Science Under the Dome

PAST TALK - November 13, 2025 at 7pm

As humans, our memories of the past influence how we behave in the present. But nature, too, has memories. Past events, like fires, storms, droughts, and other catastrophes can determine how ecosystems look and function, well into the future. We refer to this as ecological memory. One type of ecological memory are the physical remains of dead organisms left after these catastrophic events occur. In particular, we can think about the remains of foundation species—iconic and abundant organisms like trees, grasses, corals, or oysters that build the very frameworks of the ecosystems we know and love. When these organisms die, their influence lives on as their remnant structures actively shape the way ecosystems recover, or do not. In many cases, we use our knowledge of these influences to guide recoveries in nature through targeted restoration efforts that add, remove, or stabilize dead remains. In this talk, I’ll discuss the many roles foundation species play both before and after they die, the cutting-edge tools we use to study these incredibly important organisms on land and underwater, and how we can interact with them to support their health.

Kai Kopecky is a postdoctoral researcher at the Environmental Data Science Innovation and Impact Lab (ESIIL), based at CU Boulder, using data science to identify commonalities between very different ecosystems. Before moving to Colorado, Kai split time between California and French Polynesia, earning a PhD studying aspects of coral reef resilience under climate change and explored strategies to stimulate recoveries after coral bleaching events. While it may seem strange that a marine scientist decided to move to the Rocky Mountains, Kai tries to break the misconception many people have that studying the ocean means you must live near it—it’s not true, anyone can contribute to ocean science and conservation from anywhere in the world!