Chris B. Wall, Ph.D.
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The Coral Health Team -- studying coral reef ecology in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument

8/26/2015

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Corals are amazing organisms that have prospered in the shallow, nutrient poor seas of the tropical and subtropical oceans.  These animals, along with their symbiont algae have built the massive calcified structures and architechture that defines the ecosystems that bare their names.  Coral reefs are presented with many challenges in the Anthropocene--the epoch of man--and as coral ecologists we study how the physiology and genetics of corals change in response to changing environmental conditions; how corals are affected by disease and pathogens; and how the 3D structural nature of reefs (that is, the "rugosity" or architectural complexity of the reef structure) change through time due to biological and physical processes. 

In the Monument, the Coral Health Team has explored numerous reefs, ranging in depth from 3 ft to 60 ft on the backreef and forereef of these remote islands and atolls. Over this range of depths and locations (windward, leeward), and weather conditions, the reefs can be strikingly different!  At each location we assess a variety of ecological and physiological metrics, including:  disease prevalence, coral bleaching percentages, coral benthic cover and species composition, and we collect water samples and coral samples to study the physiological ecology and genetic of the coral and their symbionts.  Finally, we collect hundreds of high resolution images along the reef to generate a 3D mosaic model of the reef substrate so that we can understand the structural complexity of these reefs, and the species present, at this point in time. Pretty cool stuff!

Want to learn more? Check out the NOAA RAMP Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument research blog to see some great photos of the Health Team in action, and learn about the cool research our team has been conducting.
 
                             Studying Coral Health In Papahānaumokuākea
2 Comments
ocean of games just cause 3 link
7/21/2017 03:22:07 am

fantastic blog i really appreciate it.

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Karen
6/23/2022 09:27:48 pm

Thanks for sharing your story about coral reefs! I want to share a company that is specialized in diving classes. "Frog Dive". http://www.frogdive.com.au They have classes and courses that suits all diving skill levels. Thanks again!

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    About the author

    I am a Ph.D. student studying the physiological ecology of reef corals at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa. I have a passion for the ocean and marine conservation. I surf, bonsai, and prefer my music  riff-heavy and on wax.
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