Skeletal Research

NAMPA -- A Skyview High School graduate plans to make his mark on the ocean's coral reefs.

Michael Holcomb, 23, is pursuing a doctorate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and he wants to improve human understanding of how corals build their skeletons. But Holcomb said his interest in the world's oceans started with exploration of Idaho's mountains.

"Trips to the mountains and my fascination with rocks probably first kindled an interest in science," Holcomb said. "My later involvement in the marine aquarium hobby and with the Geothermal Aquaculture Research Foundation in Boise focused my interest in coral."

Scientists estimate that coral reefs support more than 25 percent of all known marine species, but the corals responsible for the intricate, undersea structures are especially sensitive to environmental change. Holcomb said he wants to study how "human-induced changes in the environment" will impact corals.

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