Research Mission
One of the most pressing scientific
and societal issues of our time is the continued anthropogenic addition of CO2
to the atmosphere that is perturbing the global carbon cycle and changing
global climate. About a third of this
anthropogenic CO2 is absorbed by the surface ocean causing a decrease
in ocean pH, a process known as “ocean acidification”. From the perspective of a chemical
oceanographer interested in climate change and the carbon cycle, ocean
acidification is a fascinating and alarming process that will have a
significant impact on marine ecosystems worldwide.
Ecosystems dominated by organisms that produce calcium carbonate (CaCO3) are especially threatened because ocean acidification also decreases the concentration of carbonate ions needed to produce CaCO3. I am interested in coastal regions, and in particular coral reefs, because of their ecological complexity and economic importance. Coral reefs are particularly vulnerable to ocean acidification because the reef calcifiers, predominantly corals and coralline algae, must produce CaCO3 fast enough to maintain the reef structure against physical and biochemical erosion. The response of real coral reef ecosystems to changing CO2 levels is poorly understood because measurements of net ecosystem calcification (NEC) rates and of the seawater CO2 parameters within coral reef systems are sparse. My research focuses on characterizing the natural variability of coral reef NEC rates and seawater CO2 levels, determining the sensitivity of NEC to changes in CO2, and investigating the underlying mechanisms controlling coral reef calcification. This work is interdisciplinary in nature and involves chemical, biological, and physical oceanography; coral reef ecology; and climate science and allows me to collaborate with colleagues across a wide range of specialties. My research is critical for enabling accurate predictions of the effects of ocean acidification on coral reef ecosystems and will inform policy makers about which reefs will be more resistant to ocean acidification and should therefore be conserved.
Ecosystems dominated by organisms that produce calcium carbonate (CaCO3) are especially threatened because ocean acidification also decreases the concentration of carbonate ions needed to produce CaCO3. I am interested in coastal regions, and in particular coral reefs, because of their ecological complexity and economic importance. Coral reefs are particularly vulnerable to ocean acidification because the reef calcifiers, predominantly corals and coralline algae, must produce CaCO3 fast enough to maintain the reef structure against physical and biochemical erosion. The response of real coral reef ecosystems to changing CO2 levels is poorly understood because measurements of net ecosystem calcification (NEC) rates and of the seawater CO2 parameters within coral reef systems are sparse. My research focuses on characterizing the natural variability of coral reef NEC rates and seawater CO2 levels, determining the sensitivity of NEC to changes in CO2, and investigating the underlying mechanisms controlling coral reef calcification. This work is interdisciplinary in nature and involves chemical, biological, and physical oceanography; coral reef ecology; and climate science and allows me to collaborate with colleagues across a wide range of specialties. My research is critical for enabling accurate predictions of the effects of ocean acidification on coral reef ecosystems and will inform policy makers about which reefs will be more resistant to ocean acidification and should therefore be conserved.
