Nancy Knowlton, a renowned expert on coral reefs, visits Elon University this month as the 2008-2009 Voices of Discovery series continues with a talk on the impact of climate change on the planet's reef systems. Knowlton's lecture on Feb. 18 is free and open to the public starting at 7:30 p.m. in McCrary Theatre.
The Impact of Climate Change on Coral Reefs
Dr. Nancy Knowlton
Sant Chair for Marine Science, Smithsonian Institution
Director, Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation
Professor of Marine Biology, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Coral reefs are the rainforests of the oceans. They are home to an estimated 25 percent of marine life despite comprising less than 1 percent of the ocean floor. They are sources of beauty, food, medicine, income and coastline protection — and they are under siege. Experts estimate that 25 percent of this ecosystem has been lost in recent years due to threats such as coastal development, ocean pollution, overfishing and tourism. But the most critical challenge to this ecosystem is posed by climate change. Even slight increases in ocean temperatures have long-lasting, catastrophic effects on coral animals.
Nancy Knowlton, professor of marine biology at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, has devoted her professional career to the study of coral reefs. Her research focuses on the ecology, evolution and conservation of coral reef organisms, and she recently began examining the impact of climate change on the coral reef ecosystem. Knowlton is also the founding director of the Scripps Institution’s Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation, which provides an interdisciplinary approach to meeting the challenges of marine conservation through basic research, education and collaboration with policy makers.
In addition to her work with the Scripps Institution, Knowlton chairs the Coral Reef Targeted Research Program (CRTR), a partnership between the Global Environment Facility, the World Bank, the University of Queensland, the United States Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and other research institutions worldwide. The CRTR functions as a global network that provides and coordinates scientific research and integrates scientific knowledge with local policy and management systems in countries and regions most affected by reef decline.
Knowlton also holds the Sant Chair in Marine Science at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History and serves on the National Geographic Society’s Committee on Research and Exploration and Conservation Trust Committee.