community ecology

Northern New Hampshire, January 2016.  I was doubtful that I was going to find lynx tracks.  As a Master’s student, I had spent most weekends doing field work in northern New Hampshire and never found lynx tracks.  However, that was three years ago and I have since learned that distribution patterns can change considerably within that timeframe.

The beauty of a healthy, thriving coral reef community is astonishing. These ‘rainforests of the sea’ are unique and their beauty is unmatched. While coral reefs only occupy less than 1% of the world’s ocean floor, they support more than 25% of all marine species. An estimated 85% of the United States’ reef area is located within the Hawaiian Archipelago that holds the largest marine sanctuary in the world, the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.