Big data and the race to save coral reefs

With climate change fast eliciting coral bleaching on global scales, marine biologists are using predictive modeling to help prioritize conservation efforts.

Though coral reefs constitute less than 2% of the Earth’s oceans, they play a critical part in ocean health and are among the most diverse ecosystems on the planet. Not only are they home to scores of marine species, but their immense impact extends to local economies, supporting fisheries, encouraging tourism, and protecting shorelines from erosion – an impact valued at billions of dollars each year. With an outsized role in both environmental and economic success, protecting these fragile reefs should be a global priority, yet coral reef health around the world continues to decline. Climate change, in particular, has accelerated the degradation of reefs, and scientists now estimate that more than half of the world’s coral reefs have been lost over the past four decades due to climate change and other human-associated factors. Although scientists broadly understand the causes of coral reef bleaching and (later) death, predicting specifically which reefs are most at risk, which are most resilient, and which should be prioritized for conservation continues to be among the field’s foremost challenges.

Organizations like the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation seek answers to these questions, and marine scientists the world over are investing in international coral reef research, conservation, and restoration efforts. With their support, Dr. Anderson Mayfield, PhD, has devoted his career to the study of reef coral physiology, arguing that scientists need a more rigorous, statistically driven approach if they are to understand – and mitigate – the breakdown of corals in response to environmental shifts before it is too late.

From Mangrove Mud to Meaningful Work: Desta’s J.A.M.I.N. Journey

Some students I remember for their grades, their quick answers, or a moment that made the whole class laugh. Others I remember for the way they stepped into the mangroves.

Desta was the kind of student who thrived outdoors. While some students hesitated at the edge of the mud, he walked right in. And when he inevitably got stuck — because everyone does — he didn’t get frustrated. He laughed. Covered in mud, holding mangrove propagules in his hands, he embraced the experience fully.

Even then, it was clear that he was connecting with the environment in a way that went beyond the lesson plan…

From Students to Stewards: A Full-Circle Moment for J.A.M.I.N.

There are certain faces you never forget.

Over the years, hundreds of students have stepped into mangrove forests with us through the Jamaica Awareness of Mangroves in Nature (J.A.M.I.N.) program. I may not always remember every name, but I remember the expressions — the hesitation before stepping into thick mud, the laughter when someone loses a shoe, the look of surprise when they catch that unmistakable sulfur smell rising from the mangrove soil…

With climate change fast eliciting coral bleaching on global scales, marine biologists are using predictive modeling to help prioritize conservation efforts.

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From Mangrove Mud to Meaningful Work: Desta’s J.A.M.I.N. Journey

From Students to Stewards: A Full-Circle Moment for J.A.M.I.N.