Bertarelli-Annual-Report-2023-R9-low (1) - Flipbook - Page 27
Scientist Spotlight
Marine Science 2022
Prof. Nick Graham
Royal Society University Research
Fellow and a Chair in Marine Ecology
at Lancaster University, UK
Programme Lead: Island-Reef
Connections
“Eradicating invasive rats
and restoring habitat
on tropical islands will
help increase seabird
populations, and the
nutrients they provide
influence both island
and coral reef structure
and ecology.”
Dr. Asha de Vos
Director, Oceanswell, Sri Lanka, Adjunct
Research Fellow at the Oceans Institute
of the University of Western Australia
Co-Lead: Human Dimensions of Illegal,
Unregulated and Unreported Fishing
“Every
coastline
needs a
local hero.”
26
Since 2004 Nick has been working on the
ecology and management of coral reefs in
the Indian Ocean and since 2015 he has been
studying the role of seabirds in influencing coral
reef ecology. He tackles large-scale ecological
coral reef issues under the overarching themes
of climate change, human use, and resilience.
Nick and his team have assessed the impacts of
climate induced coral bleaching on coral reef
fish, fisheries, and ecosystem stability. He has
studied the patterns and processes by which
degraded coral reefs recover, and how this can
be influenced by management. He has worked
extensively on the ecological ramifications
of fishing and closed area management.
Increasingly he works with social scientists
linking social- ecological systems for natural
resource assessment and management.
Asha is a marine biologist, ocean educator, and
pioneer of long-term blue whale research within
the Northern Indian Ocean. Asha is the first
and the only Sri Lankan to have a PhD in marine
mammal research and established Sri Lanka’s
first marine conservation research and education
organisation Oceanswell in 2017. Asha continues
to research blue whales and other cetaceans,
and also addresses other conservation issues
such as the social drivers of illegal fishing and
the impacts of marine disasters.
Asha passionately believes that the health and
future of coastlines depends on local people and
is working to build more equitable involvement
in marine science in the Global South.