Main Page
Welcome to the Coral Digest
This is a project of the ENEC 259 Coral Reef Ecology and Management at UNC - Chapel Hill (ENEC259) class. It is meant to be a semi-comprehensive resource for learning about corals, coral reefs, the threats corals face, the role and importance reefs play in the world, and management of reefs and reef-related environments. In time, this Wiki will become the class "textbook", and we hope that other classes interested in learning about coral reefs might also find it useful and informative.
Each year's ENEC259 class will build upon the material from previous years. Students will select topics of interest from a list of topics provided by previous years' students that require more research, or students can introduce new topics. After a semester of research, current students will synthesize their research and add that content to this wiki.
Main Topics
- Reef Structure and Formation
- Reef and Near-reef Inhabitants
- Reef Ecology
- Threats to Corals and Coral Reefs
- Protecting and Managing Coral Reefs
Tips for Using This Site
- If you are looking for something specific, like information on coral bleaching, use the Search box at the top and type in "bleaching"
- If you want to learn more about a given topic, then start with the Main Topics, and work your way down towards more specific topics
About Our Images
Unless otherwise indicated, photos shown on this site are pulled from our class photo album located at https://picasaweb.google.com/ENST259, and image credits are attributed in the photo album. Unless otherwise indicated, all photos are from the US Virgin Islands (the vast majority from St. John) or the British Virgin Islands (the Caves of Normal Island or the Indians).
Contact
If you have any questions about this wiki or topics you'd like to see added, please email Brian Naess at naess@unc.edu.
Topics for 2015 Students
These are the existing pages on the Wiki that have no content or need additional content. You may choose one of these topics, or you may choose a topic of your own. If your topic is already covered by the Wiki, please make sure that you can contribute significantly to the existing article.
- Topics for Students interested in Biology/Ecology/Marine Science:
- Descriptions/Discussion/Biology of any reef creature that might interest you from our Creatures page
- Descriptions/Discussion/Biology of Other Reef Builders like Hydrozoans and Coralline Algae - Hydrozoans needs to be filled in more
- Perhaps the greatest threat to coral reefs is Overfishing. Although the entry has some content, a lot more can be said about the topic. The FisheriesManagement page also needs work. (Rob G., Rebecca C.)
- Do warmer SSTs play a role in increased flooding?