Thomas Decarlo

Thomas DeCarlo is an assistant professor of oceanography at Tulane University's School of Science and Engineering. He is a coral reef expert who has conducted significant research on Australia's Great Barrier Reef and others across the globe. His work focuses on analyzing historical temperature and bleaching patterns in coral reefs using innovative techniques such as underwater drilling to collect coral core samples and CT scans to identify density variations and annual growth bands. Decarlo's research documents unprecedented levels of ocean heat leading to coral bleaching due to climate change threatening this vital marine ecosystem. His work has revealed that the frequency and severity of mass bleaching events have dramatically increased in recent decades, with the highest temperature events of the past 20-30 years being exceptional and unprecedented in at least the last 400 years. DeCarlo emphasizes the importance of coral reefs for biodiversity, coastal protection and the livelihoods of millions of people worldwide and advocates for reducing greenhouse gas emissions as the primary action needed to protect coral reefs from further damage.