AIMS

Finding, studying and turning corals into underwater icons, symbols of resilience and conservation of reefs

The innovative idea is to turn corals into underwater icons, symbols of resilience and conservation of reefs. Specifically, giant coral colonies will be the center of the research for their intrinsic high value in terms of resilience, historical data contained within them, and importance for the area where they are located. They are amongst the most important reef builders. They can contribute to creating models to predict environmental responses to climate change and understand past oceanographic events even on a century-wide scale.

Moreover, giant colonies might provide socio-economic benefits through tourism or stewardship. The broader goal is to identify biological and ecological patterns that determine the existence and resilience of specific colonies and areas and can provide suggestions for conservation plans. Scientists will be able to conduct invaluable studies on coral microbiome, symbiosis, genetics, paleoclimatology, physiology, and ecology of the reef area.

Citizen scientists like you, are the key to our success.