- Safeguarding biodiversity through innovation.
- Advancing undersea discovery.
- Empowering conservation.
EXCORE
Unlocking the Secrets of Coral Reefs: Pioneering the Discovery and Documentation of Marine Biodiversity
- Innovative Exploration: Harnessing advanced technologies and robotics for groundbreaking coral-reef research.
- Global Leadership: Setting global benchmarks in marine biodiversity documentation and conservation.
- Legacy of Discovery: Building on the legacy of the world’s greatest ichthyologists to explore uncharted marine frontiers.
- Cutting-Edge Research: Utilizing environmental DNA analysis and 3D mapping to uncover the mysteries of deep coral ecosystems.
- Conservation Impact: Aiding local communities in sustainable fishery management through sophisticated marine studies.
- Public Engagement: Engaging and educating the public on the critical importance of coral reefs and marine biodiversity.
Origins
The origins of EXCORE go back to 1946, when a student at UCLA with a passion for marine biology purchased an early SCUBA rig at an Army-Navy surplus store. Although he didn’t know it at the time, that marked John E. “Jack” Randall’s first step towards becoming, by multiple objective metrics, the greatest ichthyologist in history. There are many reasons why Randall, who spent most of his career at Bishop Museum, was so successful – but perhaps the most important reason is that he adopted a brand new technology to explore and document coral-reef ecosystems in ways that his predecessors could only dream of.
Legacy
Innovation
From high-end digital video cameras to state-of-the-art DNA sequencing techniques, EXCORE researchers leverage the latest technologies to explore and document undersea biodiversity. Cassie Ka‘apu-Lyons studies fish larvae and is revealing new insights into long-standing mysteries about this enigmatic part of nearly all marine fishes. Ken Longenecker, is developing the use of sophisticated 3D stereo camera system to record detailed information on life-history of reef fishes, in order to assist local fishing communities throughout the Pacific manage their fishery resources more effectively.
Bishop Museum researcher Cassie Ka‘apu-Lyons, who began working at Bishop Museum in 2022, is completing her PhD at the University of Hawai‘i’s Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology studying fish larvae – early life-stage fishes that drift with the plankton. Taking advantage of the latest in molecular analysis technologies, she is revealing new insights into long-standing mysteries about this enigmatic part of nearly all marine fishes. Ken Longenecker, who has worked at the Museum since 2004, is developing the use of sophisticated 3D stereo camera system to record detailed information on life-history of reef fishes, in order to assist local fishing communities throughout the Pacific manage their fishery resources more effectively.
Marine habitats, and especially coral-reef ecosystems, remain poorly understood with thousands of species yet to be discovered. We are in a race to discover and document biodiversity inhabiting the unexplored 85% of global coral reefs, and answer questions about the capabilities of marine organisms before this precious global resource is lost forever. A new paradigm for undersea exploration is needed to accelerate the pace of biodiversity discovery and documentation to maintain any hope of winning this race.
Building upon the pioneering work of Jack Randall, the Center for the Exploration of Coral Reef Ecosystems (EXCORE) at Bishop Museum is focused on systematically and comprehensively documenting marine biodiversity across the vast Indo-Pacific Region using a wide range of advanced technologies. Additionally, EXCORE is engaging the public through education and outreach programs that emphasize the importance of understanding these critical and imperiled habitats.
