ANNE LOUISE COHEN
RESEARCH SPECIALIST, DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY AND GEOPHYSICS,
W OODS HOLE OCEANOGRAPHIC INSTITUTION
RESEARCH AREAS
Biomineralization, Paleoceanography, Geochemistry of Biominerals, Impacts of Climate
Change on Marine Calcification
EDUCATION
WHOI Post-doctoral Fellow (1994-1995) Advisor: Lloyd Keigwin.
PhD (1994) University of Cape Town, South Africa (paleoclimatology). Thesis Title: “A
Holocene Sea Surface Temperature Record in Mollusc Shells from the Coast of Southern
Africa” Thesis Advisors: Nikolaas van der Merwe, Peabody Museum, Harvard University and
Archaeometry Laboratory, UCT and George Branch, Department of Zoology, UCT
Bachelor of Science (Hons.) (1988) Majors in Zoology, Archaeology; Minor in Oceanography
MEDALS AND AWARDS
2005:Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Ocean Life Institute Fellowship
1997: Oliver Davies Medal (South African Young Scientist Award)
1994: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Post-doctoral Fellowship
1989-1993: Foundation for Research Development (NSF equivalent) graduate student
fellowship
1987: Class Medal (top of graduating class)
EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES
Post-Docs and Graduate students
Dr Justin Ries, WHOI post doctoral fellow (2006-2008); Dr Rinat Gabitov, WHOI-RPI post
doctoral fellow (2005-2006); Dr Zoe Bond, PhD candidate, Southampton Oceanography
Centre/WHOI (graduated 2005); Mr Michael Holcomb, WHOI-MIT Joint Program (2004-2009);
Mr Casey Saenger, WHOI–MIT Joint Program (2004-2009)
WHOI Student Fellows and Minority Fellows (undergraduate)
David Spofforth, National Oceanography Center, Southampton (WHOI-NOC exchange
student 2007); Alexandra Pogue, Whitman College (Guest student, summer 2007); Nicholas
Jachowski, University of Stanford (WHOI Minority SSF 2006); Nicole Nichols, University of
Massachussets (WHOI SSF 2003 and 2004); Kate Owens, University of Chicago (SSF, 2002);
Jackie van Etten, Bridgewater State College (Guest student 1999-2001)
EDITORIAL ACTIVITIES
Associate Editor, JGR Biogeosciences (2004-2006)
Associate Editor, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta (2006-)
REVIEWER
In addition to serving as AE for GCA and JGR-Biogeosciences, I regularly review manuscripts
for Paleoceanography, Geology, Geophysical Research Letters, G-cubed and Science. I have
also reviewed manuscripts for Palaios, Journal of Archeological Science, Chemical Geology,
Coral Reefs, International Coral Reef Society, American Mineralogist and JEMBE.
I have reviewed research proposals for NSF (ATM, CO, BO, MG&G, ESH and Career Advance
awards), NOAA (Office of Global Programs and Ocean Exploration Initiatives), The National
Undersea Research Council, The NERC Research Fellowship Scheme (UK), The GermanIsraeli Foundation for Scientific Research and Development, The MacArthur Foundation,
EUROCORES Programme EuroMARC, and The South African Foundation for Research
Development.
INVITED TALKS (2007 ONLY)
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OCB Scoping Workshop for Ocean Acidification Research; Plenary Lecture: Biocalcification
Responses to Ocean Acidification: the Interplay of Physicochemistry and Physiology Scripps,
October 2007
9th International Conference on Paleoceanography; Special Session: Biotic Response to
Oceanic Perturbations, September 2007
SYNERGISTIC ACTIVITIES
ORGANIZER OF SYMPOSIA AT INTERNATIONAL MEETINGS (2006/2007)
 Frontiers in Biomineralization Research: Processes, Geochemical Signatures and
Responses to Global Change, Fall AGU, 2007. Co-Chairs: Jess Adkins, Daniel McCorkle,
David Gillikin
 Geochemistry of Biominerals, 17th Annual Goldschmidt Conference, 2007. Co-Chair: Dorrit
Jacob
 Frontiers in Biomineralization Research: Processes and signatures in natural and model
systems Fall AGU 2006. Co-Chairs: Patricia Dove, Adam Wallace
PUBLIC DISSEMINATION, COMMUNICATION AND OUTREACH: RECENT EXAMPLES
 Expert Witness: Impact of Climate Change on Coral Reefs; US House of Representatives,
Subcommittee on Fisheries, Conservation, Wildlife and Oceans, Washington D.C.
 Invited Speaker/presentations to: Mr John Prescott, Deputy Prime Minister U.K; Mr Scott
Lockledge, Presidents Science Advisory Wing; Mr Elwood Holstein, Assistant Secretary for
Oceans and Atmosphere, NOAA
 Keynote Speaker: Executive Board of the New England Section of the Air & Waste
Management Association, Annual conference on greenhouse gases, Cape Cod
Massachussets
 Radio: Interviewed for KVMR-FM (CA) by Alan Stahler on Coral Biomineralization
 Television: Discovery Channel (Discovery Communications Incorporated) Discovery
Science “Science of the Deep: Tuna Earbones”.
 Magazine and Newspaper interviews/articles: Interviewed by/appeared in National
Geographic, Science News, New York Science Times, Swiss newspaper "Tages-Anzeiger".
I have also served as science consultant for National Geographic Magazine.
 Invited Speaker: Mass Maritime Educators Annual Meeting, Woods Hole
FIELD EXPEDITIONS/CRUISES
2007: July 13th-23rd, Bermuda Institute for Ocean Sciences
2006: February 11th –March 5th: IODP 310 Tahiti Sea-level Expedition, Onshore Science
Party, Bremen; May 1st – 9th: St Croix, USVI (coral drilling, in situ staining, logger
deployment)
2005: June 1st- 7th and July 12th-August 2nd: Bermuda (coral coring)
2001: September 23rd- October 5th: Bermuda (octocoral experiments and collection)
2000: March 15th- 30th and June 7th- 17th: St Croix USVI (in situ staining, coral coring); May
12th- 22nd: Bermuda (coral coring, logger deployment); November 5th-7th: Great Barrier
Reef, Australia (exploratory)
1997: March 4th-17th: Johnston Atoll, NC Pacific (logger deployment, coral coring, bleaching
follow-up)
1996: January: Two-Mile Reef, Sodwana Bay, South Africa; April 22nd-May 14th, October
2nd-October 4th, October 20th-November 4th : Johnston Atoll, NC Pacific (logger
deployment, coral coring, bleaching study)
1995: August 5th-18th: Johnston Atoll, NC Pacific (logger deployment, coral coring)
PUBLICATIONS (* denotes student)
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IN PREPARATION
Cohen AL. "Coral Paleoceanography". INVITED. Volume 1 of the Annual Review of Marine
Science. Steve Giovannoni and Craig Carlson, co-editors. (due for submission April 2008).
SUBMITTED/IN REVIEW
Cohen AL, McCorkle DC, de Putron S and Gabitov RI. Ocean Acidification Retards Early
Skeletal Development by Larval Corals, manuscript submitted to Nature, February 2008.
Gaetani GA, Cohen AL, Wang Z. Deriving temperatures from coral skeleton using a Rayleigh
fractionation model for coral biomineralization, manuscript submitted to Science, January
2008.
*Holcomb M, Cohen AL, Gabitov RI and Hutter J. A comparison of micron and nanoscale
features of aragonite crystals accreted by corals, with aragonites precipitated abiogenically
from seawater. Geochemica et Cosmochimica Acta, in revision
*Saenger C, Cohen AL, Oppo DW, Hubbard D. Caribbean sea surface temperature during the
Little Ice Age derived from a growth-dependent coral Sr/Ca-SST calibration.
Paleoceanography, in review.
*Gabitov RI, Watson EB, Cohen AL, Gaetani GA, Ehrlich HL. Experimental determination of
temperature and growth rate effects on U6+ and Mg2+ partitioning between aragonite and
fluid at elevated U6+ concentration. Geochem. et Cosmochim. Acta, in revision.
PUBLISHED
Cohen, A. L., and S. R. Thorrold (2007), Recovery of temperature records from slow-growing
corals by fine scale sampling of skeletons, Geophys. Res. Lett., 34, L17706,
doi:10.1029/2007GL030967
*Goodkin NF, Hughen KA, Cohen AL (2007). Multicoral calibration of Sr/Ca and growth rate to
sea surface temperature, Paleoceanography, 22, PA1214, doi:10.1029/2006PA001312.
Cohen AL, Gaetani GA, Lundälv T, Corliss BH and George RY (2006), Compositional variability
in a cold-water scleractinian, Lophelia pertusa: New insights into “vital effects”, Geochem.
Geophys. Geosyst., 7, Q12004, doi:10.1029/2006GC001354.
Gaetani GA, Cohen AL (2006) Element partitioning during precipitation of aragonite from
seawater: a framework for understanding paleoproxies, Geochemica et Cosmochimica
Acta, 70, 4617-4634
*Goodkin NF, Hughen KA, Cohen AL, Smith SR (2005) The Little Ice Age at Bermuda from a
Growth-Dependent Calibration of Coral Sr/Ca, Paleoceanography, 20, PA4016,
doi:10.1029/2005PA001140
*Bond ZA, AL Cohen, SR Smith, WJJ Jenkins (2005) Growth and composition of high-Mg
calcite in the skeleton of a Bermudian gorgonian (Plexaurella dichotoma): Potential for
paleothermometry,
Geochem.
Geophys.
Geosyst.,
6,
Q08010,
doi:10.1029/2005GC000911.
Cohen AL and Hart SR (2004) Deglacial sea surface temperatures of the western tropical
Pacific:
A
new
look
at
old
coral,
Paleoceanography,
19,
PA4031,
doi:10.1029/2004PA001084.
Cohen AL, Reves-Sohn RA. (2004) Tidal Modulation of Sr/Ca in a Pacific Reef Coral.
Geophysical Research Letters. Vol. 31, No. 16, L16310
Cohen AL, Smith SR, McCartney MS, van Etten J (2004) How Brain Corals Record Climate: An
Integration of Skeletal Structure, Growth and Chemistry in Diploria labyrinthiformis on
Bermuda. Marine Ecology Progress Series 271:147-158.
Cleveland RA, Cohen AL, Roy R, Singh H, Szabo T (2004) Imaging Coral II: Using Ultrasound
to Image Coral Skeleton, Subsurface Sensing Technologies and Applications 5(1): 43 61
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Cohen AL, McConnaughey TA (2003) A Geochemical Perspective on Coral Mineralization. In:
Biomineralization. Dove PM, Weiner S, deYoreo JJ (Eds) Reviews in Mineralogy and
Geochemistry Vol. 54 pp 151-187.
Cohen AL, Owens KE, Layne GD, Shimizu N (2002). The Effect of Algal Symbiosis on the
Accuracy of Sr/Ca paleotemperatures from Coral. Science April 12th 296 (5566):331-333
Cohen AL, Layne GD, Hart SR, Lobel PS (2001) Kinetic control of skeletal Sr/Ca in a symbiotic
coral: implications for the paleotemperature proxy. Paleoceanography, 16(1): 20-26
Cohen AL, McCartney MS (1999) Seasonally-Resolved records of Oceanic Surface
Conditions in Brain Corals from Bermuda. In: Papers on Atlantic Climate Variability,
Atlantic Climate Change Program, Office of Global Programs, NOAA
Cohen AL, Hart SR (1997) The Effect of Colony Topography on Climate Signals in Coral
Skeleton. Geochemica et Cosmochimica Acta, 61(18):3905-3912
Hart SR, Cohen AL, Ramsay PB (1997) Microscale analysis of Sr/Ca and Ba/Ca in Porites. IN:
Lessios, H. A., Macintyre, I.G. (eds). Proceedings of the 8th International Coral Reef
Symposium 2:1707-1712
Cohen AL, Lobel PS, Tomasky GL (1997) A Coral Bleaching Event on Johnston Atoll, northcentral Pacific. Biological Bulletin, 193:276-279
Ramsay PJ, Cohen AL (1997) Coral paleoclimatology research on the Southeast African
Shelf. IN: Lessios, H. A., Macintyre, I.G. (Eds). Proceedings of the 8th International Coral
Reef Symposium 2:1731-1734.
Hart SR, Cohen AL (1996) Sr/Ca in Corals: An Ionprobe Study of Annual Cycles and
Microscale Coherence with Other Trace Elements. Geochemica et Cosmochimica Acta,
60:3075-3084.
Cohen AL, Tyson PD (1995) Holocene Sea Surface Temperatures on the South Coast of
Africa: Implications for Terrestrial Climate and Rainfall. The Holocene, 5(3):304-312
Schumann EH, Cohen AL, Jury MR (1995) Coastal sea surface temperature variability along
the south coast of Africa and the relation to regional) A Holocene marine climate record in
mollusc shells from the southwest African coast. Quaternary Research, 38:379-85
Cohen AL (1993) Oceanic Records of Climate Change. News and Views from the Fourth
International Conference on Paleoceanography. South African Journal of Science,
89:258-259
Cohen AL, Parkington JE, Brundrit GB, van der Merwe NJ (1992) A Holocene marine climate
record in mollusc shells from the southwest African coast. Quaternary Research 38:37985
Cohen AL, Branch GM (1992) Geographic changes in the structure and mineralogy of the
shell of Patella granularis along the coast of South Africa: implications for
palaeotemperature
assessments.
Paleoecology,
Palaeogeography
and
Palaeoclimatology and global climate. Journal of Marine Research, 53:231-248
Cohen AL (1988) Isotopic and mineralogical variation in the shells of recent marine molluscs
from the western Cape coast of South Africa. South African Journal of Science, 84
(11):917-918
MEETING ABSTRACTS (2006-2008 ONLY)
Ries, JB, Cohen AL, McCorkle DC. Effects of CO2-driven reductions in seawater CaCO3
saturation state on aragonitic and low-to-high Mg calcitic marine invertebrates and algae.
2008 Ocean Sciences Meeting · 2-7 March 2008 · Orlando, Florida, USA
De Putron S, Cohen AL, McCorkle DC. Effect of seawater saturation state on early skeletal
development in two Atlantic corals (Porites astreoides and Favia fragum), 11th International
Coral Reef Symposium, Miami, July 7-11, 2008 ICRS 2008
Cohen AL, Jachowski N, Jones R, Smith SR. Declining calcification rates of Bermudan brain
corals over the past 50 years, 11th International Coral Reef Symposium, Miami, July 7-11,
2008 ICRS 2008
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Cohen AL, McCorkle D, de Putron, S. The Impact of Seawater Saturation State on Early
Skeletal Development in Larval Corals: Insights into Scleractinian Biomineralization. Fall
AGU, 2007
Cohen AL, McCorkle D, Petitt, R, *Holcomb MC, Ries, J (2007) Dissolution of Cool-Water
Corals in Under-Saturated Seawater. 9th International Conference on Paleoceanography
INVITED
Cohen AL, *Holcomb MC, McCorkle D, Hutter J (2006) An Experimental Investigation of Coral
Mineralization: understanding the calcification response to ocean acidification. IGBP-SCOR
Fast Track Initiative (FTI ) "Ocean Acidification" Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of
Columbia University (http://igbp-scor.pages.unibe.ch/fti06AbstractVolume.pdf)
Cohen A, Gaetani G, Gabitov R (2006). From Crystals to Climate: Applying Geochemical
Principles to understanding PaleoProxies. Eos Trans. AGU, 87(52), Fall Meet. Suppl.,
Abstract V32B-01 INVITED.
Cohen A, *Saenger C (2006). Tropical Atlantic SSTS at the Last Glacial Maximum derived from
Sr/Ca ratios of fossil coral. Eos Trans. AGU, 87(52), Fall Meet. Suppl., Abstract U13A-0808
*Holcomb M, Cohen A, Hutter J, Hirth G, Gabitov R (2006). Comparison of fine scale growth
structures in coral skeletons and abiogenic aragonite. Eos Trans. AGU, 87(52), Fall Meet.
Suppl., Abstract B13B-1077
*Saenger C, Cohen A, Oppo D, Hubbard D. (2006) Tropical North Atlantic Coral-Based Sea
Surface Temperature and Salinity Reconstructions From the Little Ice Age and Early
Holocene. Eos Trans. AGU, 87(52), Fall Meet. Suppl., Abstract PP31A-1735
Schneider D, Gaetani G, Cohen A (2006). The Physicochemical Origin of Trace Element Vital
Effects in Coral Skeleton. Eos Trans. AGU, 87(52), Fall Meet. Suppl., Abstract B21D-02
*Wang Z, Cohen A, Gabitov R, Gaetani G, Hart S. (2006) Temperature dependent Mg isotope
fractionation in corals. Eos Trans. AGU, 87(52), Fall Meet. Suppl., Abstract PP13C-07
*Goodkin N, Hughen K, Cohen A, Curry W, Doney S. (2006) The North Atlantic Oscillation
Reconstructed at Bermuda for 220 Years Using Sr/Ca Ratios in Diploria labyrinthiformis
(brain coral). Eos Trans. AGU, 87(52), Fall Meet. Suppl., Abstract PP42A-01
Cohen AL, Gaetani GA. (2006) Compositional variability in the cold-water coral Lophelia
pertusa is driven by temperature and aragonite precipitation “efficiency". Geochim. et
Cosmochim. Acta (70) doi:10.1016/j.gca.2006.06.127
*Gabitov RI, Cohen AL, Gaetani GA, Holcomb M, Watson EB. (2006) Investigating the impact
of crystal growth rate on element ratios in aragonite: an experimental approach to
understanding
vital
effects.
Geochim.
et
Cosmochim.
Acta
(70)
doi:10.1016/j.gca.2006.06.377
Gaetani GA, Cohen AL. (2006) Calculating paleotemperatures from the elemental composition
of coral skeleton: A new approach to old proxies. Geochim. et Cosmochim. Acta (70)
doi:10.1016/j.gca.2006.06.378
*Saenger C, Cohen A, Oppo D, Hubbard D. (2006) Wishing upon a mountainous star: Sr/Ca
and 18O-based Caribbean temperature and salinity reconstructions from the coral
Montastrea annularis. University of Washington Graduate Student Climate Conference.
POPULAR ARTICLES
Cohen A and Madin K. (2007). Dead Corals Do Tell Tales, Oceanus
Thorrold S. and Cohen A. (2004) Recorded in the ear bones – tracing fish movements through
geochemical analyses of otoliths. Oceanus
Cohen AL (1999). Reconstructing Climate with Coral. Rinehart Coastal Research Center
quarterly publication.
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COLLABORATORS IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS
Robin Cleveland (Boston University), Bruce Corliss (Duke), H.L. Ehrlich (RPI), Rinat Gabitov
(CalTech), Glenn Gaetani (WHOI, G&G), Robert George (Adjunct; University of Miami), Stanley
Hart (WHOI, G&G), J. Greg Hirth (Brown), Dennis Hubbard (Oberlin), Jeffrey Hutter (University
of Western Ontario), William Jenkins (WHOI, MC&G), Ross Jones (BIOS), Chris Langdon
(University of Miami), Tomas Lundalv (University of Stockholm), Michael McCartney (WHOI,
PO), Daniel McCorkle (WHOI, G&G), Delia Oppo (WHOI, G&G), Samantha de Putron (BIOS),
Nobuchimi Shimizu (WHOI, G&G), Struan Smith (University of Atlanta), Robert Sohn (WHOI,
G&G), Ann Tarrant (WHOI, Biology), William Thompson (WHOI, G&G), Simon Thorrold
(WHOI, Biology), Zhengrong Wang (Yale University), Bruce Watson (RPI),
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