Katherine Hardy
Ph.D. Student
Marine Biology & Ecology
Katherine is interested in understanding the role of the physical environment, anthropogenic stressors, and biological interactions in shaping the resilience of juvenile corals in the face of climate change. Understanding the physiology and performance of these early life stages will help to predict how these complex organisms will respond to the ongoing warming and acidification of our oceans. Katherine’s research focuses on the genetic rescue of endangered reef building corals, where she is utilizing cryopreservation techniques to help increase genetic diversity and thermal tolerance of Caribbean corals.
Before joining the Baker lab in 2021, Katherine received her B.S. in Marine Biology from the University of Hawaii. As an undergraduate, she studied disease emergence and species invasions and worked as a research assistant developing oceanic sensors. Upon graduation, she worked for the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute at the Hawaii Institute for Marine Biology, where she focused on coral reproduction, microfragmentation, and cryopreservation of coral sperm, larvae, and symbionts.
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