Lisa Rodrigues, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor,
Department of Geography and the Environment,
Villanova University College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Area of Expertise:
- Coral Reefs Ecosystems
- Marine Invertebrates
- Ocean Environments
Summary
Coral reefs, often referred to as "the rainforests of the sea," host some of the most diverse ecosystems on earth. Teeming with marine life, they provide vital shoreline protection and are an important source of tourism. Dr. Rodrigues is a "hands on" expert on coral reefs having worked as a researcher for the Bermuda Biodiversity Project. She can discuss the structure and ecology of this marine habitat and its imperilment by climate change, overfishing and pollution.
Education
- Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania
- M.Sc., University of Toronto
- B.Sc., Dalhousie University
Selected Publications
- Palard, J.E., Rodrigues, L.J., Grottoli, A.G., "The importance of zooplankton to the daily metabolic carbon requirements of healthy and bleached corals at two depths," Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Econology 367: 180-188, 2008.
- Rodrigues, L.J., Grottoli, A.G., "Energy reserves and metabolism as indicators of coral recovery from bleaching," Limnology and Oceanography 52: 1874-882, 2007.
- Rodrigues, L.J., Grottoli, A.G., "Calcification rate and the stable carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen isotopes in the skeleton, host tissue, and zooxanthelae of bleached and recovering Hawaiian corals," Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 70: 2781-2789.
Selected Professional Experience
- Postdoctoral Fellow, Villanova University
- Researcher, Bermuda Biodiversity Project
Selected Research
- Synergistic Effects of Bleaching and Heterotrophy on Coral Reproduction
- Can Gordian Corals Be Used as an Indicator of Past Changes in Water Quality?
