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  • In hot water: Coral resilience in the face of climate change

    Over a decade, researchers from Penn studied coral species in Hawaii to better understand their adaptability to the effects of climate change.
    Small samples of brown corals placed on grided trays growing underwater
    For nearly a decade, researchers led by Katie Barott, assistant professor in the Department of Biology, have studied the effects of climate change on coral reefs. Monitoring two coral species off the coast of Hawaii, rice coral and finger coral (pictured), they found that local adaptations in response to near-severe heat stress allowed certain populations to endure such events.
    (Image: Courtesy of Kristen Brown)

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  • A world shaped by water and access
    Three people test water below a sand dam.

    Griffin Pitt, right, works with two other student researchers to test the conductivity, total dissolved solids, salinity, and temperature of water below a sand dam in Kenya.

    (Image: Courtesy of Griffin Pitt)

    A world shaped by water and access

    Griffin Pitt’s upbringing made her passionate about water access and pollution, and Penn has given her the opportunity to explore these issues back home in North Carolina and abroad.

    Oct 8, 2025