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CORAL DISEASE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
RESEARCH DATE(S)[TBA]
RESEARCH MISSION
The goal of this project is to continue to help decrease the devasting effects of coral disease in reefs around Little Cayman Island. Last year, thanks to our DWAR divers, we completed a pilot project to evaluate whether it would be possible to stop the progression of specific diseases that are killing hundred-year-old colonies in a matter of weeks. This critical pilot project was funded by PADI Project AWARE Foundation. We will start this initiative as a small project, and will continue to upgrade the scope of our work with the assistance of DWAR divers.
The main goal of this project is to continue test a system to manage coral disease outbreaks at multiple scales and effectively decrease live coral loss to disease. We were successful in designing and testing a method that worked to stop the progress of coral disease, in particular, White Plague Syndromes.
Specific Field Work for DWAR Divers: Divers will help relocate corals that were tagged in summer 2006. These corals will be photographed and viewed by the group to determine whether the disease is progressing and what the rate of progress was. A series of new corals will be tagged and carefully treated with a special epoxy mixture.A series of visits will be made after epoxy is applied and corals will be documented by the DWAR research team. The results from the preliminary study indicates that it is possible to stop the spread of White plague disease.
THE RESEARCHER(S)
Dr. Vania Coelho has been working on the resident research program of the Central Caribbean Marine Institute since 2002. She has a bachelor's degree in Biology, master's degree in Ecology and Ph.D. in Zoology, all from University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. She completed most of her doctorate research while working as a visiting scientist at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. After completing her doctorate, Dr. Coelho held a post-doctoral research scientist position initially, and later an associate research scientist position, at Columbia University. She joined Dominican University of California as an assistant professor in the end of 2002. Dr. Coelho's research focuses on coral reef ecology and conservation.
Dr. Carrie Manfrino is an Associate Professor of Oceanography and is also the President and Founder of the Central Caribbean Marine Institute. Her research interest is in understanding the long-term survival of coral reefs and in working to establish new innovative research projects that can resolove some of the problems that we are measuring on coral reefs. She has her bachelor's degree in Geology from the University of Colorado, a Master's degree from Colorado School of Mines, and her Ph.D in Geology & Geophysics from the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (University of Miami). She is on the faculty at Kean University and is a Visiting Associate Professor at Rutgers University, Institute of Marine and Coastal Science.
Captain Jonathan Clamp is the Dive With A Researcher Team Supervisor and is Manager for the Little Cayman Research Center. He was the Manager of the Glover's Reef Marine Research Station for the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Cayman Islands Department of Environment Marine Parks Manager for Little Cayman before he joined the Central Caribbean Marine Institute team. You might know Jonathan as the Captain of the Little Cayman DIver II or the Manager of the Southern Cross Club if you are a long time visitor to Little Cayman. He brings many years of experience to our team and will oversee all safe field activities.
DIVING ACTIVITIES
Each research dive will involve several activities. Divers will help with logistic support, such as carrying research equipment (transect lines, pins, hammers, etc). Also, divers will aid in tagging corals, taking temperature measurements, taking photographs of tagged corals, etc. Removal of the diseased band will be accomplished by scientists but divers will assist in handling materials and equipment during this process. More detailed information will be provided in the first day of the program.
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