Adel Heenan

Dr. Adel Heenan is a full time Lecturer and Honorary Senior Research Fellow at Bangor University's School of Ocean Sciences. With extensive experience in marine ecology and conservation, Dr. Heenan has established a distinguished career focused on coral reef ecosystems and sustainable fisheries management. Their work bridges scientific research with practical applications for marine conservation policy.

Dr. Heenan earned a B.Sc. in Zoology from the University of Edinburgh in 2003, followed by an M.Sc. in Tropical Coastal Management from Newcastle University upon Tyne in 2004. They completed their PhD at the University of Edinburgh (2006-2010) on larval coral reef fish settlement behavior, conducting field research at the Lizard Island research station, as well as in Indonesia and the Philippines.

Dr. Heenan's research primarily focuses on modeling coral reef fish ecosystems to understand how these complex systems function and how human activities interact with them. Their work emphasizes the importance of understanding natural ecosystem variation to better manage human impacts. Key research interests include marine conservation and resource management, coral reef ecology, ecosystem-based fisheries management, and the development of integrated monitoring approaches. Dr. Heenan has a particular interest in data needs for sustainable fisheries and implementing the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management (EAFM) through collaborative monitoring with standardized methods.

Dr. Heenan's publication record demonstrates consistent scholarly output across multiple high-impact journals, with research spanning coral reef trophic dynamics, climate impacts on marine ecosystems, fisheries management approaches, and conservation strategies. Their work shows a progression from foundational ecological research to applied management solutions, with increasing emphasis on social-ecological systems and integrated approaches.

Dr. Heenan maintains active engagement with the scientific community through platforms including Google Scholar and ResearchGate, and has contributed to public discourse on marine conservation through media outlets such as The Conversation. They welcome PhD students interested in marine ecology and conservation research, encouraging prospective students to contact them with CVs and project ideas.

Professional experience includes significant roles at the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center in Honolulu (2011-2017), where Dr. Heenan worked on long-term coral reef ecosystem monitoring and capacity building for EAFM implementation. Prior to this, they worked as a marine ecologist for the Irish Sea Conservation Zone Project and contributed to Red Listing and CITES processes for shark species with the IUCN Shark Specialist Group.