International Coral Reef Symposium 2021

Marine and environmental science faculty served in this grant project submitted an abstract to present grant outcomes at the 14th International Coral Reef Symposium (ICRS), Bremen, Germany, 2021. The ICRS is a leading conference that brings together expert scientists, early career researchers, conservationists, policy makers, managers and the public from all around the world to discuss the most pressing matters regarding coral reef health. Many of our faculty and students are on the forefront of experiencing climate change impacts including sea level rise, saltwater intrusion into very limited freshwater aquifers, mass coral bleaching events and a related decline of natural resources. Many of the students served on this grant project (and their families) will become the world’s first climate refugees. Hence, participating in this conference is highly relevant in their STEM education experiences. Plans also include a week of targeted education and interactions with the faculty and graduate students from Bremen University’s Climate Program within their Center for Marine Environmental Sciences with a focus on extreme weather risk- reduction and adaptation strategies for the Pacific Islands. These coordinated events were to occur in July 2020 and were rescheduled a year later (July 2021) due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, a portion of the event went virtual with an anticipated face to face venue to be held in July 2022. We would like to extend a big congratulations to three of our presenters: Dr. Bob Richmond (UH), Ms. Denise Myers (NMC), and Mrs. Meagan Curtis (ASCC).