Research interests
I have always been interested in researching interactions and processes. I am intrigued about how the different components in ecosystems affect each other. Looking at an ecosystem and studying processes answers questions such as “what is going on?” and “where is the ecosystem headed?”
When we monitor ecosystems we often monitor the state of the ecosystem: how much coral cover is on the reef? What is the diversity of macro invertebrates in the seagrass bed? With this kind of monitoring, changes in the ecosystem will be discovered once they happened. To anticipate and predict changes in the ecosystem, we need to study the interactions between the different players in the ecosystem. Once we understand these interactions, we can start monitoring processes: instead of just determining coral cover, we can determine how many coral recruits are establishing on the reefs each year. Instead of just counting parrotfish abundance, we can calculate they impact the reef through algae removal and calcium carbonate erosion. I ultimately want to better understand the processes and interactions in these and other ecosystems. I believe that this will help us make better predictions about where our ecosystems are headed.
I also seek out research that will contribute to positive change by finding solutions for real world problems. Two of my current research projects are helping to broaden our knowledge about issues the Caribbean region is struggling with: Sargassum blooms and Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease. Knowing that the scientific discoveries I make may help the local community as well as the Caribbean region to deal with these two problems makes me endlessly motivated to follow these two scientific pursuits.
What kind of tools do I use to do my research? My tool set is as diverse as a Swiss army knife consisting of literature reviews, data compilation, mathematical modelling, field observations, experiments in the field and in water tables.
When we monitor ecosystems we often monitor the state of the ecosystem: how much coral cover is on the reef? What is the diversity of macro invertebrates in the seagrass bed? With this kind of monitoring, changes in the ecosystem will be discovered once they happened. To anticipate and predict changes in the ecosystem, we need to study the interactions between the different players in the ecosystem. Once we understand these interactions, we can start monitoring processes: instead of just determining coral cover, we can determine how many coral recruits are establishing on the reefs each year. Instead of just counting parrotfish abundance, we can calculate they impact the reef through algae removal and calcium carbonate erosion. I ultimately want to better understand the processes and interactions in these and other ecosystems. I believe that this will help us make better predictions about where our ecosystems are headed.
I also seek out research that will contribute to positive change by finding solutions for real world problems. Two of my current research projects are helping to broaden our knowledge about issues the Caribbean region is struggling with: Sargassum blooms and Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease. Knowing that the scientific discoveries I make may help the local community as well as the Caribbean region to deal with these two problems makes me endlessly motivated to follow these two scientific pursuits.
What kind of tools do I use to do my research? My tool set is as diverse as a Swiss army knife consisting of literature reviews, data compilation, mathematical modelling, field observations, experiments in the field and in water tables.
Academic record
January 2020 – May 2020 Ecology advisor
Fearless fund
Washington D.C.
Internal report reviewing Sargassum ecology and preparation of field protocols for scientists and citizen scientists.
September 2020 -current Co-founder and Co-organizer
Global Coral Reef Week - low carbon conference for coral reef scientists
Coordinator of local in-person events for the Caribbean region, email correspondence and telecommunication with partners and potential participants, grant writing, website design and upkeep, development of virtual video conference approach, selection of abstracts.
July 2018 – December 2019 Tropical Marine Ecology Faculty
Center for Marine Resource Studies
School for Field Studies
Turks and Caicos Islands
Primary investigator on directed research projects for upper level undergraduate students.
Topics investigated: reef calcium carbonate budgets, topographic complexity of coral reefs, effects of Sargassum blooms on seagrass beds.
Skills used: ReefBudget monitoring, underwater videography,3D modelling, field research, in situ experiments, labwork,statistical data analysis, acadmic writing, grant writing
August 2016 – December 2017: Coral Reef Ecology Faculty
CIEE Research Station
Bonaire
Primary investigator on faculty driven research regarding black spot syndrome distribution in coral reef fishes around the island of Bonaire.
Primary investigator on directed research project for upper level undergraduate students studying coral recruitment in relation topographic complexity of the coral reef.
Skills used: fluorescence coral census, underwater videography, 3D modelling, field surveys, statistical data analysis, academic writing
February 2013 – November 2016 Ph.D. in Marine Biology
Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
Thesis: “Factors affecting coral recruitment and calcium carbonate accretion rates on Central Pacific coral reefs”
Advisors: Prof. Jonathan Gardner (http://www.victoria.ac.nz/sbs/about/staff/jonathan-gardner)
A.Prof. James Bell (http://www.victoria.ac.nz/sbs/about/staff/james-bell)
Reefs Tomorrow Initiative: Interdisciplinary team of experts set out to develop a novel reef resilience model with application in conservation and management (http://reefstomorrowinitiative.org/)
Skills used: Leading dive fieldwork at Palmyra Atoll, experimental wet lab work, lab work, statistical data analysis, academic writing, grant writing.
August 2012 – December 2012: Research assistant
CIEE Research Station
Bonaire
Co-investigator on intern driven research regarding black spot syndrome distribution in coral reef fishes around the island of Bonaire.
Participation in long term reef monitoring research.
Skills used: field survey, underwater videography, fish dissection, coral point count software, statistical data analysis.
February 2010 – June 2012: Master of Science in Ecology and Evolution
Awarded with ETH Medal
ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Dissertation: Elmer, F., Riegl, B. (2014). A discrete mathematical extension of conceptual ecological models–Application for the SE Florida shelf. Ecological Indicators, 44: 40-56.
Skills used: ground-truth data collection, computer based benthic data analysis, underwater core drilling of reef rock substrate, literature research, data mining, mathematical modelling in matlab, academic writing
Fearless fund
Washington D.C.
Internal report reviewing Sargassum ecology and preparation of field protocols for scientists and citizen scientists.
September 2020 -current Co-founder and Co-organizer
Global Coral Reef Week - low carbon conference for coral reef scientists
Coordinator of local in-person events for the Caribbean region, email correspondence and telecommunication with partners and potential participants, grant writing, website design and upkeep, development of virtual video conference approach, selection of abstracts.
July 2018 – December 2019 Tropical Marine Ecology Faculty
Center for Marine Resource Studies
School for Field Studies
Turks and Caicos Islands
Primary investigator on directed research projects for upper level undergraduate students.
Topics investigated: reef calcium carbonate budgets, topographic complexity of coral reefs, effects of Sargassum blooms on seagrass beds.
Skills used: ReefBudget monitoring, underwater videography,3D modelling, field research, in situ experiments, labwork,statistical data analysis, acadmic writing, grant writing
August 2016 – December 2017: Coral Reef Ecology Faculty
CIEE Research Station
Bonaire
Primary investigator on faculty driven research regarding black spot syndrome distribution in coral reef fishes around the island of Bonaire.
Primary investigator on directed research project for upper level undergraduate students studying coral recruitment in relation topographic complexity of the coral reef.
Skills used: fluorescence coral census, underwater videography, 3D modelling, field surveys, statistical data analysis, academic writing
February 2013 – November 2016 Ph.D. in Marine Biology
Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
Thesis: “Factors affecting coral recruitment and calcium carbonate accretion rates on Central Pacific coral reefs”
Advisors: Prof. Jonathan Gardner (http://www.victoria.ac.nz/sbs/about/staff/jonathan-gardner)
A.Prof. James Bell (http://www.victoria.ac.nz/sbs/about/staff/james-bell)
Reefs Tomorrow Initiative: Interdisciplinary team of experts set out to develop a novel reef resilience model with application in conservation and management (http://reefstomorrowinitiative.org/)
Skills used: Leading dive fieldwork at Palmyra Atoll, experimental wet lab work, lab work, statistical data analysis, academic writing, grant writing.
August 2012 – December 2012: Research assistant
CIEE Research Station
Bonaire
Co-investigator on intern driven research regarding black spot syndrome distribution in coral reef fishes around the island of Bonaire.
Participation in long term reef monitoring research.
Skills used: field survey, underwater videography, fish dissection, coral point count software, statistical data analysis.
February 2010 – June 2012: Master of Science in Ecology and Evolution
Awarded with ETH Medal
ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Dissertation: Elmer, F., Riegl, B. (2014). A discrete mathematical extension of conceptual ecological models–Application for the SE Florida shelf. Ecological Indicators, 44: 40-56.
Skills used: ground-truth data collection, computer based benthic data analysis, underwater core drilling of reef rock substrate, literature research, data mining, mathematical modelling in matlab, academic writing
CONFERENCE PLANNING/ORGANIZATION
Member of the conference technical staff for eDSBS, scientific conference of the Deep Sea Biology Society, August 2020, virtual. Technical and administrative support and planning of social events
Member of the conference planning committee for Global Coral Reef Week, July 2020, virtual. Co-founder, main organizer, tasks including administration, communication with speakers and participants, selection of plenary speakers, securing funding, updating of website, training of technical staff .
Member of the conference planning committee for Association of Marine Laboratories of the Caribbean Scientific Meeting, May 2019 in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Treasurer.
Member of the conference planning committee for Alliance for Global Sustainability Annual Meeting, January 2009 in Zurich, Switzerland. Advisor on sustainable conference planning.
Member of the conference planning committee for the 2009 Student Summit for Sustainability, Annual Meeting of the World Student Community for Sustainable Development, January 2009 in Kreuzlingen, Switzerland. Social and networking events coordinator.
Member of the conference planning committee for Global Coral Reef Week, July 2020, virtual. Co-founder, main organizer, tasks including administration, communication with speakers and participants, selection of plenary speakers, securing funding, updating of website, training of technical staff .
Member of the conference planning committee for Association of Marine Laboratories of the Caribbean Scientific Meeting, May 2019 in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Treasurer.
Member of the conference planning committee for Alliance for Global Sustainability Annual Meeting, January 2009 in Zurich, Switzerland. Advisor on sustainable conference planning.
Member of the conference planning committee for the 2009 Student Summit for Sustainability, Annual Meeting of the World Student Community for Sustainable Development, January 2009 in Kreuzlingen, Switzerland. Social and networking events coordinator.
PUBLICATIONS
Counsell, C. W. W., Elmer, F., Lang, J. C. (2020) Shifting away from the business-as-usual approach to research conferences. Biology Open 9: bio056705 doi: 10.1242/bio.056705
Shadle S., Lestrade O., Elmer, F., Hernandez Jr F. (2019). Estimation and Comparison of Epiphyte Loading on Holopelagic Sargassum fluitans Collected in the North Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Gulf and Caribbean Research, 30(1), SC42-SC46.
Elmer F., Kohl Z., Johnson P., Peachey R. (2019) Caribbean-wide distribution of trematode parasite Scaphanocephalus expansus infected reef fish. 38 (5), 1303–1315
Kohl Z., Elmer F., Johnson P., Peachey R. (2019) Black-spot syndrome in Caribbean fishes linked to trematode parasite infection (Scaphanocephalus expansus). Coral Reefs, 38(5), 917-930
Elmer F., Bell J.J., Gardner J.P.A. Coral larvae change their settlement preference for crustose coralline algae dependent on availability of bare space. Coral Reefs DOI 10.1007/s00338-018-1665-2
Elmer F., Rogers J.S., Dunbar R.B., Monismith S.G., Bell J.J., Gardner J.P.A. (2016) Influence of localized currents, benthic community cover and composition on coral recruitment: integrating field-based observations and physical oceanographic modelling. Proc. of the 13th ICRS, Honolulu: 101-142
Elmer F., Riegl B. (2014). A discrete mathematical extension of conceptual ecological models–Application for the SE Florida shelf. Ecological Indicators, 44, 40-56.
Shadle S., Lestrade O., Elmer, F., Hernandez Jr F. (2019). Estimation and Comparison of Epiphyte Loading on Holopelagic Sargassum fluitans Collected in the North Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Gulf and Caribbean Research, 30(1), SC42-SC46.
Elmer F., Kohl Z., Johnson P., Peachey R. (2019) Caribbean-wide distribution of trematode parasite Scaphanocephalus expansus infected reef fish. 38 (5), 1303–1315
Kohl Z., Elmer F., Johnson P., Peachey R. (2019) Black-spot syndrome in Caribbean fishes linked to trematode parasite infection (Scaphanocephalus expansus). Coral Reefs, 38(5), 917-930
Elmer F., Bell J.J., Gardner J.P.A. Coral larvae change their settlement preference for crustose coralline algae dependent on availability of bare space. Coral Reefs DOI 10.1007/s00338-018-1665-2
Elmer F., Rogers J.S., Dunbar R.B., Monismith S.G., Bell J.J., Gardner J.P.A. (2016) Influence of localized currents, benthic community cover and composition on coral recruitment: integrating field-based observations and physical oceanographic modelling. Proc. of the 13th ICRS, Honolulu: 101-142
Elmer F., Riegl B. (2014). A discrete mathematical extension of conceptual ecological models–Application for the SE Florida shelf. Ecological Indicators, 44, 40-56.
CONFERENCES
Elmer F., Heidi H. (2020) Call for action! What coral reef scientists, practitioners and enthusiasts do to save our reefs. Global Coral Reef Week (virtual conference). Presented by Franziska Elmer
Elmer F., Heidi H. (2020) Determining lesion progression rate of SCTLD on Agaricia spp. using SfM photogrammetry. Global Coral Reef Week (virtual conference). Presented by Franziska Elmer
Todd M., Vega-Perkins R., Cipolla K.J., Dias A., Peoples N., Elmer F. (2019) Utilizing 3-D modelling to determine coral reef calcium carbonate production at the arch reef site in South Caicos, TCI. 39th Scientific meeting of the Association of Marine Laboratories of the Caribbean, May 2019. Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Presented by Franziska Elmer.
Elmer F., Reisa C., Walker E., Koch D., Hoffer G. (2019) Effects of Sargassum spp. blooms on seagrass beds. 39th Scientific meeting of the Association of Marine Laboratories of the Caribbean, May 2019. Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Presented by Franziska Elmer.
Elmer F., Kohl, Z. F., Johnson P. T. J. Peachey R. B. J. Caribbean wide temporal and spatial distribution of the dermal fish parasite Scaphanocephalus expansus. 1st Latin American and Caribbean Congress for Conservation Biology, July 2018, Trinidad. Presented by Franziska Elmer
Taylor M., Elmer F., Gershtenson M. G., Newton K. C., O’Mara S. Peachey R. B. J., High relative abundance of coral recruits on mooring blocks, coral rubble and vertical coral rock in a natural reef setting. 1st Latin American and Caribbean Congress for Conservation Biology, July 2018, Trinidad. Presented by Michelle Taylor.
Elmer F., Roth M., Rodriguez L., Giametti S., Hills A., Hoag M., Peachey R. (2017) Presentation: A Caribbean wide disease affecting ocean surgeonfish (Acanthurus bahianus). 38th Scientific meeting of the Association of Marine Laboratories of the Caribbean, May 2017. Merida, Mexico. Presented by Franziska Elmer.
Klatt C., Koot M., Elmer F., Peachey R. (2017) Presentation: Determination of the degradation rate of lionfish eDNA in the laboratory. 38th Scientific meeting of the Association of Marine Laboratories of the Caribbean, May 2017. Merida, Mexico. Presented by Courtney Klatt.
Elmer F., Bell J.J., Gardner J.P.A. (2016) Speed talk: Coral recruitment benefits from a healthy parrotfish community. Society for Conservation Biology 4th Oceania Congress, July 2016. Brisbane, Australia. Presented by Franziska Elmer.
Elmer F., Forsman Z., Brumbaugh D., Bell J. J., Gardner J.P.A. (2015) Poster presentation: Increasing growth and survivorship for Pocillopora damicornis larvae and recruits at an ex-situ coral nursery. 23rd Hawai’i Conservation Conference, August 2015, Hilo, USA. Presented by Franziska Elmer.
Elmer F. (2009) Poster presentation: Sustainability assessment of the AGS AM 09 hotels. Alliance for Global Sustainability Annual Meeting, January 2009. Zurich, Switzerland. Presented by Franziska Elmer.
Elmer F., Heidi H. (2020) Determining lesion progression rate of SCTLD on Agaricia spp. using SfM photogrammetry. Global Coral Reef Week (virtual conference). Presented by Franziska Elmer
Todd M., Vega-Perkins R., Cipolla K.J., Dias A., Peoples N., Elmer F. (2019) Utilizing 3-D modelling to determine coral reef calcium carbonate production at the arch reef site in South Caicos, TCI. 39th Scientific meeting of the Association of Marine Laboratories of the Caribbean, May 2019. Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Presented by Franziska Elmer.
Elmer F., Reisa C., Walker E., Koch D., Hoffer G. (2019) Effects of Sargassum spp. blooms on seagrass beds. 39th Scientific meeting of the Association of Marine Laboratories of the Caribbean, May 2019. Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Presented by Franziska Elmer.
Elmer F., Kohl, Z. F., Johnson P. T. J. Peachey R. B. J. Caribbean wide temporal and spatial distribution of the dermal fish parasite Scaphanocephalus expansus. 1st Latin American and Caribbean Congress for Conservation Biology, July 2018, Trinidad. Presented by Franziska Elmer
Taylor M., Elmer F., Gershtenson M. G., Newton K. C., O’Mara S. Peachey R. B. J., High relative abundance of coral recruits on mooring blocks, coral rubble and vertical coral rock in a natural reef setting. 1st Latin American and Caribbean Congress for Conservation Biology, July 2018, Trinidad. Presented by Michelle Taylor.
Elmer F., Roth M., Rodriguez L., Giametti S., Hills A., Hoag M., Peachey R. (2017) Presentation: A Caribbean wide disease affecting ocean surgeonfish (Acanthurus bahianus). 38th Scientific meeting of the Association of Marine Laboratories of the Caribbean, May 2017. Merida, Mexico. Presented by Franziska Elmer.
Klatt C., Koot M., Elmer F., Peachey R. (2017) Presentation: Determination of the degradation rate of lionfish eDNA in the laboratory. 38th Scientific meeting of the Association of Marine Laboratories of the Caribbean, May 2017. Merida, Mexico. Presented by Courtney Klatt.
Elmer F., Bell J.J., Gardner J.P.A. (2016) Speed talk: Coral recruitment benefits from a healthy parrotfish community. Society for Conservation Biology 4th Oceania Congress, July 2016. Brisbane, Australia. Presented by Franziska Elmer.
Elmer F., Forsman Z., Brumbaugh D., Bell J. J., Gardner J.P.A. (2015) Poster presentation: Increasing growth and survivorship for Pocillopora damicornis larvae and recruits at an ex-situ coral nursery. 23rd Hawai’i Conservation Conference, August 2015, Hilo, USA. Presented by Franziska Elmer.
Elmer F. (2009) Poster presentation: Sustainability assessment of the AGS AM 09 hotels. Alliance for Global Sustainability Annual Meeting, January 2009. Zurich, Switzerland. Presented by Franziska Elmer.