Seizing the Season's Potential
In the heart of California, at the University of California San Diego (UC San Diego), the Sandin Lab at Scripps Oceanography is making significant strides in understanding the resilience of coral reefs amid global change. The lab's research, led by marine biologist Stuart Sandin, is shedding light on how the composition of coral assemblages before disturbance events influences reef responses to major changes such as cyclones and marine thermal stress events, like coral bleaching.
The lab's innovative, collaborative scientific methods are being employed to advance knowledge of coral reef ecosystem dynamics. By focusing on the importance of biological diversity and community structure in reef resilience, the Sandin Lab is providing critical insights for predicting reef futures and potentially guiding conservation strategies in the face of climate change.
The virtual format of the Jane Teranes-Scripps Undergraduate Research Fellowship (JT-SURF) Program in 2020 proved beneficial, with the nature of work within the Sandin Lab utilising photogrammetry to build detailed 3D models of coral reefs. This year, the Sandin Lab welcomes another JT-SURF undergraduate intern for an in-person program across multiple labs.
The JT-SURF Program, a summer Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) hosted at Scripps Oceanography and funded by the National Science Foundation, provides opportunities for undergraduates in earth, ocean, and atmospheric sciences to encourage and nourish research skills early in their college career. The intern will help design and create a conservation digital twin for the park's biodiversity reserve, collaborating with the Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation and the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.
Ahmi Cacapit, a PhD candidate in the Sandin Lab, is focusing on coral reef ecology and natural recruitment in the Pacific. Cacapit's work complements long-term monitoring techniques to achieve high-resolution comparisons across space and time, contributing to the lab's mission to understand reef resilience amid global change.
Scripps Oceanography is one of the world's most important centers for global earth science research and education. It operates a fleet of four oceanographic research vessels and is home to Birch Aquarium at Scripps, welcoming 500,000 visitors each year. The university embraces a culture of exploration and experimentation, driving innovation and change to advance society and make the world a better place.
This research by Scripps scientists is a testament to their commitment to understanding and protecting the planet, investigating oceans, Earth, and atmosphere to find solutions to environmental challenges. As the fight against climate change continues, the insights from the Sandin Lab are essential for informing efforts to safeguard coral reefs, one of the most diverse and valuable ecosystems on the planet.
[1] Sandin, S. G., et al. (2020). Resilience of coral reefs to global change: the importance of community structure. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(49), 29522–29531. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2015729117
You can follow Ahmi Cacapit on Instagram @tsunahmi_ for updates on her research.
- The Sandin Lab at Scripps Oceanography is conducting groundbreaking oceanographic research, focusing on marine biodiversity and the health-and-wellness of coral reefs, with the aim to understand their resilience amid global change.
- The JT-SURF Program, funded by the National Science Foundation, is offering opportunities in education-and-self-development for undergraduate students, allowing them to engage in science, technology, environmental-science, and fitness-and-exercise through hands-on research experience in marine biology.
- The Sandin Lab, in collaboration with the Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation and the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, is working on a conservation digital twin for a biodiversity reserve, using the insights derived from coral reef 3D models to guide future health-and-wellness and environmental-science initiatives.
- The work of Ahmi Cacapit, a PhD candidate in the Sandin Lab, contributes to the lab's mission by focusing on coral reef ecology and natural recruitment, using technology to achieve high-resolution comparisons across space and time, ultimately advancing science and making the world a better place.
