The Sandin lab is one of the founding members of Coral Reef Systems, a working group of scientists united by an integrated, interdisciplinary approach to studying coral reefs across gradients of anthropogenic stress. Check out our new video, hosted by surfing legend, Rob Machado.

The CRS team has been working together for years to study coral reefs in new ways, using coral reef baselines to understand the ecology from a systems perspective.

Coral reef baselines

We study pristine reefs to establish baselines to compare with changing systems. Without an understanding of how coral reefs are structured in the absence of disturbance, it is impossible to assess the magnitude of change in response to human activities. Taking advantage of coral reef baselines in some of the remotest regions of the world, our group strives to learn just how coral reefs should function. Armed with such baseline knowledge, we can knowingly characterize the roles, both good and bad, played by human activities.

Systems ecology

Recognizing that coral reefs are highly diverse, complex systems, we work across disciplines to better understand the ecology of reef communities. From chemistry to climate, from microbes to sharks, our efforts span the wide range of organizational and taxonomic scales that compose coral reefs. We have standardized methods of data acquisition and invented many others that are now used in a variety of ecosystems.

The video project is a product of a partnership with friends at our local public television station, KPBS, to create a public service announcement to share more information about our Coral Reef Systems group. Check out the video on the Coral Reef Systems website here or keep an eye open for this on KPBS in January / February 2013!

“Imagine if the reefs of the world, once coated by colorful corals, suddenly became bare. What would it mean for humanity?”

Stuart Sandin was recently interviewed by The Huffington Post to answer this question as part of Cara Santa Maria’s “Talk Nerdy to Me” radio program.

Stuart describes via Skype how the interacting effects of overfishing, pollution, and climate change are altering the structure and function of coral reefs by reducing coral and fish populations. As Santa Maria writes, ”Ironically, the very organisms that can teach us about climate science are being threatened by climate change.” To mitigate these impacts, Stuart emphasizes that we should strive to manage for reefs that “facilitate humanity”; in other words, reefs that remain strong and healthy that can continue to provide essential resources and services for us.

Watch the full video here.

Sharks are being rapidly depleted from the world’s oceans, largely for the sake of their fins, which are popular in such dishes as shark fin soup. So what’s the big deal?

Recent research published in Scientific American (Absence of top predators brings unanticipated changes), to which PI Stuart Sandin contributed, has demonstrated the unanticipated and negative impacts that can occur when top predators such as sharks are removed from the oceans. Such dramatic changes can alter how entire ecosystems function. The work of the Sandin Lab was also cited in legislative discussions of last year’s ban on shark fin sales in California (SIO/CMBC plays role in new CA Shark Fin Ban Law (AB376)). This kind of cooperation and communication between scientists and legislators is rare but a step in the right direction if we are to keep ocean ecosystems in balance.

But shark conservation efforts are certainly not restricted to the scientific and political communities. Recently, several Sandin Lab members (Rachel Morrison, Kate Furby, and Noah Ben-Aderet) joined Smith Lab member, Jill Harris, and Rohwer Lab member Benjamin Knowles at an art and film festival near downtown San Diego.

Sandin lab students Rachel Morrison and Kate Furby at the Great West Coast Migration art benefit.

But this wasn’t just any art fest – it was a special event with an ocean conservation theme. Sponsored by PangeaSeed, a Tokyo-based grassroots organization, the aptly named Great West Coast Migration art and film festival has been traveling down the west coast of the US for months, using numerous art pieces and short films to increase awareness of the plight of sharks in the world’s oceans. The short films were moving, and the art pieces were provocative (if a little too expensive for a graduate student’s budget).

Because one of the main research goals of the Sandin Lab is to understand the ecosystem importance of top predators such as sharks, and the implications of their removal, this issue hits close to home.

Click here  for more information about PangeaSeed’s work.

Click here to read the consensus statement of the conference, which urges governments to take action for the preservation of coral reefs for the benefit of present and future generations.

In July, several members of the Sandin Lab flew to Cairns, Australia to attend the 12th ICRS and present their research to thousands of other coral reef scientists. Here are their most memorable moments from this year’s conference:

Gareth Williams, PhD (postdoctoral researcher):
“My favorite talk at ICRS was actually by a PhD student, Ranjan Muthukrishnan (UCLA). Ranjan presented a spatially explicit simulation model of coral/algae competition for space. The nice thing about this work was that the model was largely based on findings from in situ experiments, and then tested for accuracy using empirical data collected from the same location. He showed that, in this system at least, positive feedback loops are extremely important and that these mechanisms alone drove rapid shifts between community states and generated hysteresis across a wide range of environmental conditions. Furthermore, he showed that conditions persisted over long timescales, indicating that positive feedback loops appear to be able to create alternative stable states. Pretty cool stuff. I’m hoping to bring Ranjan down to SIO to give a talk at some point.”

Click here to read more about Ranjan’s work as a graduate student at UCLA.

Brian Zgliczynski (5th-year PhD candidate):
“The overall experience of attending ICRS sticks out in my mind rather than a single talk. We spend so much time searching through the scientific literature and learning from colleagues. For me the ICRS experience was about listening to some of the best coral reef scientists in the world present their research, and in some cases getting a chance to meet with them face-to-face over a few beers. I look forward to developing these collaborative relationships that span ocean basins.”

Kate Furby (2nd-year PhD student):
“My research interest is coral reef community dynamics. One of the highlights of the conference for me was Vimoksalehi Lukoschek’s talk, ‘Greatly varying realized larval dispersal in broadcast spawning corals.’ She is examining coral connectivity and adaptation. Understanding how corals are adapted to their environment and what flexibility they have for change may provide critical answers to the uncertain future of coral reefs as climate change continues.”

Click here to learn more about Vimoksalehi’s work as a research fellow in the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies in Australia.

Click here to see a cool video about corals.

For more information:
The International Society for Reef Studies (ISRS) is the main sanctioning organization for the International Coral Reef Symposium. ISRS seeks to promote and publicize understanding of coral reef ecosystems. This year, ICRS was hosted by the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and James Cook University. Visit http://www.icrs2012.com/ to read more about this year’s conference, watch videos of the talks, and check out the winners of the coral reef photography competition!

Written by: Expedition member Kathryn Furby, 6/21/2012

Via: The New England Aquariums Phoenix Islands Blog

Meet PHOTOMEGATRON (imagine James Earl Jones in his low voice saying the word photomegatron). A tandem camera setup, it takes photos (one per second) while I swim it above the reef.

Kathryn Furby swims the PHOTOMEGATRON above a coral reef in the Phoenix Islands. (Photo: K. Ellenbogen)

How do you build your own Transformer to map reefs for you? Take two Nikon SLR’s, mount them in a protective frame and add lasers. The lasers are used to calibrate the scale of the photos, although I use them to look fierce (incidentally, watching damselfish chase the lasers is my new favorite game).

Example of an image taken by the PHOTOMEGATRON

Example of an image taken by the PHOTOMEGATRON

After thousands of photos are taken over a large area, we send them to our colleagues, Art Gleason and others at the University of Miami. They use an algorithm that compiles the overlapping photos into a large “mosaic” of the reef. The finished product is an approximately 60 – 100 square meter map of a coral reef, with a 5mm resolution.

Ecology is largely an observational science. One that is constantly evolving. Previous to the mosaic method, we would mark a specific location on the coral reef and photograph it. Each photo covered no more than one square meter per quadrat. With this we could revisit the sites again and again, take the same photo at the same marked location, and thus track corals’ changes in health or size over time. However, a disadvantage to this is that you miss out on massive corals. One square meter doesn’t cover too many small corals, and it completely excludes the big ones. Large boulder corals or giant branching plate corals are the charismatic mega-fauna of the benthic environment. The adorable manatees of the invertebrate world. These corals live for hundreds of years, and until now we haven’t had a good way to study them. We’ve personally tagged individuals, but this is time-consuming. It can be difficult to cover a representative sample.

Now with PHOTOMEGATRON (enter James Earl Jones again) we can digitally tag the corals. We photograph a large swath of reef, return to marked sites year after year. This way we can track the fates of corals, large and small. The Sandin Lab at Scripps Institution of Oceanography is using this method here at the Phoenix Islands this month, Palmyra Atoll at the end of the summer, and after that … who knows. PHOTOMEGATRON is locked and loaded, ready to map and monitor the reefs of the world!

-Kathryn

With the locavore movement gaining momentum, and organic produce becoming a kitchen staple, it’s a good time to live in California. San Diegans are lucky to have access to local farms, and local seafood.

On April 26, 2012 the San Diego Oceans Foundation (SDOF) hosted 27th Annual Oceans Benefit Gala – Oceans for the Future: A Sustainable Seafood Celebration. The gala was held at SeaWorld’s Turtle Reef and Shark Encounter Exhibits. Students from Smith and Sandin labs at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography were invited to pair up with celebrity chefs, in order to inform donors about their mini-meals.

The sustainable seafood tastings were eco-culinary delights. The highlights included the diver-caught Mano de Leon scallops with smoked salmon from Sea Rocket Bistro, the halibut with a delicately spicy pepper marmalade from the Fishery, and the seared yellowfin with crispy lotus root and white truffle aioli from Azuki Sushi. The SDOF held true to its integrity as it refused chefs that did not adhere to the strict local, sustainable rules.

Sandin and Smith labs were at hand to engage the crowd on the issue of sustainable seafood. It was a fascinating mix of foodies, eco-diners, and the who’s who of sustainable living. Our group also ran into former state assemblywoman, Lorie Saldaña, a candidate running for California State Congressional District 52 (pictured below). Live music entertained the crowd with the unique and bright duet between cello and ukele.

The winner of the Annual Dr Roger Revelle Award was acclaimed chef Andrew Spurgin of Campine, A Culinary + Cocktail Conspiracy. The Campine booth’s sampler entrée was a Tide Pool. To accompany the sustainably farmed oysters, local sea urchin, masago, and Mano de Leon scallops on the plate, students brought a live touch tank. Tank to table, SIO students were at hand to bridge the gaps between seafood and sea creatures.

It’s important to know what you eat! For more information on sustainable seafood in your area click here.

For more information on the San Diego Oceans Foundation click here.

Coral reefs are among the most productive and biodiverse environments on the planet. Join Scripps Oceanography marine ecologist Stuart Sandin as he describes his travels to untouched parts of the globe to conduct scientific research aimed at understanding and protecting these fragile ecosystems. Learn how he and his colleagues are working to establish the scientific basis for what constitutes a healthy coral reef and how they are probing the causes of coral reef decline.

December 18, 2011 1:40 PM

60 Minutes cameras take you on an underwater adventure off the Cuban coast to one of the world’s most pristine and vibrant coral reefs, known as the Gardens of the Queen. Anderson Cooper scuba dives with marine biologist David Guggenheim, dodging giant groupers and sharks, to explore this increasingly rare oasis. Scientists estimate that 25 percent of the world’s reefs have died off and much of what’s left is at risk.

We are pleased to announce the arrival of a new doctor in the world of marine ecology, Dr. Tali Vardi, PhD!

On Dec. 2, 2011, Tali presented her thesis, entitled “Population dynamics of the threatened Atlantic Elkhorn Coral”. She described the biology and demography of the Caribbean coral, Acropora palmata. Working with Drs. Margaret Miller and Dana Williams from NOAA’s Southeast Fisheries Science Center, Tali quantitatively followed the population changes of elkhorn coral in Florida. This work is probably the most comprehensive modern assessment of the population biology of this species, and unfortunately the results were not encouraging. Without aggressive improvements of conditions for elkhorn coral in the Florida Keys, the population appears poised for continued declines and functional extinction. Tali demonstrated, however, that active management (as by outplanting of young coral colonies) or habitat improvements (as by fisheries regulations or pollution restrictions) can provide some relief for the beleaguered population, offering some chance for recovery.

Tali worked beyond the borders of the US, adding insights into the spatial variation of elkhorn coral population patterns from Jamaica, Curacao, and a few other Caribbean islands. Although she showed similar patterns of decline in the populations across all of these islands, there was a silver lining. The recovery of the herbivorous long-spined sea urchin in Jamaica appears linked with an improvement in the population trajectory of elkhorn corals. Similarly, areas that are relatively far from the physical impacts of hurricanes appear to support more stable populations of elkhorn corals. It is important to note, however, that none of these locations showed population patterns mimicking historical accounts of luxuriant and prodigious growth of the species. Across the Caribbean basin, there is a ubiquitous stress to this species and its sister species, staghorn coral (Acropora cervicornis), and a common need for aggressive management to improve the outlook for the species.

While the west coast may be losing Tali, the east coast has gained a terrific new ocean advocate. Tali leaves San Diego for Washington, D.C., where she will be supported by a Knauss Fellowship, working in the central offices of NOAA. Tali has been a great member of our lab, a friend and colleague to many, and a constant source of honesty and bright spirit. We will certainly miss her, but we wish her and her family the best as they move on to the next steps of saving the world. Thanks for the times here, Tali, and don’t forget to write!

 Photos and video of Tali in Brazil (taken by Jill Harris)

And now, an update from the field… post-field. The US contingent of the illustrious Brazil science team (represented jointly by students and professors from SIO and San Diego State) has been safely deposited back in California for a while now, but after our whirlwind escapade in South America, I’ve needed some time to process my thoughts.

When I think of Brazil, I think crazy coral formations in the Abrolhos archipelago, sand made of tiny bits of CCA, sediment-filled water, rebar, and algae samples. I think of Conservation International, a liveaboard named Titan, and entire families riding in an elaborate balancing act on a single bicycle. I think of humpback whale songs that vibrated through our wetsuit-clad bodies as we floated from the ship’s anchor chain, hoping that those elusive cetaceans would appear in the opaque distance. I think of fish and coral transects. I think of band-aids fashioned from electrical tape and oleander flowers that smelled of cupcakes. I think of the Smith Lab (Jill Harris, Clint Edwards) working with the Sandin Lab (Tali Vardi, me) working with San Diego State (Rob Edwards, Liz Dinsdale, Rob Schmeider, Matthew Haggerty) working with colleagues from Brazil (Pedro, Gustavo, Cynthia, Ghennie, Ronaldo, Gilberto… and more whom I’m forgetting, and whose last names I can’t spell). I also think of long long hours of traveling… made worth it by the reward of experiencing a new type of reef ecosystem and helping to foster new research collaborations.

This was hopefully the first of many annual trips, part of a joint grant encouraging the exchange of students, researchers, and ideas between our universities in California and Brazil. Everyone involved in this, our first attempt, would agree that the endeavor was confusing at times, complicated by our mediocre grasp of Portuguese (though some were better than others – thanks Clint!). But like all good research trips, the Brazil adventure was also interesting, productive, and most important, fun! We worked, we dove, we ate good food and did good science. We maybe even improved our Portuguese a little. What more could you ask?

For more perspectives on our Brazil field experiences, please visit:

http://coralreefecology.ucsd.edu/2011/09/07/notes-from-the-field-brazil/ (Jill)

http://coralreefecology.ucsd.edu/2011/10/17/making-plans-bahia-style/ (Clint)

http://coralreefecology.ucsd.edu/2011/11/29/not-quite-a-typical-day-at-work/ (Jill)