Michael Berumen

Michael Berumen is affiliated with King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), where he contributes to the Red Sea Research Center. Previously, he served as a Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of Arkansas and conducted postdoctoral research at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. His work focuses on coral reef ecosystems, fish ecology, and climate change impacts.

Education:

• PhD, James Cook University
• Postdoctoral Scholar, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Research Interests: Nutritional ecology of corallivorous fishes, movement ecology of reef fish, seascape connectivity, larval dispersal, fisheries population genetics, and evolutionary biology of Red Sea species. His studies bridge ecological processes and human well-being, emphasizing resilience in changing environments.

Key Contributions: Pioneered DNA techniques to study coral adaptation to past climate shifts and assessed climate impacts on tropical fisheries and vulnerable communities.

Awards:

• Sir Keith Murdoch Fellow (2008)

Labs & Teams: Leads research initiatives at KAUST’s Red Sea Research Center, collaborating on interdisciplinary projects involving marine conservation and ecological modeling.