The Association of European Marine Biological Laboratories Expanded (ASSEMBLE Plus) Transnational Access Program, granted the opportunity for me to conduct a portion of my PhD work at the Interuniversity Institute for Marine Science (IUI) in Eilat, Israel. This European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program supported the project focused on 'understanding the controls of biomolecules present in the coral skeleton and their role in biomineralization'. However, due to the COVID19 pandemic, I was unable conduct this planned field and laboratory work in Eilat, Israel.