Research Summary
San Salvador Island, Bahamas — Coral reefs are at serious risk due to climate change, coastal development, over fishing, and other environmental stressors. One of the first signs that corals are in trouble is coral bleaching, when algae living within the reef organism fail during environmental stress, leaving the coral colorless and leaving area fish without nutrition. Prolonged bleaching kills coral, with drastic impacts on marine biodiversity, fisheries, tourism, and shore protection—and bleachings are on a dramatic rise worldwide. Coral diseases have also been increasing with alarming regularity, due perhaps in part to global warming, which may also be making making more and more severe storms, which can inflict their own damage on reefs.
Scientists John Rollino, Dr. Garriet Smith (University of South Carolina at Aiken) and Thomas McGrath (Corning Community College) have the longest-running experiment and data set on coral reefs in the world, with more than 17 years worth of information. While efforts to improve our understanding of the threats to reefs must continue, in recent years Dr. Rollino and his colleagues have also increased their emphasis on testing methods that might allow reefs to recover, from performing underwater “repairs” on some reefs to providing others with artificial materials that might save their underlying struture.
Meet the Scientists
John Rollino
Senior Ecologist, Earth Tech | AECOM, Inc.
John has designed and implemented numerous ecological studies as well as co-authored countless technical environmental documents for public review. He has worked on a variety of ecological projects all along the United States’ east coast, in Hawaii, and in the Atlantic and southern Pacific Oceans. His projects have included characterizing habitats, threatened and endangered species surveys, water quality studies, and assessing ecological impacts and designing mitigation strategies for military operations and large-scale construction and dredging projects. John is also a certified arborist.
John earned his Bachelor’s degree at Upsala College in New Jersey, and his M.S. in Geoscience and M.A. in Environmental Studies at Montclair State University, also in New Jersey. He is a certified Advanced Open Water Diver with additional rescue diver training, and he is also certified in First Aid and CPR as well as other health and safety training. He oversees expedition logistics on the island, instruction, team assignments and supervision, training, lecturing and data analysis. John lives in New Jersey but was born and raised in New York City, as evidenced by his strong “New Yawk” accent. In his free time John enjoys cooking, hiking and puns; as a result, volunteers should be prepared for many moans and groans.