Deep-sea Coral Taxonomy Workshop. INVEMAR, Santa Marta, Columbia

Poppy attended the Deep-sea Coral Taxonomy Workshop in December of 2019 at the INVEMAR Institute of Marine and Coastal Research in Santa Marta, Colombia. The workshop was funded by the Deep-Sea Biology Society and included a day of introductory sessions led by Dr. Tina Molodtsova and Dr. Phil Alderslade, both experts in the field of coral taxonomy. The following days included a tour of INVEMAR’s extensive marine invertebrate collection in The Makuriwa Museum, and hands-on lab sessions where all workshop participants worked with deep-sea coral samples from multiple taxonomic groups. Dr. Molodtsova led the sessions on Black coral (Antipatharia) taxonomy and Dr. Alderslade led the Octocoral (Octocorallia) sessions. Learning about the fine scale identification of deep-sea corals emphasized the complexity of these ecologically important fauna. This workshop also served as an invaluable networking experience with coral experts from all over the world in one lab. Poppy also had the opportunity to dive with the real thing – live Octocorals and Black corals in the Caribbean Sea just off the coast of Santa Marta!

Collecting samples from Dr. Molodtsova for a closer look.

Diving with living Octocorals and Black corals!

Workshop participants at INVEMAR, Santa Marta, 2019