Duke Researcher to Speak on Endangered Coral Reefs

James Hench, a researcher with the Duke University Marine Laboratory, will discuss his long-term study of coral reefs in French Polynesia as part of the Fall Seminar Series of Old Dominion University's Center for Coastal Physical Oceanography (CCPO) on Monday, Sept. 26.

The presentation, which targets coral reef systems currently suffering from human- and climate-induced stress, will begin at 3:30 p.m. in Room 3200 of the Research Innovation Building 1 in University Village. The seminar is free and open to the public, as is a reception with refreshments that begins at 3.

"Circulation over Coral Reefs: From Island Scale to Bommie Scale (and Back Again)" is the topic of Hench's talk. His research is part of a study focusing on reefs and lagoons surrounding the island of Moorea, French Polynesia.

Water circulation is a critical part of the physical processes that influence the wellbeing of organisms in coral reef systems. The seminar will explore circulation across scales ranging from island scale up to about 60 miles wide, down to bommie (reef outcrop) scale that may be only a few inches wide.

More information about Hench's research can be found at: http://fds.duke.edu/db/Nicholas/msc/faculty/jlh82.

He has a master's degree in civil engineering from Stanford University and a Ph.D. in physical oceanography from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.