Email: [email protected]/[email protected]

Phone: +44 7425 186263

My research is on the growth, cover and populations of benthic communities of remote reefs in the Central Indian Ocean. These reefs have been monitored since 1978 and assessing the changes in coral reef benthic communities have proved to be a key componenent in understanding the future condition and trajectory of the marine environment in the present warming world. A video archive of coral reef benthic community structure has been developed across depths at permanent monitoring sites throughout the atolls and allows for detailed analysis of the changes in communities. Isolated reefs fits the ocean observatory model in the sense that its remoteness from direct human impacts provides a bench mark against which the performance of other reefs can be assessed.  This insight into how undisturbed reefs function can improve reef management of degraded reefs in many other areas in the Indian Ocean and beyond. This PhD is also part of of a collaborative wider programme, the Bertarelli Foundation Marine Science & Protection Programme.

GHOORA, M.D., PILLY, S.S., CHUMUN, P.K., JAWAHEER, S. and BHAGOOLI, R., 2018. Short-term effects of heavy metal and temperature stresses on the photophysiology of Symbiodinium isolated from the coral Fungia repanda. Ocean Life, 2(1), pp.11-20.

Chevening Scholarship Award in 2015-2016, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, UK