Francisco A. Castro Rivera

I am a biologist pursuing my interest in coral reef conservation and ecology through the undertanding of coral reef diseases. My thesis project includes identifying DNA viral communities associated with healthy and diseased corals affected by Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease with the aim to test whether the composition of the holobiont virome prior to disease exposure influences on the coral colony outcome.

Masters student - Joined Jan. 2025

Thesis Title: Tracking coral DNA virome community and gene expression dynamics across time and space during a disease outbreak