What is MiddCoral and who are the minds behind it?
What do you do when you’re going to school in a completely landlocked state but your real passions lie beyond the coast? I found myself asking this exact question. As a conservation biology major, I have always had an interest in protecting the earth and all its diverse ecosystems and organisms but have always held a fondness for marine environments, coral reefs specifically. Working alongside my advisor, Jeremy Ward, we decided to construct the first coral lab at Middlebury College to bring the wonders of the underwater world ashore.
Located in MBH 367, the lab will focus on the effects of climate change on dinoflagellates known as zooxanthellae which form a symbiotic relationship with the coral.
I decided to create this blog as a space to document and share about the progression of MiddCoral. I want to write about how the coral tanks got set up, the corals and invertebrates going into them, the experiments conducted, and more. My hope is that with this lab and with this blog we can all learn and share together.
Enjoy!
Helena Milazzo (’21)
MiddCoral 