International Society for Reef Studies

Professional Association of Diving Instructors

Assisted in steps towards compliance of 1992 International Convention on Biodiversity: (1) co-author of the Bermuda Country Study, (2) participated in Strategy and Action Plan meetings.

1992 International Convention on Biodiversity

Kinetic and metabolic isotope effects in coral skeletal carbon isotopes: A re-evaluation using experimental coral bleaching as a case study

The importance of zooplankton to the daily metabolic carbon requirements of healthy and bleached corals at two depths

Lipid class composition of bleached and recovering Porites compressa Dana, 1846 and Montipora capitata Dana, 1846 corals from Hawaii

Long-term changes in the chlorophyll fluorescence of bleached and recovering corals from Hawaii.

Response of two species of Indo-Pacific corals, Porites cylindrica and Stylophora pistillata, to thermal stress: The host does matter in determining the tolerance of corals to bleaching.

Villanova University was founded in 1842 by the Order of Saint Augustine. To this day, Villanova’s Augustinian Catholic intellectual tradition is the cornerstone of an academic community in which students learn to think critically, act compassionately and succeed while serving others. Villanova prepares students to become ethical leaders who create positive change everywhere life takes them.


The strength of the Villanova experience comes in part from the University’s welcoming community. All members are bonded together by a shared responsibility to uphold the ideals of Saint Augustine and let the principles of truth, unity and love guide their lives. The Villanova community helps students grow intellectually, professionally and spiritually, and challenges them to reach their full potential.


The University’s rigorous academic experience, rooted in the liberal arts, forms an environment in which students and professors are partners in learning. The Villanova community is dedicated to providing a personalized experience that fosters every student’s intellectual and spiritual well-being. As part of their education, students are encouraged to enrich their own lives by working for those in need. Through academic and service programs, students use their knowledge, skills and compassion to better the world around them.


There are more than 10,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students in the University’s six colleges—the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Villanova School of Business, the College of Engineering, the College of Nursing, the College of Professional Studies and the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law. These colleges are the setting for an experience that develops both the heart and the mind, and creates the atmosphere where students are called to ignite change.


Villanova University is located in a suburban community 12 miles west of Philadelphia, Pa.

Villanova University

Coral reefs, often referred to as "the rainforests of the sea," host some of the most diverse ecosystems on earth. Teeming with marine life, they provide vital shoreline protection and are an important source of tourism. Dr. Rodrigues is a "hands on" expert on coral reefs having worked as a researcher for nearly 20 years. She can discuss the structure, ecology, physiology, and geology of this marine habitat and its imperilment by climate change, land use, overfishing and pollution.  Dr. Rodrigues has current ongoing research projects in Puerto Rico and Hawaii.

Coral Reefs Ecosystems

Marine Invertebrates

Ocean Environments

Spanish

Lisa Rodrigues Homepage

Villanova University Announces New Master's Degree in Environmental Science

She recruited Facebook friends to save Gulf Coast's hermit crabs.

Coral Withstands Bleaching By Feeding

Coral Conservation and Management

Land Use Management and Coral Reefs

record-water-temperatures-testing-resilient-coral-reefs

Professor of Geography and the Environment; Director of the MS in Environmental Science Graduate Program | College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Coral reefs are some of the most diverse and beautiful ecosystems on the planet. Roughly 25% of the ocean’s fish and over half a billion people depend on these underwater habitats, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). But, like most other ecosystems, coral reefs are being threatened by the impacts of global climate change. This summer, record water temperatures stemming from a strong El Niño weather pattern are causing coral bleaching and death events in reefs throughout the world.

Lisa Rodrigues, PhD, professor of environmental science, is an expert in coral reef ecosystems and ocean environments. She has been following the reports of coral bleaching when they began surfacing in July.

“Coral bleaching often coincides with El Niño years,” she said. “Since water takes much longer to heat than air, July is very early in the year for water temperature to be so high and that is one of the main causes for concern.”

Coral bleaching is a stress reaction emanating from high water temperatures, among other causes. When stressed, corals expel the microscopic algae inside of their tissues. The absence of these algae reveals corals’ white skeletons.
 

“In a healthy coral system there is a symbiotic relationship between the coral host (an animal) and the endosymbiotic algae (a plant),” Dr. Rodrigues said. “Corals prefer to live in a fairly narrow range of temperature, which is typically when the symbiotic relationship can be successful. During bleaching, the symbiotic relationship is broken down and the two partners no longer live together.”

If corals’ energy stores are low, or if the relationship is compromised for an extended period, corals can die.

“This can have long-lasting and negative impacts on ecosystems, as a healthy structure provides a habitat for fish and other organisms,” she said. “For humans that live near the coast, loss of reefs means lost coastal protection, lost economic revenue from fishing and tourism and a lost piece of their natural history.”

Reports of coral bleaching and death have stretched across the Americas, and the NOAA is issuing bleaching warnings in southeast Asia. Water temperatures off the coast of Florida this summer have been measured at over 100 degrees in some areas, and temperatures could continue to rise into September.

Despite dismal conditions, especially in the Gulf and Caribbean waters, there is still hope for these reefs.

“Death doesn’t always happen following bleaching and we also know that recovery from bleaching can occur,” Dr. Rodrigues said. “We have learned a lot from past bleaching events. Over the longer term, following a bleaching event, corals and coral reefs can recover, but the process is slow and dependent on the stressor(s) that caused the event in the first place.”

Dr. Rodrigues notes there is a species of coral in Hawai’i that is able to sustain itself during bleaching events and can even reproduce, proving these underwater marvels won’t go down without a fight.

“It’s unknown how many species are able to do this, but there is evidence that corals have a wide array of susceptibility and resilience to bleaching associated with high temperatures.”



Record Water Temperatures Testing Resilient Coral Reefs

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