Season 1, Episode 6
Understanding Coral Health and Immunity Could Restore Coral Reef Systems with Caroline Palmer
In this episode of From the Field, guest Dr. Caroline Palmer discusses how her research in coral immunology may be the key to resilience against coral bleaching and the loss of coral reef habitat that houses 25% of ocean life.
You'll Learn
How Caroline became interested in coral reef systems.
Why Caroline left academia and how she later found the strength to return and present her research on coral immunology.
Why coral immunology should be taken seriously and applied to restoration projects.
How coral functions.
How coral bleaching occurs and why it must be stopped.
Humans and corals have a similarity.
How corals benefit people and the economy.
Why Caroline started organization, Seeking Survivors in Costa Rica at a unique coral reef field site.
Monitoring levels of immunity at reef site and how they could offer resolution in coral resilience.
The importance of encouraging and empowering locals in coral reef conservation.
Taking action is the best thing we can do to protect our reefs.
Links From the Episode:
About Caroline
ABOUT DR. CAROLINE PALMER
Dr. Caroline Palmer is a coral biologist with a passion for physiology and function. Caroline co-established the field of coral immunology and demonstrated that coral immunity relates directly to bleaching and disease susceptibility. Caroline confirmed the presence of melanin within coral cells, and described anthozoan wound healing.
Caroline decided to leave academia after many negative experiences, though her passion for coral science never diminished. During her absence, Caroline focused on her family and, nursed her husband through cancer and re-trained as a health coach and built a successful business based off of that.
Eventually, Caroline returned to science because she believes in the importance of sharing her science in order to protect a dying coral reef. Caroline wishes to make a positive difference, not only in coral reef ecosystems but through support of inclusivity, diversity and equality in science.
Currently, Caroline is the Director of Seeking Survivors: Coral Health in Costa Rica. Caroline believes understanding how corals stay healthy and survive is key to understanding and engineering coral tolerance. It is therefore essential for effective coral conservation and restoration projects.
Seeking Survivors is an international project involving controlled experiments and long-term monitoring of the coral reefs in and around Sector Marino, Area de Conservacion Guanacaste.
Together with local residents employed, trained and supported as Career Citizen Scientists, also known as parataxonomists, they survey the coral reefs and sample for immunology to measure and monitor coral health.
Seeking Survivors
Areal shot of Área de Conservación Guanacaste
Surveying in the field
Pocillopora – A stoney looking coral
Research in ACG
Hosts & Guests
Priya Shelly – Host
Dr. Caroline Palmer – Guest