IGERT Story
3D digital model of an Elkhorn Coral (Acropora palmata) colony
Description
Elkhorn Coral blanketed the shallow reefs of the Caribbean for hundreds of thousands of years and is now listed as an endangered species. Tali Vardi, 5th year IGERT PhD Candidate, is into models. All sorts. She is creating a population model of this species based on several years of demographic monitoring in five locations around the Caribbean. The digital model presented here will help her understand the relationship between the linear metrics collected underwater and the actual surface area of Acropora palmata colonies. Kellyn Yaori (who built the model shown here) and Jeff Hester, are Tali’s two stellar interns who are making this project happen.
