felmer

Coral reefs have fascinated me since the first time I went snorkeling. Despite being born in landlocked Switzerland, I tenaciously gained experience in researching coral reefs during my Bachelor’s and Master’s that lead to a publication in a peer reviewed journal. As I learned more about coral reefs, my fascination for them grew exponentially. You can imagine my excitement when I was accepted to study coral recruitment and coral reef growth at Palmyra Atoll for my Ph.D.

Since completing my Ph.D., I have been teaching Tropical Marine Ecology at two Caribbean research stations that offer study abroad semesters and summer courses to undergraduate students. I continued studying coral reefs and learned how to create 3D coral reef models from pictures taken underwater.

The location I am currently teaching at, the Center for Marine Resources Studies in the Turks and Caicos Islands, is ideally located to study deeper coral reefs and learn more about them. The short boat ride to the reef wall makes it possible to obtain footage frequently and year round. I have always been fascinated by the deep ocean and would be very excited to explore the reef wall in front of my door step together with my fellow faculty members, interns and undergraduate students.

This study will map and document an unexplored deep water reef and contribute to a better understanding of this ecosystem. Furthermore, I plan on sharing my exciting discoveries with the public through videos and 3D models.

March 2019