Anny Cárdenas

Dr. Anny Cárdenas recently joined AU’s Biology Department, bringing valuable expertise in coral reef microbiology. After earning her Master’s and Ph.D. degrees in Marine Microbiology from the Max Planck Institute in Bremen, Germany between 2012-2017, Dr. Cárdenas embarked on a journey to uncover the microbial worlds within coral reefs and their response to ocean warming. This quest led her to study coral microbiomes of one of the world’s hottest seas at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, located on the Saudi Arabian Red Sea’s coast.

Now at AU, Dr. Cárdenas aims to unravel the intricate interplay between microbes and their coral hosts. By elucidating these complex relationships, she hopes to discover microbial solutions that could enhance coral thermal tolerance in the context of environmental change. Dr. Cárdenas plans to expand her coral reef research closer to home, investigating Florida and Caribbean corals afflicted by bleaching and disease. Through her work integrating microbiology and marine science, she strives to generate new insights critical for guiding coral reef conservation.