Zahra Alqurashi

Master's Student

zhraa.alqrache@kaust.edu.sa

Biography

I have always had a fascination towards sciences and prehistoric and exotic creatures of all kinds, especially reptiles and Chondrichthyes. Most of these species are endangered and/or threatened, which is fueled by lack of apathy from the community made me determined to raise awareness and work towards the conservation and protection of endangered species with a focus on the local and endemic ones. I have been involved in multiple community established rescue/rehab/release projects for many local reptile species and awareness events.

Another interesting topic I am passionate about is marine life and environment. With Saudi Arabia’s fast developing coastal cities, more industrial pollution might end up influencing the Red Sea ecosystem. Being from Jeddah, a coastal city on the Red Sea, I have always considered it to be part of my identity and wanted to be involved in understanding and protecting it. Learning more about the effect of pollution on the Red Sea and its inhabitants as well as finding solutions to overcome problems is a topic I am aiming to achieve through combining my passion for protecting animals and knowledge from my academic background. Having graduated from University of Jeddah with a Bachelor’s in biochemistry will support my goals and help me develop my skills and more specific interests that can benefit my endeavors; such as toxicology, a field that if utilized well enough would lead to many discoveries in both animal and environmental preservation and protection.