C. Mark Eakin

Satellite Oceanography & Climatology Division

Marine Ecosystems Branch

Mark Eakin photo A coral reef specialist, with a Ph.D. in Biological Oceanography from the University of Miami, Dr. Eakin is Coordinator of NOAA's Coral Reef Watch program, an effort focused on the monitoring of coral reef ecosystems through satellite, in situ, and paleoenvironmental observations. In particular, Coral Reef Watch is a part of the NESDIS Center for Satellite Applications and Research and uses NOAA satellite data to monitor environmental conditions that lead to coral bleaching. NOAA's Coral Reef Watch provides the only source of satellite-based monitoring, alerts, and warnings of upcoming coral mass bleaching events.

Dr. Eakin has worked for NOAA since 1991. From 2000-2005, Dr. Eakin directed NOAA Paleoclimatology (part of NOAA's National Climatic Data Center), and was Director of the World Data Center for Paleoclimatology in Boulder, CO. Prior to that, he was a program manager for the NOAA Office of Global Programs in Silver Spring, MD, funding and coordinating research to improve our understanding of climate variability in the past, how to predict it in the future and the influence of climate variability and change on the marine environment.

Dr. Eakin's has published on various topics in coral reef ecology, especially the impact of climate change and other disturbance on coral reefs. This includes El Niño impacts on eastern Pacific coral reefs in coral reef ecology and carbonate budgets, thermal stress and coral bleaching, ocean acidification, oil spills, coral paleoclimatology, and the behavior of marine organisms. He co- chairs the US Coral Reef Task Force's Climate Change Working Group and recently chaired the Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee of the GCRMN. He was helped develop the International and U.S. Coral Reef Initiatives and the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN). In 2004, Dr. Eakin co-chaired a 7 part series of symposia on "Coral Reefs and Global Change" at the 10th International Coral Reef Symposium in Okinawa, is coordinating analysis of data from the 2005 Caribbean coral bleaching event. He recently testified before the US House of Representatives at a hearing entitled "Wildlife and Oceans in a Changing Climate" and has participated in several Congressional briefings.

Research Interests

Developing and improving coral environmental monitoring from satellites
Long-term Impacts of El Niño and Climate Variability on Eastern Pacific Coral Reefs Influence of Increasing Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide on Coral Reef Ecosystems: The Eastern Pacific as an Analog for Future Carbonate Concentration
Development of blended ocean temperatures and a "Living" Drought Index for North America Using Paleoclimatic and Instrumental Records
Application of Paleoclimatic Data as Retrospective Monitoring of Coral Reefs: A Component of NOAA's Coral Reef Watch

Experience

Since 2005 Oceanographer, and Coordinator of NOAA Coral Reef Watch, NESDIS Center for Satellite Applications and Research
2000-2005: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA Paleoclimatology at National Geophysical/Climatic Data Centers, Director of World Data Center for Paleoclimatology
1998-2000: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Office of Global Programs. Program Manager, Climate Dynamics and Experimental Prediction Program
1991-1998: NOAA, Office of Global Programs, Project Officer, Marine Ecosystem Response and Paleoclimatology Programs
1995-2000: University of Maryland, Graduate Faculty

Most Recent Publications

Eakin, C.M. and J. Lough (in press) Climate, Weather and Coral Bleaching, for Springer Ecological Studies volume Coral Bleaching: Patterns, Processes, Causes and Consequences.

Oliver, J., C.M. Eakin, and R. Berkelmans (in press) Coral Bleaching in Space and Time, for Springer Ecological Studies volume Coral Bleaching: Patterns, Processes, Causes and Consequences.

Manzello, D.P., J.A. Kleypas, D.A. Budd, C.M. Eakin, and C. Langdon (2008), Fragile reefs of the Eastern Pacific: a model for reefs in a high CO2 world, for Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (in press).

Hoegh-Guldberg, O. ... C.M. Eakin, et al. (2008) Response to comment on "Coral reefs under rapid climate change and ocean acidification", Science, 320: 315-316.

Maynard, J.A., ... C.M. Eakin, et al. (2008) ReefTemp: An interactive monitoring system for coral bleaching using high-resolution SST and improved stress predictors, Geophysical Research Letters, Geophysical Research Letters, 35, L05603, doi:10.1029/2007GL032175

Morgan, J., S. Heron, and M. Eakin (2008) The 2005 Bleaching Event: Coral-list Log, in Status of Caribbean Coral Reefs after Bleaching and Hurricanes in 2005, Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network, C. Wilkinson (ed). pp. 37-44.

Heron, S., J. Morgan, M. Eakin, and W. Skirving (2008), Hurricanes and their Effects on Coral Reefs, in Status of Caribbean Coral Reefs after Bleaching and Hurricanes in 2005, Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network, C. Wilkinson and D. Souter (eds), Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network and Reef and Rainforest Research Centre, Townsville, Australia. pp. 31-36.

Hoegh-Guldberg, O. ... C.M. Eakin, et al. (2007) Coral reefs under rapid climate change and ocean acidification, Science, 318(5857): 1737- 1742.

Kleypas, J.A. and C.M. Eakin (2007) Scientists' perceptions of threats to coral reefs: Results of a survey of coral reef researchers, Bulletin of Marine Science, 80(2): 419-436.

Grottoli, A.G. and C.M. Eakin (2007), A review of modern coral d¹⁸ O and Δ¹⁴ C proxy records, Earth Science Reviews 81: 67-91, doi: 10.1016/j.earscirev.2006.10.001

Eakin, C.M. and A. Grottoli (2006) Coral Reef Records of Past Climatic Change, in Corals and Climate Change: Science and Management, Coastal and Estuarine Studies 61: 33-54

Eakin, C.M., P.K. Swart, T.M. Quinn, K.P. Helmle, J.M. Smith, and R.E. Dodge. (2006) Application of paleoclimatology to coral reef monitoring and management. Proc. 10th International Coral Reef Symposium, Okinawa.

Diffenbaugh, N., M. Zhao, B. Otto-Bleisner, and C.M. Eakin (eds.). (2006) Special issue of Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology entitled "Glacial-Interglacial Climate of the past 160,000 years: New Insights from Data and Models," 236 (1-2): 1-168.

Kleypas, J.A., R.W. Buddemeier, C.M. Eakin, J.-P. Gattuso, J. Guinotte, O. Hoegh-Guldberg, R. Iglesias-Prieto, P. L. Jokiel, C. Langdon, O.W. Skirving, and A.E. Strong. 2005. Comment on "Coral reef calcification and climate change: The effect of ocean warming." Geophysical Research Letters 32, L08601, doi:10.1029/2004GL022329.

Eakin, C.M., C. Woodhouse, and E.R. Cook. 2005. Tree rings and western drought. In State of the Climate 2004, D.H. Levinson (ed.), Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 86(6): S1-S86.

Cook, E.R., C. Woodhouse, C.M, Eakin, D.M. Meko, and D.W. Stahle. 2004. Long-Term Aridity Changes in the Western United States. Science, 306: 1015-1018.

Eakin, C.M., M. Diepenbroek, and M. Hoepffner. 2003. The PAGES Data System. In Paleoclimate, Global Change and the Future, Alverson, K.D., R.S. Bradley, T.F. Pedersen (eds.), Springer-Verlag, Berlin, pp. 175- 179.

Eakin, C.M. 2001. A tale of two ENSO events: Carbonate budgets and the influence of two warming events and intervening variability, Uva Island, Panama. Bulletin of Marine Science, 69(1): 171-186.

Alverson, K. and C.M. Eakin. 2001. Making sure that the world's palaeodata do not get buried: International efforts are keeping information accessible. Nature, 412: 269.

Global Climate Change and Coral Reefs. 2001. ICRI Regional Workshop for East Asia, 2-4 April 2001

Eakin, C.M., C.A. Woodhouse, and D.M. Anderson. 2001. Paleoclimatic Data: High Resolution Data for High Resolution Studies. ICSU International Geosphere-Biosphere Program Open Science Conference, Amsterdam.

E-mail: Mark.Eakin@noaa.gov