MEET THE LESSON PLAN AUTHORS

Michele Kissinger Michele Kissinger earned her Bachelor’s degree in Aquatic Biology from the University of California, Santa Barbara. After college, Michele followed a career path in public outreach and K-12 education working, closely with students and teachers in the classroom and out in the field. Now working towards her Master’s, Michele coordinates the outreach programs of the Moorea Coral Reef LTER. Michele mainly works with local teachers to develop curriculum that teach the CA State Science Standards using the ocean and coral reefs as the springboard for inquiry.

Kira Withy-Allen Kira Withy-Allen was selected to participate in a research project at the MCR LTER research site on Moorea, exploring the interaction between anthropogenic and natural factors that affect the health and survival of reef-building (stony) corals, and the role coral symbionts (zooxanthellae and coral crabs) play in maintaining coral populations. Kira, who was a teacher at the University of Hawaii’s Outreach School (a K-12 public charter school on Oahu, Hawaii), incorporated research findings into the development of a unit on symbiosis and anthropogenic effects on coral reefs. Kira’s Research Experience for Teachers (RET) and was made possible through support from the Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Program of the National Science Foundation (NSF). Kira is now working on a Master’s in Biology at San Diego State University..