As of May 2020, our network includes 357 members. Most of our members volunteered optional information when filling out the enrollment form. Thank you! Here is a summary of who we are in terms of our expertise, geographic regions of interest, and the primary organisms we study.
If coral reefs are the rainforests of the sea, then corals from the Acropora genus are the tall canopy trees. Acroporids typically grow much faster and taller than other corals and play an outsized role in reef habitat complexity and carbonate production. Although Indo-Pacific reefs contain about 150 Acropora species, Caribbean reefs only contain two: the branching elkhorn (A. palmata) and staghorn corals (A. cervicornis). These two corals therefore have VIP status on Caribbean reefs.
The goal of the network is to integrate and translate historical approaches to better serve the conservation and management of ecosystems and organisms. To ensure effective progress toward this goal, the early phase of the CPN has been led by our initial planning team. Our ultimate goal is to facilitate conservation by using data from across temporal scales. We look forward to hearing from you soon!