Among some of the coolest research being done at SDSU, is that of Forest Rohwer, a marine microbial ecologist, who is currently on an expedition with Scripps Institution of Oceanography, studying the Line Islands coral reefs in the South Pacific. The entire team – including two SDSU PhD students, Katie Barott and Tracey McDole – will be documenting their expedition, including some incredible photography and video, in a blog. Check it out here. (coralreefsystems.org)
Mantas rays eerily gliding past over the reef at Palmyra. Photograph by Jen Smith.
Diver measuring coral with calipers on Palmyra Atoll. Photograph by Stuart Sandin.
About Dr. Forest Rohwer:
Being a marine microbial ecologist, Dr. Forest Rohwer sees a coral reef as a finely-tuned community in which the microbes and viruses are major players. Recognizing their importance, he pioneered the use of metagenomics as a means to characterize these previously inscrutable organisms and to investigate their role in coral reef health and disease. For his scientific contributions, he has received numerous awards including the prestigious Young Investigators Award of the International Society of Microbial Ecology.
San Diego State University 