Effective coral restoration is a global priority to support the recovery of coral reef ecosystems impacted by climate change and local stressors. Targeted restoration using ecologically suitable species is essential, as coral traits influence restoration potential. Understanding biodiversity patterns, endemism, and species distribution is therefore critical. This internship project applies an integrated systematics approach to assess species boundaries and distribution of Echinopora corals in the Red Sea, a common shallow-water reef builder that can be locally abundant and has been identified as a key restoration target for Red Sea coral restoration initiatives. The project will entail a combination of morphological and molecular analyses to assess species 

Phylogenetic trees, detailed imaging catalogue of the specimens, and a written report in the form of a scientific paper draft.