INSEAD Annual Report 2023-20143 test - Flipbook - Page 27
Marine Science 2023
Scientist Spotlight
Professor
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
in昀氀uence 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.”
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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 socialecological 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 plastic pollution.
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.
