People

Sarah Solomon

PhD Candidate

I am a nature enthusiast and marine biologist with a passion for tropical eco-physiology. I am a PhD candidate at the University of Amsterdam under supervision of Dr. Verena Schoepf, and my research goals involve characterizing how tropical coral reefs will acclimatize to future ocean conditions and understanding the mechanisms that underlie coral resilience in extreme or marginal habitats. I’m inspired by the beauty and complexity of organismal diversity and I aspire to communicate our exciting scientific findings in creative ways to a broad audience.

Emily Croasdale

MSc Project: Coral community structure in Curaçao's marginal inland bays

I am a passionate diver and Environmental scientist, working on my first research project for my Masters in Freshwater and Marine Biology under the supervision of Dr Verena Schoepf. Her expertise in marginal reef environments is inspiring to me as someone who is interested in both conservation of coral reefs and understanding the mechanisms by which some corals are able to survive, or have the potential to survive the climate crisis. My research focuses on variation in population structure of several species of corals between highly marginal inland bays and typical reef environments in Curaçao, and how these differences relate to environmental conditions.

Matteo Bravo

MSc Project: Coral calcification across environmentally distinct sites in the Colombian Caribbean

I have always felt deeply connected to the sea, and if I close my eyes and try to imagine the most breathtaking places I have ever seen, the view of a colorful carpet of corals overcrowds my thoughts. In 2019 I had the chance to work on a coral restoration project in the reefs of the Maldives and since then, my life cannot be untangled from the ones of corals. For my second Master’s research project, I am now investigating how calcification rates of five coral species differ across environmentally distinct locations in the Colombian Caribbean.

Chris Lippens

MSc project: Physiological adaptations of two scleractinian coral species in the marginal inland bays of Curaçao

I am a motivated master’s student with a fascination for the natural world. I’m currently working on my first research project for my Masters in Freshwater and Marine Biology with the University of Amsterdam, under the supervision of Sarah Solomon (PhD candidate) and Dr. Verena Schoepf. Growing up on Curaçao, I was lucky enough to explore the island’s beautiful reefs from a young age. Now, I am passionate about researching and understanding coral reefs in order to help protect those same ecosystems from the effects of climate change.  My current research focuses on the potential ecophysiological adaptations of coral communities living under marginal and extreme conditions within the inland bays of Curaçao.

Defne Sahin

PhD Project: Environmental and ecological drivers of distribution and performance of high latitude corals

I have a BSc degree in Chemistry and a MSc degree in Environmental Sciences which I both completed in Istanbul, Turkey, where I'm originally from. Despite coming from a different background, I have always been passionate about marine conservation and corals. This led me to pursue a PhD at the University of Western Australia under the supervision of Dr Thomas Wernberg (collaboration with Dr Verena Schoepf). My PhD project aims to explore the poleward expansion of corals, the implications this might have on other species and the potential of high-latitude reefs to serve as a coral refuge under future ocean conditions.