Conservation, Climate Change, and Interdisciplinary Collaborations

Abstract

Anthropogenic (human caused) pollutants are continuing to show their impacts on the environment. For decades scientists have been studying these effects and what they mean for life on Earth. Such effects on nature include increased species extinction rates and climate change. However, these two elements are not separate. Due to this fact, an interdisciplinary approach to conservation needs to be formed to address the increasing species extinction rates. Coral conservation is a prominent issue in both media and the lab. Thus, using coral to address an interdisciplinary approach allows people to see what each discipline can bring to the table in determining how to effectively proceed in conservation efforts. Though there are a continually increasing number of scientific disciplines, for this article the disciplines addressed are marine biology, cell biology, ecology, physics, chemistry, conservation, environmental science, and climate science. Thus, through an interdisciplinary approach, conservation can assess situations from the macro to the micro and from the ecosystem to the individual.