Not your stereotypical white coat lab work – Meet Coral Biologist Megan Clampitt

BY MARGAUX MONFARED

Stereotypes. Since the 1950s research has exposed the way students depict a scientist. White lab coats, eccentric men, wild hair and extravagant experiments all epitomise the stereotypical ‘mad scientist’ portrayed by the media. Although gender stereotypes may be on the decline, understanding the role of a modern scientist is important. Firstly, not all lab work requires a white coat and a crazy experiment! Meet Megan Clampitt, a PhD student from the U.S.A who is currently located in the South of France at the Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging in Nice from the Université Côte d’Azur. Breaking the stereotypical white coat norm, Megan works at the interface between biology and computer science to gain new insight into marine biology. Her PhD research focuses on combing machine learning with coral surveillance methods. The aim is to develop an automated tool and assess if it’s useful to index coral health. Prior to starting her PhD, she worked on several coral restoration projects around the world including Bonaire, Maldives and Florida

You’ve built your life around the ocean. What drew you to it in the first place?

I have always been very aquatic. I was a swimmer and a water polo player, and I have always loved the water. But I grew up in oceanless Chicago, so I wasn’t really overexposed to the ocean during my youth. It wasn’t until after I graduated with my bachelor’s degree that I was really drawn to the ocean, especially corals and that happened via travelling. I did a four-month solo-backpacking trip through Asia, Australia and New Zealand and that’s where I learnt to dive and did some snorkelling and really fell in love with the underwater world and marine life.  

Your research interest focuses on corals, can you describe their importance?

Coral reefs are marine habitats that are incredibly important, dynamic and beautiful. They are a marine ecosystem supporting approximately a quarter of all marine life. They provide coastal protection, a huge source of protein and food worldwide, they provide jobs and income and are vitally important for tourism (especially in many small island states), they are a treasure trove of compounds that could be used in medicines and other budding technological applications and on top of that they are stunningly beautiful. 

Your Masters research involved extracting data from coral photographs, can you describe the process and what key information you were looking for.

I did my MSc at Université Côte d’Azur and my thesis worked with data that was generated during the Tara pacific expedition. The two year expedition sailed across the pacific ocean and collected fish, coral and water samples to investigate the full complexity of the coral animal (the coral itself, is a symbiotic algae, its virome, and its microbiome). The data I worked with was the photos that were generated of all the coral samples during this expedition. We wanted to see what information we could extract from these photographs in order to generate an additional dataset for the Tara Consortium.  From the pictures, we were able to create annotations focused on health, identification, algal contact, presence of boring organisms, sediment contact and predation. 

How do you hope your voice and work as a coral biologist will influence others?

I really hope through my work I am able to share my passion for the ocean with others and also encourage people to play a role in conservation efforts. Even if someone isn’t working directly on conservation projects, there are small things we can do in our everyday life to keep our planet a little bit healthier. 

Why is it so important to engage the community with your work? 

The ocean is something that belongs to everyone and plays such a huge role in the wellbeing and survival of everyone on this planet (producing oxygen, capturing carbon dioxide etc..) and it is facing so many threats right now, so we really need people to rally together so that we can do everything we can to diminish those threats and promote conservation and preservation.

Who or what do you draw your inspiration from?

For me, I have a lot of intrinsic inspiration. The ocean, and specifically coral reefs, is something that I cherish, and I love experiencing. So, I’m always trying to do my best in terms of conservation efforts. I’m also lucky enough to live in the French Riviera, so I get to go in the sea or see the sea every single day and I think having that right in front of you is definitely a really helpful, beautiful source of inspiration. 

What is one thing you wish someone had told you/taught you a long time ago?

I wish that more emphasis was placed on the importance of conservation at a young age and that I was taught what efforts I could do myself to help conserve the planet at a younger age. 

How has the recent COVID-19 pandemic affected (or not) you and your research?

I was lucky in that my masters thesis research consisted of a lot of computer work. So, in that sense it wasn’t affected by the pandemic! 

What has your experience as a woman in ocean science been like?

I’ve been lucky in that I’ve actually had a lot of really strong, amazing females as role-models (Francesca, Bridget, Martha) when I started out in the field. These women, specifically Francesca and Bridget from Reef-Renewal Bonaire and Martha from Coral Restoration Foundation really taught me so much and helped shape me and my course in coral conservation. They set the tone for how I wanted to be as a leader and advocate. So, for me women in ocean science are such a huge source of inspiration and I hope that I can be or have been that source of inspiration for others. 

What has been an unforgettable underwater experience for you? 

My favourite dive was an ostracod night dive that I did in Bonaire. It was literally incredible!  Ostracods are tiny crustaceans that generate blue light once a month as part of their mating display. It was a dive I will never forget, it was like floating through starlight.