Ilsa Kuffner is a Research Marine Biologist at the St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center in St. Petersburg, Florida.
As a research marine biologist for the Coastal and Marine Geology Program, I investigate the causes and effects of coral reef degradation. I explore local- to global-scale stressors on reefs, and experimentally determine how environmental variables such as sea-surface temperature, water quality, seawater chemistry, nuisance macroalgae, and ocean acidification affect coral growth, the community structure of reefs, and the process of reef building. My work informs resource managers about the mechanisms causing reef degradation and how management efforts may be improved to protect and restore degraded reefs. Please visit the USGS Coral Reef Ecosystems Studies (CREST) website for more information (see link below).
Professional Experience
Research Marine Biologist, US Geological Survey, St. Petersburg Coastal & Marine Geology Science Center, 2002 to present
Faculty, School for Field Studies, Center for Marine Resource Studies, Turks & Caicos Islands, 2001 to 2002
Director, Forfar Field Station, Andros Island, Bahamas, 2000 to 2001
Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Guam Marine Laboratory, Post-doc advisor: Valerie J. Paul, 1999 to 2000
Education and Certifications
Doctor of Philosophy, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Department of Zoology, Ph.D. Chair: Paul L. Jokiel, 1999
Bachelor of Arts, University of New Hampshire, Department of Zoology, Minor: Marine Biology, 1993
Science and Products
Coral Reef Ecosystem Studies (CREST)
Measuring Coral Growth to Help Restore Reefs
Local-scale ecosystem resilience amid global-scale ocean change: the coral reef example
Impact of Ocean Warming and Acidification on Growth of Reef-Building Corals
Experimental Coral-Physiology Data for Acropora palmata in Florida, USA
Experimental Coral-Growth Data and Time-Series Imagery for Acropora palmata and Pseudodiploria strigosa in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Reef-census Data from Buck Island Reef National Monument
Underwater temperature on off-shore coral reefs of the Florida Keys, U.S.A.
Experimental coral-growth and physiological data and time-series imagery for Porites astreoides in the Florida Keys, U.S.A.
DNA Microsatellite Markers for Mustard Hill Coral (Porites astreoides) from the Florida Keys Reef Tract
Experimental coral-growth data and time-series imagery for Acropora palmata in the Florida Keys, U.S.A.
Experimental Data on Construction and Erosion of Orbicella Coral Reefs in the Florida Keys, U.S.A.
Sr/Ca and Linear Extension Data for Five Modern O. faveolata Colonies from Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida, USA
Descriptive Core Logs, Core Photographs, Radiocarbon Ages, and Accretion Data from Holocene Reef Cores Collected Throughout the Florida Keys Reef Tract
Time-series Coral-cover Data from Hawaii, Florida, Mo'orea, and the Virgin Islands
USGS Coral Photo ArchiveFlorida Keys Corals: A Photographic Record of Changes from 1959 to 2015
Heterotrophy, microbiome, and location effects on restoration efficacy of the threatened coral Acropora palmata
The potential for coral reef restoration to mitigate coastal flooding as sea levels rise
Unified methods in collecting, preserving, and archiving coral bleaching and restoration specimens to increase sample utility and interdisciplinary collaboration
Scale dependence of coral reef oases and their environmental correlates
Genetic structure and diversity of the mustard hill coral Porites astreoides along the Florida Keys reef tract
Physiological differences in bleaching response of the coral Porites astreoides along the Florida Keys reef tract during high-temperature stress
Making restoration meaningful: A vision for working at multiple scales to help secure a future for coral reefs
Reestablishing a stepping-stone population of the threatened elkhorn coral Acropora palmata to aid regional recovery
Increasing comparability among coral bleaching experiments
Disturbances drive changes in coral community assemblages and coral calcification capacity
Considerations for maximizing the adaptive potential of restored coral populations in the western Atlantic
Improving estimates of coral reef construction and erosion with in-situ measurements
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Science and Products
- Science
Coral Reef Ecosystem Studies (CREST)
The specific objectives of this project are to identify and describe the processes that are important in determining rates of coral-reef construction. How quickly the skeletons of calcifying organisms accumulate to form massive barrier-reef structure is determined by processes of both construction (how fast organisms grow and reproduce) and destruction (how fast reefs break down by mechanical...Measuring Coral Growth to Help Restore Reefs
It is critical to start measuring calcification rates in a systematic way now, particularly at subtropical latitudes where conditions fluctuate seasonally, so that we can understand how dynamic ocean conditions affect calcifying organisms today and predict possible changes in the future. We established a calcification monitoring network in the Florida Keys and have been measuring calcification...Local-scale ecosystem resilience amid global-scale ocean change: the coral reef example
Coral reefs are massive, wave resistant structures found throughout the tropics, where they have long attracted attention for their beauty, ecological importance, and rich biological diversity. However, in recent years attention to these systems has focused on their downturn in health and the potential that they effectively could disappear within a century. Yet while many coral reefs have deterioImpact of Ocean Warming and Acidification on Growth of Reef-Building Corals
Coral reefs are some of the most biologically rich and economically valuable ecosystems in the world. They provide food, fishing, and recreation opportunities for millions of people, protect coastlines from storms, and shelter thousands of plant and animal species. However, climate change is contributing to the degradation of coral reefs in two significant ways: warming temperature and increasing - Data
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Experimental Coral-Physiology Data for Acropora palmata in Florida, USA
The USGS Coral Reef Ecosystems Studies (CREST) project provides science that helps Department of Interior and other resource managers tasked with the stewardship of coral reef resources. This data release contains data on coral physiology of the elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata, grown at five sites along the Florida outer reef tract including in Biscayne National Park, the Florida Keys National MarExperimental Coral-Growth Data and Time-Series Imagery for Acropora palmata and Pseudodiploria strigosa in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
The U.S. Geological Survey Coral Reef Ecosystems Studies project (CREST) provides science that helps Department of Interior and other resource managers tasked with the stewardship of coral reef resources. This data release contains data on coral-growth rates and time-series photographs taken of colonies of the elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata, and the symmetrical brain coral, Pseudodiploria strigosReef-census Data from Buck Island Reef National Monument
In July of 2016, Florida Institute of Technology researchers, in collaboration with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), conducted reef-census surveys at 54 sites around Buck Island Reef National Monument, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. The sites are divided across two reef sectors (North and South) and three reef habitats (fore reef, reef crest, and back reef) (Figure 1). These data were used to eUnderwater temperature on off-shore coral reefs of the Florida Keys, U.S.A.
The USGS Coral Reef Ecosystems Studies project provides science that helps resource managers tasked with the stewardship of coral reef resources. Coral reef organisms are very sensitive to high and low water-temperature extremes. It is critical to precisely know water temperatures experienced by corals and associated plants and animals that live in the dynamic, nearshore environment to document thExperimental coral-growth and physiological data and time-series imagery for Porites astreoides in the Florida Keys, U.S.A.
The USGS Coral Reef Ecosystems Studies project provides science that helps resource managers tasked with the stewardship of coral reef resources. This data release contains data on coral-growth rates and time-series photographs taken of colonies of the mustard hill coral, Porites astreoides, grown at four sites on the Florida Keys reef tract from spring 2015 to spring 2017. The data will be used tDNA Microsatellite Markers for Mustard Hill Coral (Porites astreoides) from the Florida Keys Reef Tract
This data release includes allele sizes of 11 previously published microsatellites for 39 individuals of Porites astreoides (mustard hill coral) collected in the spring of 2017 from four locations in the Florida Keys: Fowey Rocks, Crocker Reef, Sombrero Reef, and Pulaski Shoal. Additionally, this data release also contains the DNA concentration of the extracted DNA prior to PCR reactions for the sExperimental coral-growth data and time-series imagery for Acropora palmata in the Florida Keys, U.S.A.
The USGS Coral Reef Ecosystems Studies project (https://coastal.er.usgs.gov/crest/) provides science that helps resource managers tasked with the stewardship of coral reef resources. This data release contains data on coral-growth rates and time-series photographs taken of colonies of the elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata, grown at five sites on the Florida Keys reef tract from spring 2018 to autumnExperimental Data on Construction and Erosion of Orbicella Coral Reefs in the Florida Keys, U.S.A.
The USGS Coral Reef Ecosystems Studies project provides science that helps resource managers tasked with the stewardship of coral reef resources. This data release contains data on coral-growth rates for Orbicella sp. coral colonies grown at five sites on the Florida Keys reef tract from 2013 to 2015, survey data for census-based carbonate budgeting at Hen and Chickens Reef (Islamorada, Florida),Sr/Ca and Linear Extension Data for Five Modern O. faveolata Colonies from Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida, USA
Strontium/Calcium (Sr/Ca) ratios act as a proxy for sea surface temperature (SST) in the skeletons of aragonite producing organisms, such as massive corals. The Sr/Ca-SST proxy shows promise when applied to single Orbicella faveolata colonies in the Atlantic/Caribbean regions, but it is currently unknown how well the Sr/Ca-SST proxy performs between colonies of this species. It is necessary to undDescriptive Core Logs, Core Photographs, Radiocarbon Ages, and Accretion Data from Holocene Reef Cores Collected Throughout the Florida Keys Reef Tract
The USGS core archive (Reich and others, 2009; USGS Core Archive) houses an extensive collection of coral-reef cores that USGS researchers have collected from throughout the Florida Keys reef tract (FKRT; fig. 1). USGS scientists have compiled all available data on the 71 core records that recovered Holocene reef framework, including radiometric ages (radiocarbon and U-series), data on reef develoTime-series Coral-cover Data from Hawaii, Florida, Mo'orea, and the Virgin Islands
Coral reefs around the world have degraded over the last half-century as evidenced by loss of live coral cover. This ubiquitous observation led to the establishment of long-term, ecological monitoring programs in several regions with sizable coral-reef resources. As part of the of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) John Wesley Powell Center for Analysis and Synthesis working group "Local-scale ecosUSGS Coral Photo ArchiveFlorida Keys Corals: A Photographic Record of Changes from 1959 to 2015
This data release contains time-series photographs taken of corals and coral habitats in the Florida Keys between 1959 and 2015 at Carysfort Reef and Grecian Rocks (a total of six sites). The original intent was to show coral reef recovery after Hurricane Donna devastated the area in 1960. Corals, especially elkhorn and staghorn coral, grew prolifically after the storm until the late 1970s, then b - Multimedia
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Heterotrophy, microbiome, and location effects on restoration efficacy of the threatened coral Acropora palmata
The iconic and threatened Caribbean coral, Acropora palmata, is an essential reef-ecosystem engineer. Understanding the processes underpinning this coral’s survival and growth is essential to restoring this foundational species. Here, we compared replicate A. palmata colonies transplanted along 350 km of Florida’s offshore coral reef to determine holobiont and/or environmental variables that prediAuthorsLeila Chapron, Ilsa B. Kuffner, Dustin W. Kemp, Ann M. Hulver, Elise Keister, Anastasios Stathakopoulos, Lucy Bartlett, Erin O. Lyons, Andrea G. GrottoliThe potential for coral reef restoration to mitigate coastal flooding as sea levels rise
The ability of reefs to protect coastlines from storm-driven flooding hinges on their capacity to keep pace with sea-level rise. Here, we show how and whether coral restoration could achieve the often-cited goal of reversing the impacts of coral-reef degradation to preserve this essential function. We combined coral-growth measurements and carbonate-budget assessments of reef-accretion potential aAuthorsLauren Toth, Curt Storlazzi, Elizabeth M. Whitcher, Ilsa B. Kuffner, Ellen Quataert, Johan Reyns, Robert T. McCall, Anastasios Stathakopoulos, Zandy Hillis-Starr, Nathaniel H. Holloway, Kristin A. Ewen, Clayton G. Pollock, Tess Code, Richard B. AronsonUnified methods in collecting, preserving, and archiving coral bleaching and restoration specimens to increase sample utility and interdisciplinary collaboration
Coral reefs are declining worldwide primarily because of bleaching and subsequent mortality resulting from thermal stress. Currently, extensive efforts to engage in more holistic research and restoration endeavors have considerably expanded the techniques applied to examine coral samples. Despite such advances, coral bleaching and restoration studies are often conducted within a specific disciplinAuthorsR. Vega Thurber, E R Schmeltzer, A G Grottoli, R. van Woesik, R. J. Toonen, M E Warner, K L Dobson, R H McLachlan, K L Barott, D J Barshis, J H Baumann, L Chapron, D J Combosch, A M S Correa, T M DeCarlo, M Hagedorn, Laetitia Hedouin, K D Hoadley, T Felis, C Ferrier-Pages, C D Kenkel, Ilsa B. Kuffner, J L Matthews, Miguel Medina, C P Meyer, C Oster, J T Price, H M Putnam, Y SawallScale dependence of coral reef oases and their environmental correlates
Identifying relatively intact areas within ecosystems and determining the conditions favoring their existence is necessary for effective management in the context of widespread environmental degradation. In this study, we used 3766 surveys of randomly selected sites in the United States and U.S. Territories to identify the correlates of sites categorized as “oases” (defined as sites with relativelAuthorsRobin Elahi, Peter J. Edmunds, Ruth D. Gates, Ilsa B. Kuffner, Brian B. Barnes, Iliana Chollett, Travis A. Courtney, James R. Guest, Elizabeth A. Lenz, Lauren Toth, T. Shay Viehman, Ivor D. WilliamsGenetic structure and diversity of the mustard hill coral Porites astreoides along the Florida Keys reef tract
Increases in local and global stressors have led to major declines in coral populations throughout the western Atlantic. While abundances of other species have declined, however, the relative abundance of the mustard hill coral, Porites astreoides, has increased. Porites astreoides is relatively resilient to some stressors, and because of its mixed reproductive strategies, its populations often reAuthorsDominique N. Gallery, Michelle L. Green, Ilsa B. Kuffner, Elizabeth A. Lenz, Lauren TothPhysiological differences in bleaching response of the coral Porites astreoides along the Florida Keys reef tract during high-temperature stress
The Florida Keys reef tract (FKRT) has a unique geological history wherein Holocene sea-level rise and bathymetry interacted, resulting in a reef-building system with notable spatial differences in reef development. Overprinted on this geologic history, recent global and local stressors have led to degraded reefs dominated by fleshy algae, soft corals, and sponges. Here, we assessed how coral physAuthorsElizabeth A. Lenz, Lucy Bartlett, Anastasios Stathakopoulos, Ilsa B. KuffnerMaking restoration meaningful: A vision for working at multiple scales to help secure a future for coral reefs
No abstract available.AuthorsLes Kaufman, Ilsa B. Kuffner, Tom Moore, Tali VardiReestablishing a stepping-stone population of the threatened elkhorn coral Acropora palmata to aid regional recovery
Recovery of the elkhorn coral Acropora palmata is critical to reversing coral reef ecosystem collapse in the western Atlantic, but the species is severely threatened. To gauge potential for the species’ restoration in Florida, USA, we conducted an assisted migration experiment where 50 coral fragments of 5 nursery-raised genetic strains (genets) from the upper Florida Keys were moved to 5 sites acAuthorsIlsa B. Kuffner, Anastasios Stathakopoulos, Lauren Toth, Lucy BartlettIncreasing comparability among coral bleaching experiments
Coral bleaching is the single largest global threat to coral reefs worldwide. Integrating the diverse body of work on coral bleaching is critical to understanding and combating this global problem. Yet investigating the drivers, patterns, and processes of coral bleaching poses a major challenge. A recent review of published experiments revealed a wide range of experimental variables used across stAuthorsAndrea G. Grottoli, R. J. Toonen, R. van Woesik, R. Vega Thurber, M. E. Warner, R. H. McLachlan, James Price, K. D. Bahr, I. B. Baums, K. Castillo, M. A. Coffroth, R. Cunning, K. Dobson, M. Donahue, James L. Hench, R. Iglesias-Prieto, D. W. Kemp, C. D. Kenkel, D. I. Kline, Ilsa B. Kuffner, Jessica Matthews, A. Mayfield, J. Padilla-Gamino, S. R. Palumbi, C. R. Voolstra, V. M. Weis, H. C. WuDisturbances drive changes in coral community assemblages and coral calcification capacity
Anthropogenic environmental change has increased coral reef disturbance regimes in recent decades, altering the structure and function of many coral reefs globally. In this study, we used coral community survey data collected from 1996 to 2015 to evaluate coral calcification capacity (CCC) dynamics with respect to recorded pulse disturbances for 121 reef sites in the Main Hawaiian Islands and Mo'oAuthorsTravis A. Courtney, Brian B. Barnes, Iliana Chollett, Robin Elahi, Kevin Gross, James R. Guest, Ilsa B. Kuffner, Elizabeth A. Lenz, Hanna R Nelson, Caroline Rogers, Lauren Toth, Andreas J AnderssonConsiderations for maximizing the adaptive potential of restored coral populations in the western Atlantic
Active coral restoration typically involves two interventions: crossing gametes to facilitate sexual larval propagation; and fragmenting, growing, and outplanting adult colonies to enhance asexual propagation. From an evolutionary perspective, the goal of these efforts is to establish self‐sustaining, sexually reproducing coral populations that have sufficient genetic and phenotypic variation to aAuthorsIliana B. Baums, Andrew C Baker, Sarah W Davies, Andrea G Grottoli, Carly D Kenkel, Sheila A Kitchen, Ilsa B. Kuffner, Todd C LaJeunesse, Mikhail V Matz, Margaret W Miller, John E Parkinson, Andrew A ShantzImproving estimates of coral reef construction and erosion with in-situ measurements
The decline in living coral since the 1970s has conspicuously slowed reef construction on a global scale, but the related process of reef erosion is less visible and not often quantified. Here we present new data on the constructional and deconstructional side of the carbonate-budget equation in the Florida Keys, U.S.A. We documented Orbicella spp. calcification rates at four offshore reefs and quAuthorsIlsa B. Kuffner, Lauren Toth, J. Harold Hudson, William B. Goodwin, Anastasios Stathakopoulos, Lucy Bartlett, Elizabeth M. WhitcherNon-USGS Publications**
Kuffner, I. B. and V. J. Paul, 2004, Effects of the cyanobacteria Lyngbya majuscula on the larval settlement of the reef corals Acropora serculosa and Pocillopora damicornis: Coral Reefs23:455-458.Kuffner, I.B., 2002, Effects of ultraviolet radiation and water motion on the reef coral, Porites compressa: A transplantation experiment: Journal of Experimental Marine Biology & Ecology270(2):147-169.Kuffner, I.B. and V. J. Paul, 2001, Effects of nitrate, phosphate and iron on the growth of macroalgae and benthic cyanobacteria from Cocos Lagoon, Guam: Marine Ecology Progress Series222:63-72.Kuffner, I. B., 2001, Effects of ultraviolet radiation and water motion on the reef coral Porites compressa Dana: a flume experiment: Marine Biology 138:467-476.Kuffner, I.B., 2001, Effects of ultraviolet radiation on larval recruitment of the reef coral, Pocillopora damicornis: Marine Ecology Progress Series 217:251-261.Kuffner, I.B., 1999, The effects of ultraviolet radiation on reef corals and the sun-screening role of mycosporine-like amino acids: Ph.D. dissertation, Department of Zoology, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, 164 pp.Banaszak, A. T., M. P. Lesser, I. B. Kuffner and M. Ondrusek, 1998, Relationship between ultraviolet (UV) radiation and the concentration of mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) in marine organisms: Bulletin of Marine Science 63(3):617-628.Kuffner, I. B., M. Ondrusek and M. P. Lesser, 1995, The distribution of mycosporine-like amino acids in the tissues of Hawaiian scleractinia; a depth profile: in D. Gulko and P.L. Jokiel (eds.) Ultraviolet Radiation and Coral Reefs. HIMB Tech Report No. 41, Sea Grant, Honolulu, pp. 77-85.Grottoli-Everett, A., I. B. Kuffner, 1995, Individual polyp response to UV radiation in Montipora verrucosa: in D. Gulko and P.L. Jokiel (eds.) Ultraviolet Radiation and Coral Reefs. HIMB Tech Report No. 41, Sea Grant, Honolulu, pp. 115-120.**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
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