Research Highlights
Research Interests
Global change effects in corals and coral reefs, particularly ocean warming and acidification.
Coral reefs resilience to interactive local and global stressor.
Genetic bases of coral resistance and resilience to diseases .
Ana Maria Palacio, Ph.D.
Assistant Scientist, Ocean Chemistry and Ecosystems Division
305.361.4516
4301 Rickenbacker Causeway
Miami, Florida 33149
“Solving the threats that coral reefs face requires that the community of scientists, managers, and stakeholders keep sharing and discussing their research so we can act quickly to protect these ecosystems.”
Dr. Palacio is a biologist interested in the future of our oceans. Her main focus of research has been how ocean warming, acidification, and pollution affect corals, causing coral bleaching and mortality. She also identifies environmental and genetic factors that promote more resistant corals that could survive in our fast changing world. Ana uses a combination of fieldwork and laboratory experiments to better understand corals’ susceptibility and tolerance to these stressors. She collects small coral samples during expeditions and experiments, which she then analyzes with molecular techniques and bioinformatic tools.
2019, Ph.D. Marine Biology & Ecology, RSMAS, U. Miami, Virginia Key, FL
2010, B.S. Biology, Universidad de Antioquia Colombia
- Enochs, I.C., N. Soderberg, A. Palacio, and K. Eaton. Sequential Treatment Application Robot (STAR) for high-replication marine experimentation. HardwareX, 18:e00524, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00524 2024
Ref. 4399 - Connelly, M.T., G. Snyder, A.M. Palacio-Castro, P.H. Gillette, A.C. Baker, and N. Traylor-Knowles. Antibiotics reduce Pocillopora coral-associated bacteria diversity, decrease holobiont oxygen consumption and activate immune gene expression. Molecular Ecology, 32(16):4677-4694, https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.17049 2023
Ref. 4280 - Johnston, M.A., M.S. Studivan, I.C. Enochs, A.M.S. Correa, N. Besemer, R.J. Eckert, K. Edwards, R. Hannum, X, Hu, M. Nuttall, K. O’Connell, A.M. Palacio-Castro, G.P. Schmahl, A.B. Sturm, B. Ushijima, and J.D. Voss. Coral disease outbreak at the remote Flower Garden Banks, Gulf of Mexico. Frontiers in Marine Science, 10:1111749, https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2023.1111749 2023
Ref. 4223
OAR Team Members of the Year – Outreach and Education 2023
For exemplary response to the unexpected and unprecedented 2023 coral bleaching event in South Florida and their efforts to communicate the event to the American public.
ECOPETROL Bachilleres por Colombia Colombian Oil Company full scholarship to get an undergraduate degree, 2003-2010
SIGUEME Full tuition fellowship for an exchange year at University of Valle, Cali, Colombia, 2006-2007
ECAES 5th highest score in the ECAES National Biology Tests (similar to Biology-subject GRE) 2009
COLCIENCIAS Colombian Science and Technology Department full scholarship to study PhD program abroad 2012-2017
David Rowland Fellowship to run real time PCR study 2017
US National Research Council. Postdoctoral fellowship to work with scientists at NOAA- AOML on coral diseases 2019-2020