Harmony Martell

As a coral physiologist, I have been working to understand coral metabolism under changing temperature and light conditions, which lead to mass coral bleaching. I am currently working with scientists at the Australian Institute of Marine Science to determine how coral shading, a treatment to prevent bleaching, influences coral metabolism, an important determinant of coral health. I also investigate how the mechanisms of coral stress memory can be optimized to harden corals used for restoration. Along with my colleagues, I have partnered with the largest restoration organization in the world, Coral Restoration Foundation, where my work is being used to inform restoration techniques to replenish degraded reefs. If we can understand how thermal history—i.e., the temperature a coral has experienced—influences coral performance, we can identify better restoration sites and perhaps even sites that can naturally harden corals against future stress. My hope for the future is that governments will take swift action to mitigate climate change so corals can persist.

Ensuring the survival of corals, the framework of the reef, enables the communities that rely on coral reefs to thrive. Reducing the imminent threats from climate change will conserve all ecosystems globally.