Ph.D. Candidate, Marine
Biology and Fisheries
Rosenstiel School for Marine and Atmospheric
Science
University of Miami
email: [email protected]
Coral diseases are now recognized as an
important threat to the survival of coral reefs,
most especially in the Caribbean region. The
impact of disease on coral populations has
proven devastating in some cases. For example,
White Band disease is thought to have
contributed significantly to the loss of
Acropora spp. in the shallow reef
environments of the Caribbean and diseases such
as Black-band and White Plague have caused major
changes in the coral communities of some reef
areas. This situation could become even more
serious in the near future as human activity
increases the virulence of disease in the marine
environment. It is therefore important to
understand how the dynamics of coral diseases
are affected by the environment and in turn, how
disease plays a
role in
shaping the structure of coral reefs. Due to
the limitations of studying coral diseases in
situ (e.g. the rarity of disease and the
limits of SCUBA), the development of
epidemiological models supported by quantitative
data is necessary.
The
goal of my dissertation is to combine computer
modeling and field observations in order to
develop a spatially accurate, individual-based
epizootiological model of coral disease.
Epizootiology is the study of the spread and
distribution of disease in animal populations
and the methods and techniques of this
discipline have only recently begun to be
applied to coral diseases. The methods of my
dissertation involve the development,
programming, calibration and validation of a
computer model that I have named the Simulation
of Infected Corals model, or S.I.CO. model. I
plan to apply the model to questions concerning
disease spread and impact on the coral reef
ecosystems of both Little Cayman (Cayman
Islands, B.W.I.) and the Florida Keys. Funding
for the field work portion of my dissertation
has come from NCORE, the Central Caribbean
Marine Institute's coral reef fellowship, the
International Society for Reef Studies & Ocean
Conservancy's coral reef fellowship, the
Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric
Science's small boats grant, the Propeller
Club's student scholarship and the Project Aware
Foundation.
I graduated from New York University with a B.A.
in Biology and a minor in Anthropology in May of
2001. The following fall, I entered the Ph.D.
program at the University of Miami's Rosenstiel
School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (RSMAS)
under the advisement of Dr. John McManus. My
field experience includes seven coral reef
surveys with the Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef
Assessment (AGRRA) program (the Cayman Islands,
1999; the Turks and Caicos Islands, 1999;
Panama, 2002; Punta Cana, Dominican Republic,
2003; Florida Keys Reef Tract, 2003; Dry
Tortugas, 2004; Antigua, 2005), two of which I
was the field leader and lead author on the
summary reports (Punta Cana and Antigua; see
this website for links to reports). I am
currently a member of the University of Miami's
Deep Underwater Research program and am a Global
Underwater Explorers certified Level 1 Technical
Diver. In July of 2001, I developed and
implemented the first of what has become an
annual summer sea camp for high school students
of the Cayman Islands through the Central
Caribbean Marine Institute and have returned
each year to act as head science teacher. I am
also a member of the University of Miami’s
chapter of the Alpha Epsilon Lambda Graduate
Honor Society.
Marilyn
Brandt
