Krista Laforest

I have been actively involved in coral reef ecology, reproduction, and restoration for 5 years. I recently completed my master's thesis examining the spawning asynchrony of the critically endangered staghorn coral, Acropora cervicornis in Fort Lauderdale. Currently, I am a PhD student at the University of North Carolina Wilmington in the Coral Reproduction and Evolutionary Ecology-Fogarty Laboratory. My PhD research topic will continue the work I began during my Masters degree, examining how climate change, development, and pollution may influence spawning synchrony and the implications for coral reef restoration and management. I currently conduct fieldwork in two reef systems: Florida's Coral Reef and a fringing reef system near Bocas del Toro, Panama.

July 2024