[Coral-List] 2008 ISRS-Ocean Conservancy Coral Reef Fellowships Awarded

Jack Sobel jsobel at oceanconservancy.org
Wed Jul 16 13:01:18 EDT 2008


Press Release

 

 

Media Contact: Kelly Ricaurte

Telephone: 202.351.0482

Email: kricaurte at oceanconservancy.org

Program Contact: Jack Sobel

Telephone: 202.351.0454

Email: jsobel at oceanconservancy.org

 

For Immediate Release: July 10, 2008

 

Ocean Conservancy and the International Society for Reef Studies
Announce 11th Annual Coral Reef Research Fellowship Recipients

Funding for six young, innovative scientific leaders made possible by
Ocean Conservancy donor to foster new research to aid imperiled coral
reefs

 

International Coral Reef Symposium, Fort Lauderdale, FL - Today, Ocean
Conservancy and the International Society for Reef Studies (ISRS) are
pleased to announce six 2008 Coral Reef Ecosystem Research Fellowship
recipients. The Coral Reef Fellowships, now in their eleventh year,
support research by outstanding young scientific leaders to strengthen
our understanding and management of coral reefs. The Fellowships are
important for young scientists who are stepping outside the box, with
new, unproven ideas to explore - ideas that may just hold the key to
saving our imperiled coral reefs.  The Coral Reef Fellowships are made
possible by an anonymous Ocean Conservancy member, and are administered
jointly by Ocean Conservancy and ISRS.  

 

"We received many strong entries for the fellowship this year - it is a
testament to the pressing need for coral reef research as coral reef
ecosystems worldwide are struggling under the weight of multiple human
stressors now exacerbated by the increasing impact of climate change,
ocean warming and ocean acidification," said Jack Sobel, director of
strategic conservation science and policy at Ocean Conservancy. "The
fellowship program offers hope for the future of coral reefs and I am
confident that this year's selections will conduct groundbreaking
research that will move us forward in understanding how coral reef
systems work and what we must do to conserve them for the next
generation."

 

This year's recipients are promising scientists.  They include Suzanne
Arnold of the University of Maine, Michael Holcomb of Woods Hole
Oceanographic Institution, Kelton McMahon of MIT-Woods Hole
Oceanographic Institution Joint Program, Malin Pinsky of Hopkins Marine
Station at Stanford University, Hollie Putnam soon to be of the
University of Hawaii at Manoa, and Jada-Simone White of University of
Florida.  

 

Research made possible through this year's Fellowships spans a range of
areas.  Suzanne Arnold will focus on determining important drivers for
reef resilience, Michael Holcomb will investigate the interactions
between temperature, carbon dioxide, nutrients and symbiosis, Kelton
McMahon will track coral reef fish migration to determine the connection
between juvenile nursery habitats and coral reefs, Malin Pinsky will
study the effects of low population density on reef fish connectivity,
Hollie Putnam will research larval response to forecast climate
conditions and Jada-Simone White will help to understand mechanisms that
are constraining coral recovery.

 

For more information on the Coral Reef Fellowship program, visit
oceanconservancy.org or http://www.fit.edu/isrs/.

 

About Ocean Conservancy

 

Ocean Conservancy is the world's foremost advocate for the oceans.
Through science-based advocacy, research, and public education, we
inform, inspire and empower people to speak and act for the oceans.
Ocean Conservancy is headquartered in Washington, DC, and has offices in
New England, Florida, the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, and California
with support from more than half a million members and volunteers.  For
more information, visit oceanconservancy.org.

 

About International Society for Reef Studies

 

The ISRS is the leading professional organization for coral reef
scientists and managers.  ISRS is dedicated to promoting scientific
knowledge and understanding of coral reefs for the public good.  The
awards were announced today at the 11th International Coral Reef
Symposium, whose theme was appropriately Reefs for the Future.

 

JACK SOBEL

Senior Scientist

Telephone (Direct Line): 202.351.0454

                (General):     202.429.5609

Mobile:     202.262.6926

Facsimile: 202.280.6296 or 202.872.0619

E-mail: jsobel at oceanconservancy.org




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