As the first of Bishop Museum's three-part International Year of the Reef special seminar series, Dr. Catherine Drew Harvell will describe how coral reefs are under pressure from the triple threat of ocean warming, acidification and infectious disease. Harvell's presentation is set for 6-7:30 p.m., April 10, at the museum's Atherton Halau.

Scientists are just beginning to unravel the direct and interacting effects of this environmental change on the sustainability of the coral reef ecosystem, event organizers said.

Harvell chairs a global program on coral disease and will explain how the program builds capacity in developing countries at 4 centers of excellence worldwide and through collaboration of coral reef scientists to develop new knowledge that can improve management for sustainable reefs.

Such knowledge includes describing the microorganisms that cause new infectious disease and how environmental change can facilitate epidemics, according to a new release on Harvell's presentation. A better understanding of how corals fight disease may allow humans to shore up resilience in the face of increasing epidemics, the news release said.

The Bishop Museum Research Seminar Series is a monthly forum held on the second Thursday of each month, usually at 4 p.m. in the Paki Conference Room.