Now Published: Decade-Long Study on Palmyra’s Coral Reefs

Although many coral reefs are facing devastating declines due to global climate change, some reefs, such as at the remote Palmyra Atoll, are able to withstand and recover from bleaching. This recently-published paper, led by Ph.D. candidate Adi Khen and co-authored by lab alumni/staff with senior author Dr. Jennifer Smith, demonstrates the remarkable resilience of Palmyra’s reefs over the past … Read More

An incredible story of reef recovery after coral bleaching at Palmyra Atoll

Scripps Oceanography published a press release this week celebrating the Smith Lab’s most recent publication led by Dr. Mike Fox. The paper, published in Coral Reefs on April 5th, reveals an optimistic recovery of coral reefs at Palmyra Atoll following the 2015 global bleaching event. In 2015, 90% of corals at Palmyra bleached, and an astounding 90% of those bleached corals … Read More

Collaboration in the news: Smith Lab assists US Fish and Wildlife Service with water quality monitoring at Palmyra Atoll

On a recent trip to Palmyra Atoll, members of the Smith Lab assisted US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) with the deployment of a nearshore water quality sensor. The sensor, a Sea-Bird Electronics 16plus V2 SeaCAT Recorder with integrated WET Labs ECO-FLNTUS (say that 10 times fast!), is part of the Pacific Islands Ocean Observing System’s (PacIOOS) Water Quality Sensor … 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

Palmyra Atoll Bleaching Update (May 2016)

The abnormally warm water event associated with El Niño has been pummeling coral reefs worldwide. Last week the Sandin and Smith labs from Scripps Institution of Oceanography embarked on a rapid response expedition to survey the damage of the warm sea surface temperatures at one of our long term monitoring sites. Palmyra Atoll, a tiny island in the central Pacific, … Read More

These Three Reefs Are Not Like Each Other

By Maggie Johnson My field work entails a combination of field and laboratory experiments. Field work is utterly exhausting; working in and on the water for all daylight hours and then in the lab for what remains of the day. But one of the things I love the most about being a marine biologist with field based research is the … Read More

Scripps Ladies Return from Research Trip in Palmyra

Nickednamed the “Scripps Ladies,” Smith Lab members Amanda Carter and Maggie Johnson, along with Sandin Lab member Kate Furby spent 3 weeks of their summer in Palmyra, a uninhabited atoll part of the Line Islands in the Northern Pacific.  The Sandin and Smith Lab of UCSD/SIO have had ongoing research in the Line Islands for years, studying “baseline” coral reefs … Read More

Smith Lab is in Full Swing for Summer

Master’s student Samantha Clements summarizes the ongoing summer activities of the Smith Lab. From research travels around the world to data processing right here at home, there’s no such thing as summer break from science… and it’s awesome!

A Tropical Oasis for Global Change Research

Just back from her latest research excursion, PhD student Maggie Johnson talks about her experience at Palmyra Atoll, an amazing research opportunity for any marine biologist. Read more to find out why!