Biological Sciences Professor Cares for Corals.
Although there are no coral reefs off the coast of Melbourne, Fla., Professor of Biological Sciences Robert van Woesik puts Florida Tech’s expertise in this area on the map. The coral reef ecologist is a renowned international expert, the editor of the journal Coral Reefs, and a top grant getter on the propagation and health of these fragile marine systems.
Van Woesik has traveled the world exploring the health and reproduction of reef corals in such places as the South Pacific, Mexico, Zanzibar and the Great Barrier Reef. He’s funded by such organizations as Global Environmental Fund/World Bank and the National Science Foundation.
Last year he published 10 research papers, one in the Proceedings of the Royal Society called, “Calm before the Spawn.” In it he showed clear evidence that corals will globally release eggs and sperm only during seasonal calm periods. This breakthrough paper now makes marine reproduction predictable—important for marine conservation.
Most recently, van Woesik was chosen to deliver the keynote address at the 24th Meeting of the United States Coral Reef Task Force in Saipan. He also gave an opining keynote address at the European International Coral Reef Symposium in the Netherlands.
