Halmos Research Proposal Earns Coveted Grant

Our oceans are plagued by chemical contaminants that have relatively unknown effects on the health and resilience of coral reefs.  Filling in some of the knowledge gaps is D. Abigail Renegar, Ph.D., of the Halmos Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences.  Renegar investigates the impacts of coastal pollution, climate change, ocean acidification, and other anthropogenic stressors on corals.  Her newly proposed research will test the effects of UV light exposure on chemical contaminants as many are photo-reactive, have photo-enhanced toxicity, or create toxic photo-transformation products that impact organisms. By identifying the chemicals posing the greatest risk to reefs, the research will support targeted actions reducing contaminant levels and impact.

Renegar’s proposal was chosen by the 2021-22 Ocean Insight Grant Program as one of seven winners selected from hundreds of entries from around the world. Ocean Insight is a spectral technologies company that collaborates with researchers to discover, refine, and deliver new approaches to solving problems.  As a winner, Renegar will be honored at a virtual Ocean Insight Grant Program Awards event, with scheduling and other details to be announced.

Renegar runs the Coral Histology Laboratory, the Coral Restoration/Toxicology Laboratory, and the Land-based Coral Nursery at the Guy Harvey Oceanographic Center on NSU’s Oceanographic Campus.  Her research interests focus on scleractinian coral biology, conservation, and restoration with particular interest in the assessment of chronic nutrient exposure impacts of single hydrocarbon, crude oil, and dispersed oil effect thresholds of scleractinian corals.

Posted 02/13/22