From natural history on the micro-scale to applied conservation

I studied marine natural history on the micro-scale. I enjoyed using microscopes, experiments and DNA sequencing to better understand symbiosis on reefs, but out in the field, photosymbiosis was breaking down. Organisms do not function without their symbionts and climate change is affecting these intimate interactions. As corals bleached, entire reef ecosystems were degrading. This sudden collapse after hundreds of millions of years of evolution sparked my interest in conservation. We can apply tools and results from basic biological research to restore wild ecosystems.