Ninon Martinez Receives the Dana Wright Fellowship

Ninon Martinez, a PhD student in the Finnerty Lab, received the Dana Wright Fellowship.

Globally, reef corals are experiencing major declines, largely driven by climate change. However, many “reef corals” are habitat generalists, thriving in reef-associated habitats, such as mangroves and seagrasses. These habitats were once considered inhospitable to corals, due to their higher and more variable temperatures, low light levels, and limited settlement substrate.

However, corals occupying these habitats have been found to experience lower rates of bleaching and mortality, so Ninon hopes to understand what factors and conditions contribute to these corals’ survival. Ninon’s PhD research focuses on comparing the survival, growth, and biotic associations of corals across mangrove, seagrass, and reef habitats in Turneffe Atoll Marine Reserve, Belize. Ninon hopes to figure out whether these corals are locally adapted and how they perform in alternative habitats, shedding light on the potential for coral adaptation and resilience across the seascape.

This fellowship was established in memory of Dana Wright (CAS ’00), an alum of the BU Marine Program. After completing her studies, Wright went on to work in research in right whale acoustics at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution on Cape Cod.

Congratulations Ninon!