[Coral-List] NOAA Science Seminar TODAY: Citizen Science Benefits Coral Reef Restoration

[Tracy Gill - NOAA Federal]

OneNOAA Science Seminar Series <https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/seminars/>
Please forward to folks who might be interested; apologies for cross-posts.

*Title: Citizen Science Benefits Coral Reef Restoration*

Speaker: Dalton Hesley, Research Associate, University of Miami RSMAS.
Presenting remotely.

When: TODAY, February 22, 2018, 12-1pm ET

Where: Via webinar (see login below) or for NOAA Silver Spring folks -
SSMC4, ROOM 8150

Sponsor: NOAA's National Ocean Service Science Seminar; seminar host is
Tracy.Gill at noaa.gov

Webinar Access: Mymeeting webinar uses phone for and internet. Audio is
only available over the phone: dial toll-free from US or CAN:
1-877-708-1667. Enter code 7028688#
For the webcast, go to www.mymeetings.com  Under "Participant Join", click
"Join an Event", then add conf no: 744925156. No is code needed for the
web. Be sure to install the correct plug‐in for WebEx before the seminar
starts - temporary application works fine.

Abstract: The abundance of corals has declined significantly over past
decades, to the point where several reef-building species in the Caribbean
are now listed as threatened. Active reef restoration has expanded
exponentially to help recover degraded coral populations and the ecological
services they provide. While restoration practitioners now grow hundreds of
coral genotypes from several species within coral nurseries and outplant
thousands onto degraded reefs annually, the cost of these activities
continues to be a limiting factor. We describe a citizen science program,
Rescue a Reef (RAR), which trains participants in reef restoration and
provides unique experiential learning opportunities to recover degraded
coral reefs. Between 2015-2017, 230 participants outplanted >1,300 staghorn
corals, showing that citizen scientists significantly contribute to reef
restoration. Most importantly, corals outplanted by RAR participants showed
the same survivorship as those outplanted by scientific experts. The direct
benefits of using citizen scientists for restoration are enhanced when the
educational opportunities offered by these expeditions are considered.
Results from our survey showed significant improvements in coral reef
ecology and restoration knowledge for RAR participants.

About the Speaker: Dalton Hesley is a University of Miami (UM) graduate,
earning his Master of Professional Science in Marine Biology and Ecology.
Before that, he received his B.S. degree in Biology from the University of
Minnesota-Duluth. Currently, he works as a Research Associate in Dr. Diego
Lirman's Benthic Ecology laboratory at UM while also managing their Rescue
a Reef program, a citizen science project aimed at supporting coral reef
research and restoration through community education and engagement. His
main areas of focus are marine ecosystem management as well as coral reef
conservation. He hopes to continue working to restore the future of our
coral reefs.

Subscribe to the OneNOAA Science Seminar weekly email: Send an email to
OneNOAAscienceseminars-request at list.woc.noaa.gov with the word `subscribe'
in the subject or body. See http://www.nodc.noaa.gov/seminars/


-- 

​
Tracy A. Gill   tracy.gill at noaa.gov   240-533-0349
Physical Scientist
​ and NOAA/NOS Science Seminar Coordinator
​
Biogeography Branch, Marine Spatial Ecology Division
National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science
​, ​
National Ocean Service, NOAA
1305 East-West Hwy, N/SCI-1, # 9208, Silver Spring, MD  20910-3278

*Check out NOAA's **NCCOS Website <http://coastalscience.noaa.gov/>*
*for more on our projects, products and news.*

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