Coral taxonomy workshop held

Participating colleges are the Palau Community College (PCC), College of Micronesia in Ponpei, College of the Marshall Islands, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and American Samoa Community College.Robert van Woseik, Professor of the Florida Institute of Technology said the workshop aimed at identification of different corals.Woseik said that the participants had a trip to the Rock Island and identify the different characteristics of the different coral families.The workshop at the same time focused on the changes at the reef and saw the coral recovering fast.The participants are professors from said colleges teaching environmental sciences and science-related courses.Several PCC students also joined the workshop and Woseik said that he had been helping the region for several years in research work in corals.“They will go back to their colleges and see what they have learned and teach the information to their respective colleges.PCC president Patrick Tellei said that the workshop is one of the series of workshops under the grant of NSFAT.He said the grant is provided to PCC to advance learning in environmental science.Telei said the workshop covers several institutions in the Micronesia.The grant covers a three-year period which is up for renewal soon.Glenn Keaton,  professor at the Northern Marianas College said that they have learned a lot from the workshop .“I  know more now than when I first got here,” Keaton said.