EVENTS

What's Killing the Coral Reefs?

Coral reefs - sometimes called the rainforests of the ocean - are dying around the world, and their disappearance threatens not only the incredibly diverse ecosystem that depends on them, but also human health and welfare.

During this interactive panel discussion, moderated by Bijal Trivedi, explore reasons for the problem and examine potential solutions. Kiho Kim will discuss how fungal disease affects Caribbean sea fan corals. Ove Hoegh-Guldberg will discuss climate change and ocean acidification, and Tundi Agardy will explore the impact of humans on coral.

Kiho Kim, Ph.D. is the director of the environmental studies program and a biology professor at American University, where his research focuses on the role of diseases in coral reefs. He has conducted research on marine disease at NOAA's National Undersea Research Center, the National Science Foundation, and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. He is a member of the Ocean Studies Board of the National Research Council.

Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, Ph.D. is chair of marine studies at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, where he studies the impact of climate change on coral reefs. He is the founder and past director of the Coral Reef Research Institute at Sydney University. He is the recipient of the Eureka Prize for scientific research and the American Natural History Museums Lerner-Grey research award. Dr. Hoegh-Guldberg serves as a regular contributor for a number of Australian newspapers and television and radio stations.

Tundi Agardy, Ph.D. is the founder and executive director of Sound Seas, Bethesda, MD, which works to promote effective marine conservation through science and sociology and serves as an interface between public policy and community-based conservation efforts. She has worked for Conservation International, the World Wildlife Fund, and the World Bank. She currently serves as a member of a committee examining international capacity and sustainability for the Ocean Studies Board of the National Research Council.

Bijal Trivedi is an adjunct professor at NYU and the director of Bench Press, a program that sends sends science journalism students into laboratories across the NYU campus to cover cutting-edge research. Trivedi is an award-winning freelance writer specializing in science. Prior to her freelance career, she was an editor for the National Geographic News Service, a wire service that she helped launch in collaboration with the New York Times Syndicate.

Advance ticket purchase is recommended. Contact the Koshland Science Museum at 202-334-1201 or ksm@nas.edu to purchase tickets.