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MORI students carry out multi-year interdisciplinary research on corals.
Jackson Browne.mp4Thumbs up to MORI from local singer/songwriter and environmental activist Jackson Browne!
Research currently focuses on quantifying growth rates of ex situ coral fragments using computer vision. Growth rates of varying fragment sizes of Stylophora pistillata are compared in order to determine optimal size for re-seeding bleached coral reefs.
We are MORI.mp4MORI Marine Lab
MORI Marine Lab
A 650 square foot facility, the MORI marine laboratory houses saltwater tanks (20 to 100 gallon) that are available for student research.
MORI Publications
MORI Publications
Presenting Research.mp4MORI Roundtable
MORI Roundtable
MORI speaks with two recent college graduates who reflect upon their high school experiences (one from a local high school and one from a high school in Ireland) and share what they think about the value of a multi-year experience like MORI research. (10 min video)
Roundtable.mp4MORI Engineering
MORI Engineering
Students are often surprised by the amount of engineering required to do this research. Members learn the engineering skills required to set-up and program a Raspberry Pi, an Arduino, and PlantCV.
MORI Researchers
MORI Researchers
Typically, a student will begin research as an apprentice during their freshman or sophomore year and become a lead researcher by time of their graduation.
To learn more about MORI, please contact Dr. Griffis.
Research Scientists:
Jonathan U. '26 Principal Investigator
Felix F. '26 Principal Investigator
Olivia R. '27
Dominic S. '27
Cole S. '27
Julian M. '27
Emeriti:
Melanie P. '23
Luca G. '23
Toby A. '23
Henry W. '23
Ben J. '23
Consultants:
Roland Labana Software and Electrical Engineer
Ryan H. '19
Bryan L. UniqueCorals
Joe Wise WISRD Founder at Wildwood School
Advisor:
Kathy Griffis
Additional MORI Happenings:
MORI Students Win Best Climate Change Video
MORI Students Win Best Climate Change Video
Cal State University Northridge's Annual ExplanaJam Contest challenges students to explain a science phenomenon in 3 minutes or less. MORI students took on the challenge to explain the phenomenon of coral bleaching.
ExplanaJam.mp4
What is Fragmentation?
What is Fragmentation?
Cutting corals into smaller pieces containing only a few polyps has been anecdotally shown to cause faster growth than large fragments. The reason for observed accelerated growth is still unknown, but it may be similar to a wound response whereby tissue grows rapidly to protect itself from infection.
Species Grown for MORI Research
Species Grown for MORI Research
Small Polyp Stony (SPS) Coral Species
Stylophora
Seriatopora
Pocilliopora
Coral Reefs: Why You Should Care
Coral Reefs: Why You Should Care
Coral reefs are the most biodiverse ecosystem in the biosphere. They of provide shelter and protection for an estimated one-fourth of the ocean's fish. Coral reefs offer us important ecosystem services including subsistence food, coastline protection, and tourism.
Coral Bleaching
Coral Bleaching
The burning of fossil fuels since the industrial revolution has led to rising concentrations of carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas) in the atmosphere, which in turn is causing global temperature to rise. The oceans are a large sink for the heat. Rising sea surface temperatures trigger reef-building corals to release their algal endosymbionts (zooxanthellae) on whom they rely as a source of energy. As corals expel zooxanthellae, they lose their color and turn white, hence the term, “coral bleaching.”
Coral bleaching events have become more frequent and more severe since reports of the first mass bleaching event in Australia in 1998.
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