Our new video podcast brings us below the ocean surface and explores the role of interacting local stressors on algal turf communities, an important driver of coral reef development and survival. This study conducted by Caitlin Fong at the University of California Santa Barbara (USA) and titled ‘Simultaneous synergistic, antagonistic and additive interactions between multiple local stressors all degrade algal turf communities on coral reefs‘ has recently been published in Journal of Ecology. Watch this interesting video to understand how overfishing, nutrient pollution and sedimentation affect the health of coral reefs!

Caitlin’s video can also be found on the Journal of Ecology YouTube channel (English subtitles available).

Caitlin Fong is a community ecologist. Her main research interest focuses on anthropogenic stressors of near shore marine communities, and the resistance and resilience of these communities to stressors. She predominantly uses field-based approaches to assess these impacts and primarily works on algal communities in coral reefs. Caitlin is currently an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Biology hosted by California State University Northridge where she is a advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion in ecology.