Abstract:
Coral reefs are often considered self-sustaining ecosystems that thrive in nutrient poor environments. But reefs do not exist in isolation of the surrounding ocean and are, in fact, intricately dependent on oceanographic processes that occur far beyond their coastal boundaries. These ocean-reef connections play a fundamental role in structuring the health of reef ecosystems and their ultimate survival under climate change, yet they remain poorly understood. By integrating ecology with oceanography, we can unravel fundamental biophysical connections within these systems, which will allow us to transform coral reef science, improve projections of reef survival, and provide decision-making support for conservation and management planning that is sorely lacking. My research demonstrates strong empirical connections between large-scale oceanographic processes and coral ecology that underpin ecosystem-level responses to climate change. In this talk I will discuss how I have used an interdisciplinary approach to identify changes in major ocean currents that provide life-saving nutrition to corals during severe heatwaves and how I develop novel biogeochemical techniques to more accurately quantify energetic connections between coral reefs and the open ocean. I use results from my lab’s research in the Red Sea as a case study for my work on highly dynamic ocean-reef connections and to shed light on previously unobserved physical processes that modify fine-scale patterns of thermal stress to corals on KAUST’s reefs. Lastly, I will discuss the future trajectory of my research group and the projects we are pursuing that will provide key insights to how the unique oceanography of the Red Sea shapes coral reef ecosystem functioning from NEOM to the Farasan Banks and how our novel findings are expanding the impact of coral reef science in the Kingdom.

Bio:
Dr. Michael Fox completed his BSc in Marine Science at the University of San Diego and his MSc at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories. He was awarded the prestigious Nancy Foster Scholarship from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to support his PhD at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, where his pioneering work revealed previously unknown connections between oceanic primary production and coral reef ecology. Dr. Fox completed his postdoctoral training at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, during which he investigated the oceanographic drivers of coral survival during El Niño heatwaves in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. He has studied marine habitats across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic, and worked extensively on the world’s most remote coral reef ecosystems as well as on reefs throughout the Red Sea. His unique global perspective guides an interdisciplinary research program designed to identify natural processes that promote coral reef survival in a warming ocean. His research combines oceanography and stable isotope geochemistry with coral biology and reef ecology to link physiological processes at the organismal level with ecological patterns at the community scale. Dr. Fox is a leader in the nascent subdiscipline of Ecological Oceanography and has been leading the Ecological Oceanography Lab at KAUST since 2022 when he joined the Marine Science Program as a Research Assistant Professor. His research in the Red Sea is identifying key biophysical drivers of reef resilience and providing tangible solutions for conservation and management planning throughout the Saudi Arabian Red Sea.