Nyssa Silbiger

Visit her biography on the Donahue Lab website for more information.

As a Ph.D. student at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, I plan to examine bioerosion on coral reefs. The majority of coral reef research focuses on coral and fish health. Many of the less charismatic invertebrates that are equally important to coral reef processes are under-represented. Bioerosion in particular is a natural process that influences reef resilience and is therefore important and timely to our understanding of coral reefs. I intend to study different mechanisms that may affect bioerosion, such as nutrient availability, predation, and climate change. I will be using ecological modeling as a tool for analyzing my data. Mathematical models are useful for understanding the mechanisms of biological and ecological processes. They are also a great tool for management of marine ecosystems, helping to predict what the future may bring. Further, I plan to conduct experiments in the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument to determine if excessive bioerosion could be alleviated with proper management.