Carly Kenkel

Carly Kenkel holds the Wilford and Daris Zinsmeyer Early Career Chair in Marine Studies and is an Associate Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Southern California. Her research focuses on coral resilience mechanisms in the face of climate change, including symbiont dynamics, genetic adaptation, and physiological responses to stress. Key contributions include studies on proteomic plasticity, symbiont community changes, and coral reproductive resilience.

She leads interdisciplinary projects such as the CORDAP R&D initiative to advance coral adaptation research. Her work combines genomic tools with field-based methods to assess coral population performance, as seen in the Acropora cervicornis Data Coordination Hub. Collaborative research includes investigating symbiotic relationships, microhabitat acclimatization, and the genomic basis of coral traits critical for climate survival.

Kenkel’s awards include the Early Career Chair, recognizing her innovative contributions. Her grants span coral restoration techniques, symbiont transmission, and climate stress responses. She emphasizes translating molecular insights into conservation strategies, such as identifying resilient coral genotypes and optimizing restoration practices.

Her research bridges lab and field, addressing pressing issues like thermal bleaching, ocean acidification, and reef recovery. She collaborates globally, publishing in high-impact journals and contributing to policy-relevant science through initiatives like the NSF-funded ORCC project on adaptive plasticity.