In this opening episode of the season we welcome a Marine Analyst at the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD) who spends much of her time aboard the research vessel Jaywun. Sara Al Mehairbi talks to us through surveys that help identify vulnerable habitats like coral reefs and seagrass beds and explains how data collected on Jaywun helps evaluate the effectiveness of seagrass and mangrove planting projects by measuring biodiversity and water quality. She also tells us how the research vessel helps us to understand the health of marine ecosystems before and after restoration interventions.