giving coral reefs a future

The Frontiers Spotlight Award recognizes the most innovative and impactful research published over the past year and is given to Dr. Anastazia Banaszak and six colleagues in recognition of their outstanding special issue research collection on coral reef science and conservation.

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Dr. Anastazia Banaszak (Sina Löschke)

The carefully curated compilation with the title 'Coral Reefs in the Anthropocene', comprising of 20 articles from more than 100 contributing authors, is freely available online and has attracted more than 460,000 views to date, the publisher reported in a related press release on Tuesday. “It exposes the damage caused by overfishing, pollution, and climate change, and helps to inform coral reef restoration efforts,” the publisher writes.

The winning topic editors are receiving $100,000 to organize an international scientific conference on the theme of their successful collection. "I am thrilled that the Spotlight Award features Coral Reefs this year. These amazing ecosystems are facing numerous challenges and we have to do more to understand them and try to save them for future generations. I look forward to using the award along with my fellow co-authors to help to organize an international conference to highlight new and upcoming research on coral reefs," says Anastazia Banaszak, a marine scientist at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).

The conference is planned for next year and is going to focus on coral reef conservation and the science of coral reef management, bringing together the world's leading reef scientists and managers.

Anastazia Banaszak is one of seven awarded researchers. The winning team also includes Michael Sweet (University of Derby), Dominic Andradi-Brown (World Wildlife Fund-US), Christan Voolstra (Universität Konstanz), Catherine Head (University of Oxford / Zoological Society of London), David Curnick (Zoological Society of London), and (Thomas Frazer, University of Florida)

Congratulations to the winners! 

Read more:

• Awarded open access article collection “Coral Reefs in the Anthropocene”
• Related press release, published by Frontiers

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