Over the past two decades, the condition of coral reefs in the world has deteriorated, and massive coral mortality has been observed as a result of seawater warming. Therefore, functioning coral reefs like the one in Eilat, which is the northernmost coral reef in the world, are now becoming a rare natural treasure. As such, Israel's Ministry of Environmental Protection, which recognizes the importance of the coral reef at local and global levels, has been conducting a Red Sea national monitoring program since 2004 - to monitor the condition of both the Red Sea and the state of the reef. This gives the MoEP important data so that it can make decisions regarding protection of Eilat's marine environment.

Environmental Protection Minister Zeev Elkin: "The Gulf of Eilat faces significant environmental challenges, and we will continue to monitor the Gulf and the changes that take place there, and to take actions that will preserve it, so that future generations can enjoy the coral reef and the biodiversity there."

MoEP Director General Guy Samet: "The sea has a huge importance in regulating the global temperature, but this also has a cost to the sensitive marine environment. Every day, we get a reminder of the changes in climate around the world. The rise in water temperature and changes in the Gulf of Eilat can cause damage to the coral reef, which is one of our state's natural assets. The Ministry monitors what is being done and monitors marine activity, and at this stage, despite the rise in temperature, we do not detect any immediate danger to the coral reef. We will continue to publish these annual monitoring reports and to monitor the situation."

The Gulf of Eilat report is prepared by the Interuniversity Institute for Marine Sciences in Eilat, thanks to funding by the Ministry's Prevention of Sea Pollution Fund. The 2018 report, published on September 24, 2019, was written by the Institute's Dr. Yonatan Shaked and Prof. Amatzia Ganin.