversity Framework. The deeper impact, however, is cultural, reawakening a sense of belonging to the natural world in a region where rapid development often overshadows ecological memory.
“The deeper impact, however, is cultural, reawakening a sense of belonging to the natural world in a region where rapid development often overshadows ecological memory.“
I did not step into this work, I grew into it. The shorelines of Bahrain were my playground like most children born on this island in the 80s and 90s and thus, my earliest memories were shaped by the changing tides carving the shore, it was not just a place but more like a presence of where I belonged. I spent hours listening and observing the quiet intelligence of the place where land meets sea, long before I had scientific language for what I was seeing. Even then, I sensed that the sea and I were not separate; we shaped one another.
The moment that defined my path came during an English class, when I first heard the term “marine biology” while watching Free Willy. It was as if someone handed me the vocabulary for something I already understood. From that day, the direction of my life felt inevitable.
Although the Arabian Gulf is one of the most extreme and rapidly changing seas on earth, its story of resilience remains largely untold. I do this work because representation matters: when I was growing up, I never saw a woman working from a boat or leading marine research. Young Gulf women deserve to see themselves reflected in science, exploration, and environmental leadership. I do it because restoring our relationship with nature will awaken our environmental consciousness.
Most of all, I do it because the sea is part of who I am and protecting it is an act of honoring that relationship. My ancestors lived life at the edge and yet today we thrive, reflecting the story of resilience rooted in our land and sea.