| Effect of environmental change on reef structure and community diversity, connectivity and interactions in mangrove-seagrass-reef systems, predator-prey interactions and impacts of upper trophic level predators on marine communities; short and long-term movements of elasmobranchs and turtles related to habitat, prey communities and protected areas. | |
Current Research |
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My current research project is focused on investigating reef structural complexity and its impact on reef biodiversity. The first stage of this is filling in the gaps from region-wide surveys such as AGRRA, CARICOMP and reef check, to provide a more complete spatial and temporal assessment of the current status of Caribbean reefs. Reef assessments include benthic coverage and diversity, fish abundance, diversity and size structure, coral settlement and disease, and measurements of reef rugosity. These variables enable the investigation of the relationship between reef structural complexity and faunal diversity. This will be used to characterise reef types, with data then incorporated into a region wide model. Looking at region-wide variations in Caribbean reefs over time will reveal if changes in reef structure due to climate change, overfishing, pollution or governance strategies impact reef biodiversity. Principle Investigator Prof Nick Polunin Funding EU
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