Rachael Bay and Anya Brown Featured in National Geographic
Anya Brown and Rachael Bay are featured in a new National Geographic article exploring their research on coral reef resilience in the Cook Islands. Working in a remote, makeshift field lab, the UC Davis scientists are studying why some corals survive rising ocean temperatures while others bleach and die. Their work combines genetics and community ecology, investigating how relationships among corals, algae, and microbes may help reefs recover—and even “rescue” more vulnerable corals. The research offers new insight and potential hope for protecting coral ecosystems threatened by climate change.