Benjamin Cowburn
Marine Scientist - Marine Ecology
Benjamin Cowburn is a coral reef ecologist in the Biodiversity Science Team based at Cefas’ Lowestoft laboratory. His work encompasses a wide range of coral reef issues, including tourism, artisanal fisheries, pollution and how these interact with coral bleaching and the mounting climate pressure on this ecosystem. He has worked extensively in grassroots situations in the Western Indian Ocean, collecting and interpreting ecological and resilience indicators to inform local management of coral reefs and the ecosystem services they provide. His current research involves: understanding the variation in the bleaching response of corals during different amounts of thermal stress to identify resistant colonies; researching the socio-economic vulnerability of grassroots communities to climate change impacts on coral reefs and loss of resources (e.g. tourism and fishing), and identifying socio-economic barriers to incorporating science into effective policy in reef settings.
Research publications: Google Scholar
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