The Development and Evolution of Caribbean Coral Reef Islands

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The aim of this PhD is to reconstruct the development of, and identify the key controls on the evolution of Caribbean coral reef islands.To achieve this the PhD will address four key research questions to gain a holistic understanding of Caribbean reef island development:1. When, and how did Caribbean reef island building occur?2. What are the dominant controls on reef island evolution?3. Which coral reef organisms are the most significant for island building?4. What is the degree of connectivity between coral reef islands and surrounding coral reefsThe results from this PhD will have significant implications for the management of Caribbean coral reef islands. This includes improving resilience assessments of these islands to future climatic, environmental and ecological stressors; and helping to direct conservation efforts towards retaining the vital ecosystem services these islands provide (Mycoo, 2018).