{"id":149,"date":"2018-03-08T19:07:34","date_gmt":"2018-03-08T19:07:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/clemson.world\/research\/?p=149"},"modified":"2019-03-12T13:15:43","modified_gmt":"2019-03-12T13:15:43","slug":"coral-crusader","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/research\/coral-crusader\/","title":{"rendered":"The Coral Crusader"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id='fullscreen_slider_1'  class='avia-fullscreen-slider main_color   avia-builder-el-0  el_before_av_one_full  avia-builder-el-first   container_wrap sidebar_right' style=' '  ><a href='#next-section' title='' class='scroll-down-link av-control-default' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue877' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/a><div   data-size='extra_large'  data-lightbox_size='large'  data-animation='slide'  data-conditional_play=''  data-ids='162,'  data-video_counter='1'  data-autoplay='true'  data-bg_slider='true'  data-slide_height='100'  data-handle='av_fullscreen'  data-interval='3'  data-class=' '  data-el_id=''  data-css_id='fullscreen_slider_1'  data-scroll_down='aviaTBscroll_down'  data-control_layout='av-control-default'  data-custom_markup=''  data-perma_caption=''  data-autoplay_stopper='1'  data-image_attachment='scroll'  data-min_height='0px'  data-stretch=''  data-default-height='100'  class='avia-slideshow avia-slideshow-1 av-slider-scroll-down-active av-control-default av-default-height-applied avia-slideshow-extra_large av_fullscreen   avia-slide-slider '  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" ><ul class='avia-slideshow-inner ' style='padding-bottom: 66.6666666667%;' ><li style='background-position:center center;' data-img-url='https:\/\/clemson.world\/research\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/03\/Coral_Introduction-1500x1000.jpg' class=' slide-1 ' ><div data-rel='slideshow-1' class='avia-slide-wrap '   ><div class = \"caption_fullwidth av-slideshow-caption caption_center\"><div class = \"container caption_container\"><div class = \"slideshow_caption\"><div class = \"slideshow_inner_caption\"><div class = \"slideshow_align_caption\"><h2  style='font-size:74px; color:#ffffff; ' class='avia-caption-title  '  itemprop=\"name\" >THE CORAL CRUSADER<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class='av-section-color-overlay' style='opacity: 0.3; background-color: #000000; '><\/div><div class='av-click-to-play-overlay'><div class=\"avia_playpause_icon\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/li><li  data-controls='' data-mute='' data-loop='' data-disable-autoplay='aviaTBaviaTBvideo_autoplay'  data-mobile-img='https:\/\/clemson.world\/research\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/03\/Coral_Introduction_2-1500x1000.jpg' class=' av-video-slide  av-video-service-youtube  av-mobile-fallback-image slide-2 ' ><div data-rel='slideshow-1' class='avia-slide-wrap ' style='background-image:url(\"https:\/\/clemson.world\/research\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/03\/Coral_Introduction_2-1500x1000.jpg\");'  ><div class='av-click-overlay'><\/div><div class='mejs-mediaelement'><div height='1600' width='900' class='av_youtube_frame' id='player_149_2124607016_129994820'  data-autoplay='0'  data-videoid='BF-zpYK3eak'  data-hd='1'  data-rel='0'  data-wmode='opaque'  data-playlist='player_149_2124607016_129994820'  data-loop='0'  data-version='3'  data-autohide='1'  data-color='white'  data-controls='1'  data-showinfo='0'  data-iv_load_policy='3'  data-original_url='https:\/\/youtu.be\/BF-zpYK3eak' ><\/div><\/div><div class='av-click-to-play-overlay'><div class=\"avia_playpause_icon\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/li><\/ul><div class='avia-slideshow-arrows avia-slideshow-controls'><a href='#prev' class='prev-slide' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue87c' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'>Previous<\/a><a href='#next' class='next-slide' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue87d' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'>Next<\/a><\/div><div class='avia-slideshow-dots avia-slideshow-controls'><a href='#1' class='goto-slide active' >1<\/a><a href='#2' class='goto-slide ' >2<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><div id='after_full_slider_1'  class='main_color av_default_container_wrap container_wrap sidebar_right' style=' '  ><div class='container' ><div class='template-page content  av-content-small alpha units'><div class='post-entry post-entry-type-page post-entry-149'><div class='entry-content-wrapper clearfix'>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_full  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-1  el_after_av_fullscreen  el_before_av_one_fifth  avia-builder-el-first  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock  av_inherit_color '  style='font-size:13px; color:#000000; '  itemprop=\"text\" ><p style=\"text-align: center;\">By <strong>Jim Melvin<\/strong><br \/>\nPhotography by <strong>Jesse Godfrey \u201911<\/strong> and <strong>Madison Williams<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-3  el_after_av_one_full  el_before_av_three_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_three_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-4  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><div   class='hr hr-default   avia-builder-el-5  avia-builder-el-no-sibling '><span class='hr-inner ' ><span class='hr-inner-style'><\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-6  el_after_av_three_fifth  el_before_av_one_full  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_full  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-7  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock  av_inherit_color '  style='font-size:25px; color:#009bbf; '  itemprop=\"text\" ><p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Coral reefs in the Florida Keys, Caribbean and throughout the world are in dramatic decline. A graduate student from Clemson has made it her mission to help restore one of the ocean\u2019s most-endangered and invaluable species.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-9  el_after_av_one_full  el_before_av_three_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_three_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-10  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><div   class='hr hr-default   avia-builder-el-11  avia-builder-el-no-sibling '><span class='hr-inner ' ><span class='hr-inner-style'><\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-12  el_after_av_three_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-13  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_three_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_three_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-14  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock  '  style='font-size:16px; '  itemprop=\"text\" ><p>When Hurricane Irma slammed southern Florida\u00a0this past September, the monstrous storm\u2019s one-two punch of wicked winds and widespread flooding tore apart homes, businesses, roads and bridges.<\/p>\n<p>The hurricane didn\u2019t stop there. Beneath the surface of the warm waters of the Florida Keys, Irma\u2019s rage also took no pity. Swirling currents powerful enough to roll boulders shredded portions of the Keys\u2019 imperiled coral reefs.<\/p>\n<p>About a month after Irma\u2019s untimely appearance, a young scientist from Clemson donned scuba gear and plunged into the waters of the Middle Keys to examine the damage firsthand. Lingering silt and debris made for poor visibility, but the scientist was still able to see well enough to confirm her fears. The coral reef \u2014 the first of six she would visit during her latest research venture \u2014 had been scoured. Soft corals, algae and sponges were obliterated. Stony corals fared better, but half of even those were damaged or destroyed.<\/p>\n<p>It was a grim discovery. But the worst disaster can have a silver lining. It became her quest to find one.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div><div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-16  el_after_av_three_fifth  el_before_av_hr  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div><\/p>\n<div  style='height:25px' class='hr hr-invisible   avia-builder-el-17  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_image '><span class='hr-inner ' ><span class='hr-inner-style'><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div  class='avia-image-container  av-styling-  noHover  av-overlay-on-hover   avia-builder-el-18  el_after_av_hr  el_before_av_hr  avia-align-center '  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"  ><div class='avia-image-container-inner'><div class='avia-image-overlay-wrap'><div class='av-image-caption-overlay'><div class='av-caption-image-overlay-bg' style='opacity:0.7; background-color:#000000; '><\/div><div class='av-image-caption-overlay-position'><div class='av-image-caption-overlay-center' style='color:#ffffff; font-size:13px; '><p>Kylie Smith holding a coral sample.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><img class='avia_image' src='https:\/\/clemson.world\/research\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/03\/Coral_Coral-Sample.jpg' alt='' title='Coral_Coral-Sample' height=\"800\" width=\"800\"  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\"  \/><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div  style='height:25px' class='hr hr-invisible   avia-builder-el-19  el_after_av_image  el_before_av_one_fifth '><span class='hr-inner ' ><span class='hr-inner-style'><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-20  el_after_av_hr  el_before_av_three_fifth  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_three_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-21  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock  av_inherit_color '   itemprop=\"text\" ><h4 style=\"color: #009bbf;\">A RAPID DECLINE<\/h4>\n<p>Kylie Smith has been making the long journey from the foothills of the Appalachians to the seas of southern Florida for the past six years,\u00a0diving deep into the salt water of the Florida Keys as she completed her master\u2019s degree and is now finishing the research for her Ph.D. She has spent hundreds of hours studying the creatures that inhabit coral reefs, measuring fish abundance, testing water quality and acidification levels, and also transplanting fragments of coral and recording their rates of survival and growth.<\/p>\n<p>Coral reefs represent some of our oldest and most diverse ecosystems. They serve as spawning and nursery grounds for ocean species that feed millions of people. They create a staggering array of jobs in the fishing, recreation and tourism industries. They even protect shorelines from erosion by lessening wave height and force. But this invaluable natural resource has been in alarming decline for the past three decades. About 80 percent of what existed as recently as the late 1970s is now dying or dead. Marine biologists consider these reefs to be the most critically imperiled ecosystem on the planet.<\/p>\n<p>The rapid decline of corals started in the Caribbean. Disease, physical disturbance and bleaching were the most obvious culprits. But this trio of enemies has been around \u2014 just like coral itself -\u2014 for millions of years. So why has such a precipitous downturn occurred in just 30 years?<\/p>\n<p>Corals thrive in a narrow temperature range \u2014 about 75-86 degrees Fahrenheit. When water temperatures rise above 86 degrees for extended periods, corals become more susceptible to disease, competition, predation and mortality.<\/p>\n<p>Climate change appears to be the accelerator that could potentially cause the extinction of coral. Rising levels of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere are trapping heat, and about 90 percent of it is being absorbed by our oceans. Given current temperature trajectories, some estimate that there could be no corals left anywhere on Earth as soon as 2050.<\/p>\n<p>None of this has gone unnoticed. In the Florida Keys and elsewhere, several organizations are transplanting coral fragments by the tens of thousands in hopes of restoring existing reefs and creating new ones. But most of the transplants fare poorly, simply because what is causing them to deteriorate remains insidiously in place.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-23  el_after_av_three_fifth  el_before_av_fullscreen  avia-builder-el-last  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><!-- close content main div --><\/div><\/div><div id='fullscreen_slider_2'  class='avia-fullscreen-slider main_color   avia-builder-el-24  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth   slider-not-first container_wrap sidebar_right' style=' '  ><div   data-size='extra_large'  data-lightbox_size='large'  data-animation='slide'  data-conditional_play=''  data-ids='173'  data-video_counter='0'  data-autoplay='false'  data-bg_slider='true'  data-slide_height='100'  data-handle='av_fullscreen'  data-interval='5'  data-class=' '  data-el_id=''  data-css_id='fullscreen_slider_2'  data-scroll_down=''  data-control_layout='av-control-default'  data-custom_markup=''  data-perma_caption=''  data-autoplay_stopper=''  data-image_attachment='scroll'  data-min_height='0px'  data-stretch=''  data-default-height='100'  class='avia-slideshow avia-slideshow-2  av-control-default av-default-height-applied avia-slideshow-extra_large av_fullscreen   avia-slide-slider '  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" ><ul class='avia-slideshow-inner ' style='padding-bottom: 50%;' ><li style='background-position:center center;' data-img-url='https:\/\/clemson.world\/research\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/03\/Energy_Team-1500x750.jpg' class=' av-single-slide slide-1 ' ><div data-rel='slideshow-2' class='avia-slide-wrap '   ><\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><div id='after_full_slider_2'  class='main_color av_default_container_wrap container_wrap sidebar_right' style=' '  ><div class='container' ><div class='template-page content  av-content-small alpha units'><div class='post-entry post-entry-type-page post-entry-149'><div class='entry-content-wrapper clearfix'>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-25  el_after_av_fullscreen  el_before_av_three_fifth  avia-builder-el-first  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_three_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-26  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock  '   itemprop=\"text\" ><h4 style=\"color: #009bbf;\">MAXIMIZING PERFORMANCE<\/h4>\n<p>Marine biologists don\u2019t always end up living near the ocean. Michael Childress came to Clemson from Idaho State University, about a four-day drive from the Florida Keys. He had begun doing underwater research in the Keys in 1991 when he was a graduate student at Florida State University.<\/p>\n<p>Childress is an evolutionary behavioral ecologist whose research focuses on understanding how marine animals respond to habitat loss. He came to Clemson in 2001 and is now an associate professor of biological sciences. Over the past 15-plus years, Childress and his students have managed to make dozens of trips to the Keys to study spiny lobsters, blue crabs and anemone shrimp. They\u2019ve helped finance these trips by doing everything from using National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Sea Grant awards to holding bake sales.<\/p>\n<p>Smith began working with Childress in 2010. After earning her bachelor\u2019s in ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Colorado Boulder, she came to Clemson as a research assistant and then became a master\u2019s student. When Childress and Smith began to discuss her research options, Smith mentioned that she was interested in studying corals.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI didn\u2019t work on corals,\u201d Childress recalls. \u201cSo, when Kylie said that she wanted to do a project about corals, I told her that \u2014 at least at first \u2014 it would have to be related to some aspect of animal behavior, because that\u2019s what my lab at Clemson does. Eventually, we decided that Kylie would begin by studying the effects of parrotfish populations on the health of coral reefs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Parrotfish are herbivores, and one of their favorite foods is macroalgae that compete with corals for nutrients and space. The decline of corals in the Florida Keys was accompanied by a dramatic increase in fleshy and turf algae. Smith\u2019s initial research tested the hypothesis that a loss of reef herbivores was one of the main reasons for this. But she ended up finding little evidence that high parrotfish populations were rescuing coral communities. This became the subject of her master\u2019s thesis, which she defended in 2015.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor the first three years, we watched just over 2,500 parrotfish, documenting their feeding behavior,\u201d Smith says. \u201cIn the end, we didn\u2019t find any major effects on coral health. Now, we are focusing more on parrotfish habitat use and territoriality to see if we can get a better understanding of their impacts on the reef.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Smith\u2019s early research taught her many things about coral reefs. For instance, different species of corals seemed to have different sensitivities to warm-water conditions, which can cause coral to turn completely white. This is called coral bleaching, and it occurs when corals expel algae that reside in their tissues. Corals can survive bleaching events, but the resulting stress often causes widespread damage.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLooking at the interactions that have been taking place between these organisms had been the foundation of my research,\u201d Smith says. \u201cBut we\u2019ve had other offshoots. We\u2019ve looked at the effects of overharvesting of fish. We\u2019ve looked at how differing water quality can influence some of these relationships. And we\u2019ve monitored how changes in temperature can influence coral growth.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-28  el_after_av_three_fifth  el_before_av_one_full  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_full  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-29  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock  av_inherit_color '  style='font-size:25px; color:#009bbf; '  itemprop=\"text\" ><p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #009bbf;\"><strong>This invaluable natural resource has been in precipitous decline for the past 30 years. Marine biologists consider these reefs to be the most critically imperiled ecosystem on the planet.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-31  el_after_av_one_full  el_before_av_three_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_three_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-32  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock  '   itemprop=\"text\" ><p>Childress\u2019s undergraduate Creative Inquiry class has functioned as a research team for Smith in her master\u2019s and doctoral work. The composition of the class changes a bit from semester to semester, but these students have traveled back and forth to the Keys, become dive-certified and participated in almost every facet of Smith\u2019s research. Childress has mentored Smith, and Smith in turn has mentored these undergraduate students who have caught her passion for the world underwater.<\/p>\n<p>In 2013, Smith conducted her first coral restoration study. She and her team transplanted 84 fragments on seven reefs in the Middle Keys. What happened next proved to be a stark lesson in coral sensitivity. She witnessed that prolonged periods of higher- than-normal water temperature can cause coral bleaching and mortality in both transplanted and native corals.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn 2014 and 2015, we had some major warming events in the fall months. And that triggered mass bleaching events across the Caribbean, including here in the Keys,\u201d Smith says. \u201cSome of the corals we had transplanted showed signs of bleaching, while others didn\u2019t. But by following our corals, we saw that they seemed to recover more quickly and be more resilient in 2015 than they had been in 2014. And so, we think that there might be some local acclimatization going on. This could mean that corals that have previously experienced high temperatures are better able to resist bleaching the next time they occur.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>What Smith learned between 2013 and 2015 prompted her to broaden her focus to include a wider range of interactions in the coral reef community. In 2016, she began to devise a structured-equation model that could be used to predict the best conditions for coral transplant success. Her hope was that environmentalists who might eventually follow this model would be able to increase survival rates. To test her model, Smith picked out eight near-shore and offshore reefs in the Middle Keys that differed in structure and composition.<\/p>\n<p>In early 2017, the final phase of her doctoral research was set to begin.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-34  el_after_av_three_fifth  el_before_av_fullscreen  avia-builder-el-last  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><!-- close content main div --><\/div><\/div><div id='fullscreen_slider_3'  class='avia-fullscreen-slider main_color   avia-builder-el-35  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth   slider-not-first container_wrap sidebar_right' style=' '  ><div   data-size='extra_large'  data-lightbox_size='large'  data-animation='slide'  data-conditional_play=''  data-ids=''  data-video_counter='1'  data-autoplay='false'  data-bg_slider='true'  data-slide_height='100'  data-handle='av_fullscreen'  data-interval='5'  data-class=' '  data-el_id=''  data-css_id='fullscreen_slider_3'  data-scroll_down=''  data-control_layout='av-control-default'  data-custom_markup=''  data-perma_caption=''  data-autoplay_stopper=''  data-image_attachment='scroll'  data-min_height='0px'  data-stretch=''  data-default-height='100'  class='avia-slideshow avia-slideshow-3  av-control-default av-default-height-applied avia-slideshow-extra_large av_fullscreen   avia-slide-slider '  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" ><ul class='avia-slideshow-inner ' style='padding-bottom: 100%;' ><li  data-controls='' data-mute='' data-loop='' data-disable-autoplay='aviaTBaviaTBvideo_autoplay'  data-mobile-img='https:\/\/clemson.world\/research\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/03\/Coral_On-Boat-1500x750.jpg' class=' av-video-slide  av-video-service-youtube  av-mobile-fallback-image av-single-slide slide-1 ' ><div data-rel='slideshow-3' class='avia-slide-wrap ' style='background-image:url(\"https:\/\/clemson.world\/research\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/03\/Coral_On-Boat-1500x750.jpg\");'  ><div class='av-click-overlay'><\/div><div class='mejs-mediaelement'><div height='1600' width='900' class='av_youtube_frame' id='player_149_378164896_1893169644'  data-autoplay='0'  data-videoid='s2_EhYv_yz8'  data-hd='1'  data-rel='0'  data-wmode='opaque'  data-playlist='player_149_378164896_1893169644'  data-loop='0'  data-version='3'  data-autohide='1'  data-color='white'  data-controls='1'  data-showinfo='0'  data-iv_load_policy='3'  data-original_url='https:\/\/youtu.be\/s2_EhYv_yz8' ><\/div><\/div><div class='av-click-to-play-overlay'><div class=\"avia_playpause_icon\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><div id='after_full_slider_3'  class='main_color av_default_container_wrap container_wrap sidebar_right' style=' '  ><div class='container' ><div class='template-page content  av-content-small alpha units'><div class='post-entry post-entry-type-page post-entry-149'><div class='entry-content-wrapper clearfix'>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-36  el_after_av_fullscreen  el_before_av_three_fifth  avia-builder-el-first  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_three_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-37  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock  '   itemprop=\"text\" ><h4 style=\"color: #009bbf;\">FRESH FRAGMENTS<\/h4>\n<p>Smith chose to transplant 192 fragments of four different varieties of corals at the eight reefs. Each variety would have 48 fragments. The corals varied in vulnerability. <em>Acropora cervicornis<\/em> (Acer), a branching coral also called staghorn, was the most vulnerable and is an endangered species. <em>Siderastrea radians<\/em> (Srad), a stony coral known as starlet, was the hardiest.<em>Orbicella faveolata<\/em> (Ofav), a stony coral called mountainous star, and <em>Porites astreoides<\/em> (Past), a stony coral known as mustard hill, fit somewhere in between.<\/p>\n<p>Step one was to secure the coral fragments and transfer them to holding tanks. Step two was to transplant the fragments. Step three was to document the growth and survival rates every several months from October 2017 through June 2019. Step four was to compare reef and transplant data with her predictive model to see if it worked.<\/p>\n<p>In March 2017, Smith, Childress and four other members of the Creative Inquiry team \u2014 Kara Noonan, a new graduate student; Randi Sims, a recent Clemson graduate with her bachelor\u2019s in conservation biology; and undergraduates Sydney Whitaker and Sara Rolfe \u2014 traveled to the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary coral nursery in Key West to harvest fragments of Srad, Ofav and Past.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen we got into the water, the visibility was barely the length of our arms,\u201d Childress says. \u201cThe crates were suspended beneath docks in the marina, and we had to pick out the correct fragments in near darkness. This turned out to be one of the most challenging dives of the entire project. But in the end, we were able to get at least 48 fragments of each of the three species. We later obtained our staghorn fragments from an offshore nursery.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Some of the fragments were too large and had to be cut to the appropriate size \u2014 approximating a silver dollar \u2014 using a table saw. Corals are extremely sensitive to changes in water temperature but are quite hardy when it comes to being cut to pieces. The fragments were transferred from Key West to holding tanks at the Keys Marine Laboratory in Long Key.<\/p>\n<p>Smith and her team then constructed a couple of hundred PVC frames that would be used to mark the locations of each transplant. For identification purposes, each coral would also have an individually numbered tag. Fifty-meter-long transect tapes would serve as orientation on the reefs.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-39  el_after_av_three_fifth  el_before_av_hr  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div>\n<div  style='height:25px' class='hr hr-invisible   avia-builder-el-40  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_slideshow '><span class='hr-inner ' ><span class='hr-inner-style'><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div   data-size='no scaling'  data-lightbox_size='large'  data-animation='slide'  data-conditional_play=''  data-ids='179,178,180'  data-video_counter='0'  data-autoplay='true'  data-bg_slider='false'  data-slide_height=''  data-handle='av_slideshow'  data-interval='2'  data-class=' avia-builder-el-41  el_after_av_hr  el_before_av_hr  '  data-el_id=''  data-css_id=''  data-scroll_down=''  data-control_layout='av-control-default'  data-custom_markup=''  data-perma_caption=''  data-autoplay_stopper=''  data-image_attachment=''  data-min_height='0px'  class='avia-slideshow avia-slideshow-4  av-control-default av-default-height-applied avia-slideshow-no scaling av_slideshow  avia-builder-el-41  el_after_av_hr  el_before_av_hr   avia-slide-slider '  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" ><ul class='avia-slideshow-inner ' style='padding-bottom: 66.75%;' ><li  class=' slide-1 ' ><div data-rel='slideshow-4' class='avia-slide-wrap '   ><img src='https:\/\/clemson.world\/research\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/03\/Coral_On-Boat_2.jpg' width='800' height='534' title='Coral_On-Boat_2' alt=''  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\"   \/><\/div><\/li><li  class=' slide-2 ' ><div data-rel='slideshow-4' class='avia-slide-wrap '   ><img src='https:\/\/clemson.world\/research\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/03\/Coral_In-Water.jpg' width='800' height='534' title='Coral_In-Water' alt=''  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\"   \/><\/div><\/li><li  class=' slide-3 ' ><div data-rel='slideshow-4' class='avia-slide-wrap '   ><img src='https:\/\/clemson.world\/research\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/03\/Coral_Under-Water.jpg' width='800' height='534' title='DCIM100GOPRO' alt=''  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\"   \/><\/div><\/li><\/ul><div class='avia-slideshow-arrows avia-slideshow-controls'><a href='#prev' class='prev-slide' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue87c' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'>Previous<\/a><a href='#next' class='next-slide' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue87d' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'>Next<\/a><\/div><div class='avia-slideshow-dots avia-slideshow-controls'><a href='#1' class='goto-slide active' >1<\/a><a href='#2' class='goto-slide ' >2<\/a><a href='#3' class='goto-slide ' >3<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n<div  style='height:25px' class='hr hr-invisible   avia-builder-el-42  el_after_av_slideshow  el_before_av_one_fifth '><span class='hr-inner ' ><span class='hr-inner-style'><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-43  el_after_av_hr  el_before_av_three_fifth  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_three_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-44  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock  '   itemprop=\"text\" ><h4 style=\"color: #009bbf;\">RIGOROUS RESEARCH<\/h4>\n<p>Cruising wide-open in an 18-foot skiff on the ruffled waters of the Florida Keys is not for the faint of heart. Leaps and bounds bruise your senses \u2014 and also your knees and lower back.<\/p>\n<p>But once you arrive and drop anchor over a coral reef in the Florida Keys, you realize that the raucous ride is most definitely worth it. The bluebird sky and the surface of the sea are both magically beautiful, but what lies 15 feet or so beneath the surface dwarfs all else. This is why Smith does what she does.<\/p>\n<p>It is now June 2017. Smith and her team, already adorned in wetsuits, don scuba gear and prepare to plunge into the warm water. Their assignment today is to transplant coral. Three of the varieties will be put in place using a cement mixture. The fourth, the fragile staghorn, will be attached using concrete nails and tie-wraps.<\/p>\n<p>Noonan has been assigned the unenviable task of mixing cement with silica powder in plastic bowls and then placing fist-sized globs of it into plastic ziplock bags. By the end of the day, she is so covered with powder, she looks more like a Greek statue than a scuba diver.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s a reason they use trucks to make cement,\u201d she says sardonically.<\/p>\n<p>With Noonan remaining onboard, the other four members of the team go about the arduous process of transplanting dozens of fragments of coral. Whitaker and Rolfe take turns bringing the cement and coral fragments down to the first PVC marker. Smith then smooshes the cement onto the relatively flat surface of dead coral skeleton and presses the living coral fragment into the cement. Amazingly, the cement starts to harden \u2014 even though it is underwater \u2014 and the fragment holds. One down, 191 to go.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Sims records what species of coral is transplanted where, making sure that everything is well-organized and properly documented. \u201cI\u2019ve done a lot of data collection and analysis with this project, both in the field and in the lab at Clemson,\u201d Sims says. \u201cAnd it\u2019s been really cool to see the way the project has grown.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>At the end of the day, they are exhausted. And this is just one day out of many before all the fragments are in place.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-46  el_after_av_three_fifth  el_before_av_fullscreen  avia-builder-el-last  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><!-- close content main div --><\/div><\/div><div id='fullscreen_slider_4'  class='avia-fullscreen-slider main_color   avia-builder-el-47  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth   slider-not-first container_wrap sidebar_right' style=' '  ><div   data-size='extra_large'  data-lightbox_size='large'  data-animation='slide'  data-conditional_play=''  data-ids='181'  data-video_counter='0'  data-autoplay='false'  data-bg_slider='true'  data-slide_height='100'  data-handle='av_fullscreen'  data-interval='5'  data-class=' '  data-el_id=''  data-css_id='fullscreen_slider_4'  data-scroll_down=''  data-control_layout='av-control-default'  data-custom_markup=''  data-perma_caption=''  data-autoplay_stopper=''  data-image_attachment='scroll'  data-min_height='0px'  data-stretch=''  data-default-height='100'  class='avia-slideshow avia-slideshow-5  av-control-default av-default-height-applied avia-slideshow-extra_large av_fullscreen   avia-slide-slider '  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" ><ul class='avia-slideshow-inner ' style='padding-bottom: 66.6666666667%;' ><li style='background-position:center center;' data-img-url='https:\/\/clemson.world\/research\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/03\/Coral_In-Water_Samples-1500x1000.jpg' class=' av-single-slide slide-1 ' ><div data-rel='slideshow-5' class='avia-slide-wrap '   ><\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><div id='after_full_slider_4'  class='main_color av_default_container_wrap container_wrap sidebar_right' style=' '  ><div class='container' ><div class='template-page content  av-content-small alpha units'><div class='post-entry post-entry-type-page post-entry-149'><div class='entry-content-wrapper clearfix'>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-48  el_after_av_fullscreen  el_before_av_three_fifth  avia-builder-el-first  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_three_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-49  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock  '   itemprop=\"text\" ><h4 style=\"color: #009bbf;\">SILVER LINING<\/h4>\n<p>Even the most precise and best-laid plans can be derailed by unexpected circumstances. When Hurricane Irma struck the Florida Keys, it didn\u2019t just damage existing coral; it also wiped out many of the corals Smith had worked so hard to transplant.<\/p>\n<p>When Smith and her team visited six of their research reefs in October 2017, they discovered that more than 50 percent of her transplanted corals had been either killed, crushed, dislodged or buried in sand by the storm. As feared, the fragile staghorn corals had suffered the most damage \u2014 almost 80 percent lost \u2014 while about 50 percent of the hardier stony corals appeared to have survived.<\/p>\n<p>What Smith found regarding the corals did not surprise her. But something else did. The macroalgae that had previously smothered the reef were gone.<\/p>\n<p>This was the silver lining Smith had been searching for. Now, in addition to being able to study the survival rates of her coral transplants, she would be able to research how wild corals thrive when macroalgae are removed from the equation, and also, how long it will take for the macroalgae to rebound.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe hurricane added another dimension to my research. We\u2019ve never been able to study a reef that was devoid of algae, so this became an unexpected opportunity,\u201d Smith says. \u201cWe\u2019re going to have to alter the original model a bit, but it will remain an important part of what we do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Smith, who is scheduled to receive her Ph.D. in December 2019, has concluded that despite the severe effects of thermal bleaching and hurricane disturbance, the reef communities of the Florida Keys are hanging in there because of the tenacity of a few species of corals that show high resilience.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a bit ironic, but since the hurricane, a lot of things are going in the coral\u2019s favor,\u201d Smith says. \u201cWith the macroalgae gone, at least for now, there will be less competition for food. And with the corals scrubbed bare, there is more clear space for new coral larvae to settle and start to establish. So all of this gives us a set of conditions to test the model\u2019s predictability under circumstances that we didn\u2019t intend when we started.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The good news is that reefs are well-adapted to recover from natural disasters. The bad news is that climate change doesn\u2019t come and go as fast as a hurricane, and the most fragile corals are still disappearing at alarming rates.<\/p>\n<p>The starkness of this reality has caused some researchers to give up. But not Smith. When the silt from Hurricane Irma finally settles, she\u2019ll be back at work, displaying the kind of resilience she hopes to find in her coral transplants.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-51  el_after_av_three_fifth  el_before_av_hr  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div>\n<div  style='height:25px' class='hr hr-invisible   avia-builder-el-52  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_image '><span class='hr-inner ' ><span class='hr-inner-style'><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div  class='avia-image-container  av-styling-  noHover  av-overlay-on-hover   avia-builder-el-53  el_after_av_hr  el_before_av_hr  avia-align-center '  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"  ><div class='avia-image-container-inner'><div class='avia-image-overlay-wrap'><div class='av-image-caption-overlay'><div class='av-caption-image-overlay-bg' style='opacity:0.7; background-color:#000000; '><\/div><div class='av-image-caption-overlay-position'><div class='av-image-caption-overlay-center' style='color:#ffffff; font-size:13px; '><p><em>Siderastrea sidereal<\/em> coral, before<br \/>\nand after Hurricane Irma.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><img class='avia_image' src='https:\/\/clemson.world\/research\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/03\/Coral_Coral-Hurricane.png' alt='' title='Coral_Coral-Hurricane' height=\"534\" width=\"800\"  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\"  \/><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div  style='height:25px' class='hr hr-invisible   avia-builder-el-54  el_after_av_image  el_before_av_one_fifth '><span class='hr-inner ' ><span class='hr-inner-style'><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-55  el_after_av_hr  el_before_av_three_fifth  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_three_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-56  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><div   class='hr hr-default   avia-builder-el-57  avia-builder-el-no-sibling '><span class='hr-inner ' ><span class='hr-inner-style'><\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-58  el_after_av_three_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-59  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_three_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_three_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-60  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock  av_inherit_color '  style='font-size:13px; color:#000000; '  itemprop=\"text\" ><p><b>Jim Melvin<\/b> is director of public information\u00a0and marketing for the College of Science.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-62  el_after_av_three_fifth  el_before_av_hr  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div>\n<div  style='height:200px' class='hr hr-invisible   avia-builder-el-63  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_video '><span class='hr-inner ' ><span class='hr-inner-style'><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div  class='avia-video avia-video-16-9   av-lazyload-immediate  av-lazyload-video-embed  '   itemprop=\"video\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/VideoObject\"  data-original_url='https:\/\/youtu.be\/BF-zpYK3eak' ><script type='text\/html' class='av-video-tmpl'><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"1500\" height=\"844\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/BF-zpYK3eak?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/script><div class='av-click-to-play-overlay'><div class=\"avia_playpause_icon\"><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div  class='avia-video avia-video-16-9   av-lazyload-immediate  av-lazyload-video-embed  '   itemprop=\"video\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/VideoObject\"  data-original_url='https:\/\/youtu.be\/s2_EhYv_yz8' ><script type='text\/html' class='av-video-tmpl'><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"1500\" height=\"844\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/s2_EhYv_yz8?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/script><div class='av-click-to-play-overlay'><div class=\"avia_playpause_icon\"><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Coral reefs in the Florida Keys, Caribbean and throughout the world are in dramatic decline. 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