Faculty and Staff

Franziska Elmer, PhD

Franziska Elmer, PhD

Title
Research Fellow
Location
Turks and Caicos Islands
Pronouns
She/Her
Education
Doctorate in Marine Biology
Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
Master in Ecology and Evolution
ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Bachelor in Environmental Science
ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Teaching
Tropical Marine Ecology
Marine Megafauna
Foundations of Tropical Marine Ecosystems
Directed Research
Back to All Staff
about

Profile

Dr. Franziska Elmer has studied environmental science at ETH Zurich in Switzerland and completed her Doctorate in Marine Biology at Victoria University in Wellington. She spent 1.5 years teaching field based bachelor study abroad programs at CIEE Bonaire before joining SFS TCI in 2018 as faculty. She served as faculty until December 2019 and since then is a Research Fellow of SFS TCI. As research fellow she has lead a RESEMBID grant focussed on Novel Education Tools to Foster Local Ecosystem Sustainability Practices.

Franziska is currently also employed as Head of Science at Seafields Solutions, a startup that focuses on solutions to the Sargassum and Climate crises.

Academics & Research

Research Interests

  • Sargassum algae
  • Stony coral tissue loss disease
  • Coral reef benthos, specifically coral recruitment
  • Black spot disease in fish

    • Professional Affiliations

    Seafields Solutions Limited
    outputs

    Publications

    Ocean afforestation is a potentially effective way to remove carbon dioxide. (2023)

    Wang, WL., Fernández-Méndez, M., Elmer, F. et al.  Nat Commun 14, 4339 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-39926-z

    Determining Lesion Progression Rate of Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease using Structure-from-Motion Photogrammetry. (2021)

    Elmer, F., Cruz, Y. D., Dock, C., Ortega, A. A., Wedel, S. J., & Hertler, H. (2021). Gulf and Caribbean Research, 32(1), SC12-SC17.

    The Impact of Sargassum Inundations on the Turks and Caicos Islands. (2021)

    Bartlett , D., Elmer, F. (2021) Phycology 1 (2): 83-104.

    Ecological consequences of Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease in the Turks and Caicos Islands. (2021)

    Heres M.M., Farmer B. H., Elmer F., Hertler H. (2021) Coral Reefs https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-021-02071-4

    Shifting away from the business-as-usual approach to research conferences. (2020)

    Counsell, C. W. W., Elmer, F., Lang, J. C. (2020)  Biology Open 9: bio056705 doi: 10.1242/bio.056705

    Estimation and Comparison of Epiphyte Loading on Holopelagic Sargassum fluitans Collected in the North Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. (2019)

    Shadle S., Lestrade O., Elmer, F., Hernandez Jr F. (2019). Gulf and Caribbean Research, 30(1), SC42-SC46.

    Caribbean-wide distribution of trematode parasite Scaphanocephalus expansus infected reef fish. (2019)

    Elmer F.,  Kohl Z., Johnson P., Peachey R. (2019) 38 (5), 1303–1315

    Coral larvae change their settlement preference for crustose coralline algae dependent on availability of bare space. (2018)

    Elmer F., Bell J.J., Gardner J.P.A. (2018) Coral Reefs DOI 10.1007/s00338-018-1665-2

    Influence of localized currents, benthic community cover and composition on coral recruitment: integrating field-based observations and physical oceanographic modelling. (2016)

    Elmer F., Rogers J.S., Dunbar R.B., Monismith S.G., Bell J.J., Gardner J.P.A. (2016) Proc. of the 13th ICRS, Honolulu: 101-142

    A discrete mathematical extension of conceptual ecological models Application for the SE Florida shelf. (2014)

    Elmer F., Riegl B. (2014). Ecological Indicators, 44, 40-56.

    Grants and Awards

    RESEMBID REG-61