Conservation science is failing many of the species most at risk. Research effort is driven by accessibility and charisma rather than biodiversity need, management responses lag years behind population declines, and the species and systems most vulnerable to exploitation are often the least studied. My research is built around a single premise: that data poverty is not an excuse for inaction, it is the scientific problem itself, and the analytical toolkit must be designed to act on imperfect information rather than wait for complete datasets.

I am a Research Scientist and KAUST Global Fellow in the Reef Ecology Lab. I combine causal inference, predictive modelling, AI and machine learning (including computer vision), and Bayesian and frequentist approaches to generate defensible evidence for conservation in systems where it is most urgent and the data to underlie it are most lacking. My work spans the southwestern Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, and global comparative analyses, with particular focus on the marine megafauna (sharks, rays, marine mammals, turtles, and large teleosts) that are often the first species to experience declines.

My current research converges on three interconnected fronts. I am developing computer vision pipelines capable of estimating life-history traits, ecosystem roles, and commercial value directly from imagery, enabling conservation triage for species that have never been formally studied. I am building baseline understanding of deep-sea biodiversity in the Red Sea, one of the least explored deep-water systems globally, and investigating its potential as a climate analogue for predicting how other deep-sea ecosystems will respond to warming. And I am assessing conservation research itself, identifying structural biases in how scientific effort is distributed and whether it aligns with the species and threats that most urgently demand attention.

Previously, I obtained my BSc, MSc, and PhD from Newcastle University (UK), where I also completed a two-year postdoc, before joining MRAG Ltd (London, UK) as a Senior Fisheries Consultant. Further details of my work can be found on my Google Scholar, ResearchGate, and LinkedIn profiles.