Second Place: Peek-a-boo
Photography by Sydney Bell, graduate student, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
FAU Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute
A small spinyhead blenny (Acanthemblemaria spinosa) makes its home in between the polyps of a great star coral (Montastraea cavernosa). Montastraea cavernosa is an intermediately susceptible coral species to stony coral tissue loss disease, which has dramatically impacted ³Ô¹ÏÍø’s coral reefs. My thesis research is focused on molecular techniques to identify the coral genotypes and algal symbionts in ³Ô¹ÏÍø’s largest-ever restoration experiment, including M. cavernosa and two additional coral species. This information will be used to strategically improve coral restoration efforts throughout the state.
