Coral reefs topic of next UTMSI lecture


Simon Brandl dives the coral reefs off the island of Tetiaroa in French Polynesia in November 2018. He is collecting and surveying the tiny reef fish that live on the coral reefs that surround the island. Photo by Jennifer Adler-Owen

Simon Brandl dives the coral reefs off the island of Tetiaroa in French Polynesia in November 2018. He is collecting and surveying the tiny reef fish that live on the coral reefs that surround the island. Photo by Jennifer Adler-Owen

Coral reefs, one of the world’s most diverse and productive ecosystems, will be the topic at the next lecture in the free lecture series sponsored by the University of Texas Marine Science Institute on Thursday, March 4.

“Understanding and Conserving Coral Reefs: of Fishes, Finances and Fairytales” will be presented by Simon Brandl, Ph.D., assistant professor in the department of marine science at UTMSI.

His lecture will be presented virtually at 7 p.m.

To register for the lecture and get a link to watch the lecture online, go to sciencefest.utexas.edu/.

This link will take folks to the Texas Science Festival. The festival sessions will be hosted virtually on either Zoom or YouTube Live and include events designed for families interested in involving their young future scientists.

Look for the Brandl lecture tab to register for the lecture on the festival site.

“Despite being located in nutrient-poor tropical oceans, coral reefs are one of the world’s most diverse and productive ecosystems,” Brandl said. “In my talk, I will highlight a thus-far largely ignored group of animals and their surprising contribution to the recycling of energy and nutrients on coral reefs.”

He said that this apparent paradox has puzzled scientists since the explorations of Charles Darwin.

“I will bridge topics ranging from Peter Pan to personal finances, ultimately providing a potential explanation for the magnificent diversity and productivity of coral reef ecosystems and their future in the 21st Century,” Brandl said.

For more information about the lecture series, contact Sara Pelleteri at sarapel@utexas.edu.

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