Simona completed her PhD at Victoria University of Wellington (New Zealand) and she focused on understanding the correlation between habitat degradation and the coral recruitment process in the Indo-Pacific. Coral recruitment is considered the fundamental process that drives the maintenance and recovery of coral reefs. However, habitat degradation and the increasing impacts of biological and abiotic factors such as sedimentation and overfishing, threaten the survival of corals. Simona’s goal was to assess the health of the coral reef analysing the variations in coral recruitment rate and juvenile population abundance across different quality sites around Hoga by underwater research techniques. The assessment of reef conditions through regular recruitment monitoring allows to plan appropriate management strategies to control the disturbances and improve the conservation of the coral reef.
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