When the lobsters march north: From expensive models to collaborative solutions to save America’s coral reef

What is the future we want for America’s largest coral reefs? These delicate ecosystems support marine life and human endeavors but climate change is threatening their existence. While there are several climate models addressing this issue, their cost prevents communities who need them the most from using them. Current research addresses this problem by presenting a novel type of collaborative research that works closely with people who make their living on coral reefs while integrating climate metrics from the NCAR Community Earth System Model version 2 large ensemble (CESM2-LE), to predict what will happen to the coral ecosystem while providing adaptation techniques.

In her Explorer Series Lecture, Scientist Kelly Dunning addresses the gap between the existence of expensive, high-resolution models and their utility for those who are seeing the most drastic effects of climate change on coral reefs. She will also discuss ongoing adaptation efforts, including livelihood shifts and novel restoration techniques.