Marine biologists Edmunds and Carpenter dive into coral reef study

The National Science Foundation (NSF) selected Cal State Northridge and UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) as joint recipients of a $4.6 million, six-year grant to establish a long-term project studying the coral reefs off French Polynesia, the first coral reef Long Term Ecological Research Site supported by the NSF.

Expected to add volumes to the scientific understanding of changes in global coral reef communities, the study will help scientists better understand the processes that drive changes in coral reef ecosystems, including animal and plant community structure and function, changes in diversity, and how the colorful coral reefs respond to disturbance and climate forcing.

Northridge marine biologists Peter Edmunds and Robert Carpenter, with investigators from UCSB, are conducting this research on Moorea, located west of Tahiti.