Coral

Dr. Randi Rotjan is a Coral Reef Research Scientist with the New England Aquarium. We caught up with her to ask her a few questions about her life as a scientist.

Dr. Rotjan took our host Ari Daniel Shapiro, on a tour to see some of her research at the New England Aqarium.

Where do you work?

The New England Aquarium in Boston,MA, USA

What do you study?

I am an ecologist working in marine ecosystems on questions involving symbiosis, food webs and trophodynamics, fish-coral interactions, and conservation biology.

What three titles would you give yourself?

Ecologist, marine biologist, conservation scientist

What do you like to do when you are not in your lab?

I spend as much time outside as possible.

What do you like most about science?

I am fascinated by the natural world and have always had questions about the way the world works. Becoming a scientist has enabled me to formalize those questions and explore them for a living.

The One Species at a Time podcast series is brought to you by the Encyclopedia of Life and Atlantic Public Media with a consortium of marine education network partners. The podcasts highlight marine species with high kid appeal and rich, relevant classroom resources available through the education partners. Each activity also covers one or more of the Ocean Literacy principles.

See below for activities and links to resources:

Activity: Introduction to Coral Reefs
Source: NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program
Overview: Students will identify the relative depth of corals in the ocean by observing the behavior of cold and warm saltwater in an experiment. Students will gain a global understanding of coral reef life by reading for information and creating a model of a reef.
Age Level: grades 4-7
Subject Areas: Ocean Life
Keywords: biology, coral reef, habitat
United States National Science Standards: not included
Ocean Literacy Principles (OLP): 5, 6

Activity: Coral Reefs
Source:  Discovery Education
Overview: Students research coral reefs and create books to communicate this information to younger children. Includes questions for discussion.
Age Level: grades 6-8
Subject Areas: Ocean Life
Keywords: adaptation, art project, biology, classroom research activity, coral reef, creative writing, discussion, scientific communication
United States National Science Standards: Included
Ocean Literacy Principles (OLP): 5c, 5d, 6c

Activity: The Pros and Cons of Artificial Reefs
Source: National Geographic Xpeditions
Overview: Students make hypothetical lists of the pros and cons of artificial reefs and then revise them after reading an article and researching the topic.
Age Level: grades 9-12
Subject Areas:  ocean life
Keywords: classroom research activity, conservation, coral reef, discussion
United States National Science Standards: Geography Standards Included
Ocean Literacy Principles (OLP):6b, 6e, 6g

Here you will find intriguing extras our producers weren't able to fit into the Coral podcast:

Images

Images from Randi D. Rotjan's dives near the Phoenix Islands.

Cool facts:

Corals belong to a group called cnidarians, which includes the jellyfish and anemones. All three kinds of animals have tiny stinging cells called nematocysts that they fire like miniature harpoons to capture prey.Learn more...

At night, coral polyps emerge from their stony armor to feed, their tiny tentacles making the moonlit reef appear fuzzy. Learn more...

Why do reefs matter? These rainforests of the sea are home to about a third of all marine species and protect fragile coastlines. Corals themselves may themselves harbor chemical compounds that could yield important new medicines. Learn more...

Links

For more about researcher Randi Rotjan’s work in the Phoenix Islands, read her blog from the 2009 expedition.

Dive a virtual coral reef and learn about the residents of these amazing underwater cities at WhyReef, a project of EOL and the social networking site WhyVille.

Got yarn? Women and girls around the world (and some men and boys, too) are knitting and crocheting a coral reef replica to bring attention to the plight of reefs worldwide.  Check out the Flickr set here. Find instructions on how to knit your own reef here.

In June 2010, follow the mission of NOAA’s Aquarius undersea laboratory as its crew undertakes a special mission in reef restoration and coral resilience. Bookmark this webcam link and follow the progress of the June mission live.

Learn how to take steps at home to protect reefs worldwide at the website of the Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary.