Field Research | Page 2

Do different species of herbivorous fish have unique grazing roles on coral reefs, or are they all grazing alike?

Coral reefs are home to a large diversity of organisms. The herbivorous fishes, those fish that eat algae in competition with corals, are no exception to such diversity. But do the many species of herbivores have unique grazing roles on reefs or are all herbivorous fishes grazing alike? This was the focus of a study recently published in Oecologia … Read More

Smith lab and colleagues present an autonomous approach to measure coral reef net calcification and production rates

Assessment of net community production and calcification of a coral reef using a boundary layer approach Abstract: Coral reefs are threatened worldwide, and there is a need to develop new approaches to monitor reef health under natural conditions. Because simultaneous measurements of net community production (NCP) and net community calcification (NCC) are used as important indicators of reef health, tools are … Read More

New publication from Smith lab & colleagues: Meet the Benthic Underwater Microscope (BUM)

Underwater microscopy for in situ studies of benthic ecosystems Abstract: Microscopic-scale processes significantly influence benthic marine ecosystems such as coral reefs and kelp forests. Due to the ocean’s complex and dynamic nature, it is most informative to study these processes in the natural environment yet it is inherently difficult. Here we present a system capable of non-invasively imaging seafloor environments and organisms … Read More

Field Research: Earning My Fins

Meet Samantha Clements! Sam is one of the newest members of the Smith Lab and she’s adjusted swimmingly from undergraduate researcher to Master’s student in the course of the summer. Check out her blog post and see how she’s enjoying the transition.