'Wonderful to look at, but truly depressing to understand'

‘Wonderful to look at, but truly depressing to understand’

[2021]

BBC World Service interviewed our Chief Scientist, Dr. Sam Purkis, about what it was like to observe corals bleaching while on the Global Reef Expedition mission to the Chagos Archipelago.

BBC World Service
March 4, 2021
Newsday

BBC News interviews KSLOF’s Chief Scientist, Dr. Sam Purkis, about what it was like to watch coral reefs bleaching in the Chagos Archipelago

The Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean are one of the most remotes archipelagos in the world.

Until recently, the lack of human intervention there has helped their precious reefs survive environmental pressures. But research now shows that climate change and warming waters could be creating a crisis there as well.

Concern has been raised by scientists who have seen the coral start to turn florescent and psychedelic – a beautiful sight, but also a sign that the coral is becoming stressed and expelling its algae, something it does before a bleaching event.

Sam Purkis of the University of Miami led the expedition for the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation.

“The message is quite simple,” he says. “Reefs die just as swiftly and dramatically in remote areas as they do in areas which are inflicted more heavily by humans.”

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From Mangrove Mud to Meaningful Work: Desta’s J.A.M.I.N. Journey

Some students I remember for their grades, their quick answers, or a moment that made the whole class laugh. Others I remember for the way they stepped into the mangroves.

Desta was the kind of student who thrived outdoors. While some students hesitated at the edge of the mud, he walked right in. And when he inevitably got stuck — because everyone does — he didn’t get frustrated. He laughed. Covered in mud, holding mangrove propagules in his hands, he embraced the experience fully.

Even then, it was clear that he was connecting with the environment in a way that went beyond the lesson plan…

From Students to Stewards: A Full-Circle Moment for J.A.M.I.N.

There are certain faces you never forget.

Over the years, hundreds of students have stepped into mangrove forests with us through the Jamaica Awareness of Mangroves in Nature (J.A.M.I.N.) program. I may not always remember every name, but I remember the expressions — the hesitation before stepping into thick mud, the laughter when someone loses a shoe, the look of surprise when they catch that unmistakable sulfur smell rising from the mangrove soil…

BBC News interviews KSLOF’s Chief Scientist, Dr. Sam Purkis, about what it was like to watch coral reefs bleaching in the Chagos Archipelago

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From Mangrove Mud to Meaningful Work: Desta’s J.A.M.I.N. Journey

From Students to Stewards: A Full-Circle Moment for J.A.M.I.N.