Crystal McRae

Excited to share my research on the drivers of spatial distribution patterns in parasitic plants - March 4th, Biodiversity Research Center of Academia Sinica, #Taiwan.

Come learn about the evolution of these enigmatic plants, their spatial patterns, & their conservation outlook.

TISCR 2026 The Taiwan International Symposium on  Coral Reefs is hosted by the Taiwanese Coral Reef Society and will be held at National Sun Yat-sen University (Kaohsiung, Taiwan) on June 6th and 7th, 2026....

Come join us in Kaohsiung June 6-7 for the 'Taiwan International Symposium on Coral Reefs'. We have a great lineup of speakers and an array of sessions to join! Early bird registration is available until March 8th.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask me.

tiscr2026.weebly.com

A big congrats to Botanical Wonders!

Pioneer generation shapes long-term recovery of coral populations - Coral Reefs Reef recovery following a disturbance largely depends on successful coral recruitment and the absence of chronic stressors. However, recent recovery events show increasing homogenization, with dominan...

NEW PAPER “Pioneer generation shapes long-term recovery of coral populations"

Here we challenge what a reef recovery looks like and show:

🪸 Early recruits drive long-term recovery
🪸Later recruits failed to survive
🪸 Apparent recovery masks declining diversity

link.springer.com/article/10.1...

We just wrapped up another great photogrammetry workshop at National Sun Yat-sen University. Special thanks to the awesome teaching team from Prof. Stuart Sandin's Marine Community Ecology Lab at UCSD/Scripps for sharing their expertise. We're excited to apply what we've learned on Taiwan's reefs!

Please don’t leave us hanging! Next time you 🔎spot a seahorse underwater, don’t forget to 📷 snap a photo & 💻 share your sightings with our #iSeahorseProject on 🔗 inaturalist.ca/projects/ise...

#SavingSeahorses #iSeahorse

YouTube video by TaiwanPlus The World’s Hidden Hotspot for Plant Diversity | Botanical Wonders

Ferns!

The island nation of Taiwan is home to an amazing diversity of ferns - more than all of North America & Europe *combined*!

In our 2nd episode we explore why Taiwan's nickname "fern kingdom" is truly apt!

Taiwan: The World’s Hidden Hotspot for Plant Diversity | youtu.be/LXC6W1a2kBY?...

Botanical Wonders is now available on YouTube!

The first episode takes you high up into the central mountain range - check out the link posted by co host @trevorpadgett.bsky.social below to gain a glimpse into the beauty and biodiversity of Taiwan!

Thank you for your interest - this position has been filled 👍

The start date (August 1st) for this position is quickly approaching. I am hoping to wrap up interviews by early next week, so if you are interested in applying, please send me your CV soon. Thanks!

(note: fluency in Mandarin is required for this position)

📢Research Assistant Job Opportunity! Come join my lab at National Sun Yat-sen University (Taiwan). One-year full-time contract (responsibilities: administrative work, tank maintenance, lab work/field assistance)

Start date: Aug 1. See link for details: mcraemarinelab.weebly.com/opportunitie...

Our lab had a great time at the Taiwan Geosciences Assembly in Taipei this week.

A great way to learn about the vast array of marine science being done here in Taiwan - talks spanned research on sponges to barnacles to blue carbon...and corals too, of course!
#Taiwan #MarineEcology

Just the tip of the tropical/subtropical 'iceberg' of Taiwan's natural beauty!

Was a real honour to speak at the #OOSC #UNOC3 last week about our inherent relationship between the terrestrial and marine, corals and seaweeds and how we can effectively apply science in restoration efforts

🌲 🪸 🌊

It’s been an exciting semester! We have been busy with in-situ monitoring/sampling, built our new aquaculture room, and hosted our first photogrammetry workshop (thank you to Guan Yan Chen, University of Hawaii). mcraemarinelab.weebly.com/outreach--la...

100 Hours to Save America’s Forecasts, Weather and Climate Livestream Part 10 YouTube video by The Weather & Climate Livestream

Over 200 scientists are streaming for 100 hours, FOR FREE, to try to raise awareness and activism for The National Science Foundation, The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Nasa.

CLIMATE SCIENTISTS NEED YOUR ACTIVE VOCAL SUPPORT, PLEASE.

www.youtube.com/live/5vsGBGR...

MARRES around the World (UNOC side event) - Université Côte d'Azur

It was my pleasure to join as a panelist on the MARRES Around the World event - a 24-hour tour of marine ecosystems/issues! Check out this link for all of the live and recorded sessions: univ-cotedazur.eu/msc/marres/u...

Enchanting Uplifted Coral Reef and Banyan - Botanical Wonders Explore the unique landscape of the uplifted coral reef forest nature reserve and weeping fig (or banyan) on the Hengchun Peninsula in southern Taiwan. Learn all about these extraordinary plants in th...

In our 12th episode, we return to the mystical coral forests of Kenting & shores of Orchid Island.

Home to unique tropical flora, here we explore the fig tree 'Ficus benjamina var. bracteata' - an ecological wonder & cultural icon!
#Taiwan
#BotanicalWonders

www.taiwanplus.com/shows/nature...

Energy acquisition and allocation strategies in scleractinian corals: insights from intraspecific trait variability - Coral Reefs Scleractinian species consist of physiologically heterogeneous individuals that can opportunistically use different resources. Yet, intraspecific variability has often been overlooked in trait-based e...

📢Excited to see this paper published!
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
With Vianney Denis, Vicky Lin Yuting, and others from the #FRElab, #IONTU, #Taiwan, we explored #coral strategies in the light of intraspecific variation!

I am wrapping up interviews for these positions this week -
if you are still interested please get in touch by Feb 28th.

Just a quick follow up - if you are interested in tuition waivers/graduate stipends make sure to contact me before the application deadline (supervisor pre-approval is needed for eligibility). I am aiming to wrap up interviews by the end of February, so get in touch soon! #MarineLife

It was such a pleasure to host Dr. Wing Chan from the University of Melbourne here in Taiwan last week. We had great dives and productive lab work - it was an all round excellent kick off to our collaboration together! Can't wait for 'round 2' of our work this summer!

Harnessing Community Science for Seahorse Population Monitoring: Insights From the iSeahorse Programme in Tampa Bay Community science provides a valuable approach for population monitoring, offering benefits such as public engagement, cost-effectiveness and broad geographic coverage. Seahorses are excellent candid....

RESEARCH: Harnessing Community Science for #Seahorse Population Monitoring: Insights From the iSeahorse Programme in Tampa Bay. Authored by Elsa Camins, Miguel Correia and @amandavincent.bsky.social of @projectseahorse.bsky.social onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/.... #OpenAccess

Sure, that would be great. Thanks!

How the Tsou Use Taiwan Sugar Palm - Botanical Wonders The Taiwan sugar palm is a versatile plant deeply rooted in the culture and traditions of the Indigenous Tsou people of Taiwan. In this episode of Botanical Wonders, explore the unique qualities of th...

In our seventh episode, we explore the Taiwan Sugar Palm!

While (as the name suggests!) this plant has some sweet uses, to the Tsou People this palm is used for many other important purposes.

Join us to meet the plant, and the people who rely on it:

www.taiwanplus.com/shows/nature...

📢Graduate Student Opportunity!📢
The McRae Marine Ecology Lab is recruiting MSc and PhD students. Come join our team in Taiwan to investigate the impacts of climate change on marine ecosystems. Check out our website for more information: mcraemarinelab.weebly.com/opportunitie...

The Uses of Taiwan Date Palm & Screw Pine - Botanical Wonders Taiwan’s coastal plants play a vital role in the ecosystems of its many islands. In this episode of Botanical Wonders, we explore two key coastal plant species: the Taiwan Date Palm and the Screw Pine...

In our sixth episode, we explore the Taiwan date palm (Phoenix) and screw pine (Pandanus).

Join us as we venture across Taiwan visiting the western plains, southern coral forests, & volcanic Orchid Island to explore their cultural and ecological wonders!

www.taiwanplus.com/shows/nature...

Neat study on a parasitic plant in Taiwan

New summary of 2 massive recent publications documenting the status and trends of sharks, rays, and chimaeras 🧪🦈🌎 @mongabay.bsky.social
news.mongabay.com/2025/01/new-...