LUKE STOEBER - leaderTeam Rubble is part of the Marine Ecology Creative Inquiry lead by Luke Stoeber. Coral reefs of the Caribbean are quickly degrading with the loss of live hard corals. This is particular the case for reefs previously dominated by branching corals which have been largely lost to disease and thermal stress. In their place, coral rubble habitats have been increasing a substrate which supports the reef cryptofauna community. Team Rubble examines the abundance, richness, diversity, and evenness of cryptofauna communities in relation to other reef functions such as nutrient-macroalgae relationships, or the abundance of invertebrate feeding reef fishes. Understanding the separate benefits of live branching corals versus branching coral rubble structure to reef community interactions and processes is essential to understand future reef dynamics.
meredith moore - leaderTeam Restore is part of the Scientific Diving Creative Inquiry lead by Meredith Moore. One strategy for building resilience in coral reefs is to focus on restoring only those corals with the greatest chance of surviving warmer temperatures. This projects seeks to understand the role that symbiont substitution can play in making transplanted corals more resilient to future marine heat waves. By comparing the variation in coral symbionts between recently transplanted, established transplants, and natural coral recruits we hope to better understand the role symbionts play in coral resiliency.
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Sarah Rider - leaderTeam Reef is part of the Scientific Diving Creative Inquiry led by Sarah Rider. This team plans to study how coral reef restoration influences cryptobenthic biodiversity. The team is excited about the prospect of improving baseline understanding of cryptobenthic species in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, and studying how cryptobenthic communities change over time as reefs are restored. Research will focus on seven “Mission: Iconic Reefs” that are included in an ongoing restoration effort led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: Carysfort Reef, Horseshoe Reef, Cheeca Rocks, Sombrero Key, Newfound Harbor, Looe Key, and Eastern Dry Rocks. While methods are still under development, the team plans to use a combination of SCUBA-based reef transect surveys and Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures (ARMS).
mICHAEL cHILDRESS - leaderTeam Heat is led by Michael Childress. The frequency and duration of marine heat waves is increasing and is causing dramatic shifts in coral reef communities. Marine heat waves cause bleaching in hard corals and mass mortality in soft corals. Yet we know very little about why some of these corals survive while others do not. This project is focused on understanding what confers resiliency in corals and the role that other members of the community (macroalgae, sponges, urchins, cryptofauna, and reef fishes) play in maintaining community stability.
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TARA cRONIN - leaderTeam Crayfish is part of the Climate Change Symbiosis Creative Inquiry led by Tara Cronin. The team conducts research seeking to determine the impacts of climate warming on symbiotic relationships by using crayfish-branchiobdellid symbiosis as a model system. We are currently working on a mark recapture study of two local crayfish species in streams, as well as conducting experiments to determine the thermal performance and limits of crayfish and branchiobdellids. Additionally, we are working on behavioral trials to determine how temperature and branchiobdellids impact crayfish behavior. Our hope is to build a model to predict the impacts of climate warming on symbiotic relationships. Funding provided by a Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Fund grant the American Museum of Natural History.
CAMILLE WHITE - leaderTeam Trophic is part of the Conservation of Marine Resources Creative Inquiry led by Camille White. Team Trophic is focused on understanding the trophic dynamics of reef fishes. We study how the availability of food resources influence the trophoscape of fishes across reefs from nearshore to offshore. By tracking energy flow and trophic interactions within reefs and among reefs, we
aim to predict future conditions and assess the resilience of reef fish communities in a warming world, providing crucial insights for conservation strategies and ecosystem management. |
Dr. Michael Childress
Dept. of Biological Sciences
Dept. of Forestry and Environmental Conservation
Clemson University
Clemson, SC 29634-0314
864.985.2384
Dept. of Biological Sciences
Dept. of Forestry and Environmental Conservation
Clemson University
Clemson, SC 29634-0314
864.985.2384