Schweppe Lecture Series

Coral reefs are one of the most diverse and unique ecosystems on the planet but they have been declining globally for decades.  Until recently, overfishing and pollution were the primary causes for large-scale coral reef decline.  However, global warming now appears to be a significant additional stress to coral reefs. Sustained elevated seawater temperatures results in a physiological response known as coral bleaching, which can kill coral.  The increase in bleaching frequency and intensity over several decades has mirrored the increase in global oceanic temperatures.  At the current rate of global warming, as much as 30% of the world's present healthy coral reefs could be lost within 30 years.  Left unchecked, human impacts and coral bleaching will result in large-scale coral mortality and degradation of coral reef communities across the globe.  Only through research and protection can we hope to conserve coral reef ecosystems.  In this presentation, Dr. Grottoli will introduce you to coral reef ecosystems, the effects of human impacts and global warming on this ecosystem, and present various scenarios on the future status of coral reefs.

Dr. Andrea Grottoli is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Science at the University of Pennsylvania.  She received her PhD from the University of Houston and completed her postdoctoral studies at the University of California - Irvine.  Her research focuses on coral reef biogeochemistry, paleoclimatology, and coral bleaching.

The free lecture will be held at 7 p.m. in the Visitor Center of the University of Texas Marine Science Institute in Port Aransas, and the public is invited to attend. Dr. Grottoli's visit to the Marine Science Institute is part of the Laura Randall Schweppe Endowed Lecture Series in Marine Science.