Renata Ferrari

The emphasis of my research is to produce data that can be used for management and conservation of coral reefs. My PhD had an extensive fieldwork component (15 months), which produced a unique data set, combining high frequency sampling over a prolonged experimental period. These data is being incorporated into coral population models and will enable management recommendations to be made for Caribbean coral reefs. Specifically, my PhD looked at ecological processes influencing alternate states in coral reefs:

- How herbivory varies with fine scale reef structural complexity.
- The effects of coral-algae competition on the growth rate and mortality of coral colonies of different species and sizes.
- The influence of herbivory and season on the spatial and temporal change of macroalgal patch dynamics.
- Coral reef gross primary productivity of turfs.