TITLE: Coral metabolism; a polyp scale perspective
PRESENTER: Jacqueline Victoria Alva Garcia
ADVISOR: Professor Carlos Duarte
DATE: Monday, November 24
TIME: 3:00 - 4:00 p.m.
LOCATION: Auditorium between Bldgs 2 & 3
Abstract:
As ocean warming and deoxygenation increasingly threaten coral survival, this dissertation investigates how polyp-scale physiology mediates metabolic responses to these stressors across diverse coral ecosystems. The research bridges shallow, reef-building species with deep-sea corals. Key findings demonstrate that in shallow-water corals, polyp morphology is a reliable predictor of metabolic rates, which scale isometrically across different polyp sizes. In the deep-sea coral Rhizotrochus typus, a flexible, survival-oriented strategy of metabolic depression was identified to cope with hypoxia, alongside a critical vulnerability to oxidative damage upon reoxygenation. By directly linking morphology to physiological performance, this work provides a framework to enhance predictions of coral vulnerability and survival, informing conservation efforts across both shallow and key deep-sea habitats.
Bio:
Jacqueline Victoria Alva Garcia is a PhD candidate in the Tarek Ahmed Juffali Research Chair in Red Sea Ecology Lab. Drawing on her background in coral ecophysiology, her research focuses on understanding the effects of deoxygenation on tropical corals.