Communicating to change the tide for coral reefs
My name is Ellie Bridges Greenfield, and I’m a senior pursuing a B.A. in environmental studies. This summer, I worked as an environmental communications intern in the Cnidarian Evolutionary Ecology Lab under the mentorship of Dr. Carly Kenkel. I would like to begin by expressing my sincere gratitude to the Wrigley Institute for Environment and Sustainability for selecting me to be one of the environmental communications interns this summer. In addition, I am deeply thankful to the Cnidarian Evolutionary Ecology Lab and Dr. Kenkel for allowing me to observe fascinating experiments, learn from inspiring researchers, and have the opportunity to showcase the innovative work that is underway in the lab.
Having worked with several environmental non-profit organizations before starting this internship, I have grown to appreciate the value of community building in the climate action world. Guiding another person—potentially someone unfamiliar with environmentalism—to find their role in the environmental movement is something that constantly fills my cup. I find my greatest sense of purpose when I inspire people to partake in climate initiatives, whether through highlighting the beauty of the natural world or by speaking out about a climate issue I hold close to my heart.
That is why I felt such a strong pull towards this internship—my role was to serve as an environmental storyteller, translating what may initially seem complicated into something digestible, maybe even inspiring. My responsibilities included taking facts, numbers, and measurements and composing a story that would speak to and inspire my audience. Whether I was sharing updates on the summer experiment examining polyp growth and branch initiation, or producing ‘how-to’ reels that offered a behind-the-scenes look at measuring a coral’s buoyant weight, my goal was to translate technical work into engaging content that could resonate with both coral biology experts and non-experts. Throughout this internship, I had one objective in mind: to appeal to a large audience, highlighting why coral restoration is so critical for the health of the planet and urging individuals to remain hopeful.
I have witnessed first-hand how brilliant minds are working collectively to restore invaluable ecosystems, demonstrating that just as humans have the capacity to destroy, we can also build, repair, and save.
The narrative surrounding corals is often dismal, yet, oddly enough, I leave this internship feeling more hopeful than when I began. I have witnessed first-hand how brilliant minds are working collectively to restore invaluable ecosystems, demonstrating that just as humans have the capacity to destroy, we can also build, repair, and save. The beauty of our restoration efforts is that while each individual contribution may seem like a drop in the bucket, together they have the power to make a meaningful impact—and help bring these reefs back to life. Therefore, while the situation surrounding coral health may seem dire, especially when examining rapidly changing ocean chemistry and temperature, there are more reasons to be hopeful than I initially thought.
When filming a “What Gives Me Hope” video for social media, which included each researcher in the lab offering a statement on what gives them hope for the future of coral conservation and restoration, I encountered multiple optimistic perspectives. With answers ranging from groundbreaking research to the scientific community to future generations, the responses emphasized that despite the disheartening reality around ocean acidification and coral bleaching, there is still cause for hope. Not only are corals resilient, but humans are also innovative. It all depends on where we put our time and energy—will we as humans exacerbate the problem, or band together to solve it? Jenna Dilworth, one of the lab’s Ph.D. students, said it best in her interview for my capstone video, “We’re the ones that caused the destruction of this ecosystem in the first place, so I think it makes sense that we would also be the ones to come in and help restore it.”
In all, this internship has served as a reminder to keep the story hopeful. While there is no use ignoring the devastating stories surrounding climate change and its impact, I’ve realized that my audience shouldn’t leave feeling responsible for the problem without also seeing how they can be part of the solution. Yes, the more urgent and dire stories help highlight the issue and inspire action, but they shouldn’t be the whole story. The most important question we must ask ourselves—and each other—is: What can we do now?
Watch Ellie’s internship capstone video below.