News
Assistant Professor of Oceanography, Heather Page, Co-Authors Study on Coral-Algal Interactions in an Acidified Ocean
SEA Assistant Professor of Oceanography, Heather Page, has co-authored a new study, Quantifying coral-algal interactions in an acidified ocean: Sargassum spp. exposure mitigates low pH effects on Acropora cervicornis health. It is believed to be the first paper examining the interaction of pelagic Sargassum on Acropora cervicornis corals under current and future ocean acidification conditions. While large-scale Sargassum blooms are often seen as harmful to coastal ecosystems, this study found that corals exposed to Sargassum showed increased photosynthetic efficiency suggesting possible short-term benefits for stressed corals.
Students participating in SEA’s Spring 2026 Coral Reef Conservation: Caribbean or Plastics & Biodiversity in the Sargasso Sea programs will have the opportunity to further explore the role pelagic Sargassum algae plays in the ocean.
Read the full paper here.