Coral reef ecosystems — and the people who depend on them for food, livelihoods, culture, and economic well-being — are facing unprecedented and interacting pressures from climate change, overfishing, and coastal development. 

Professor Jessica Zamborain-Mason sees the path forward in building reef fisheries and aquatic food systems that are sustainable, equitable, and climate resilient. As she joins King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), her goal is to enhance the sustainability of aquatic food systems in Saudi Arabia and around the world. 

“At KAUST, my research will focus on developing data-driven solutions to support the sustainability and climate resilience of coral reef socio-ecological systems, with a particular emphasis on reef fisheries and aquatic food systems in the context of environmental change,” said Zamborain-Mason, the newly appointed assistant professor of Marine Science in the Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE) Division. 

“By combining ecological, social, and economic data, I aim to uncover how changes in reef ecosystems and sustainable management ripple through communities, affecting both human well-being and planetary health.” 

At KAUST, Zamborain-Mason leads the Integrated Reef Fisheries Lab. Her research combines statistical and mechanistic models with remote sensing and observational data to improve understanding of natural resource performance and human-environment interactions, and to inform resource management and policy across scales. She does this by bridging disciplines and working closely with scientists and practitioners around the globe. 

“In my career, I have had the incredible privilege of working with a diverse network of interdisciplinary scientists and practitioners, while witnessing firsthand how much fishing communities depend on healthy ecosystems — and how changes in reef ecosystems can directly affect their lives. 

“These experiences have shown me that by joining forces and [combining] different perspectives, we can do more than understand complex systems. We can create solutions that deliver tangible, real-world impact.” 

Harnessing collaboration and data science can transform understanding into real-world solutions, she said. “I believe that constructive collaboration lies at the heart of impactful research, and some of the most innovative solutions emerge when diverse perspectives — across disciplines, institutions, sectors, and borders — come together to tackle shared challenges.” 

Along with her new KAUST role, Zamborain-Mason holds a department associate role in nutrition and planetary health at Harvard University. An alumna of James Cook University in Australia, with a master’s degree in fisheries biology and management and a Ph.D. in agricultural, fisheries, environmental, and related studies, KAUST’s new faculty member said her passions align with BESE’s One Health concept, integrating environmental and human well-being. Zamborain-Mason sees BESE and KAUST as uniquely positioned to foster integrative and impactful research. 

For her, joining a mission-driven university such as KAUST is an opportunity to work with experts deeply committed to addressing global challenges in innovative ways. Zamborain-Mason said she is excited to integrate knowledge across disciplines — from ecology and data science to food systems and health — to co-create solutions that strengthen reef fisheries and aquatic food systems in the Red Sea, while generating insights and tools that benefit reef socio-ecological systems worldwide. 

“KAUST is uniquely positioned to enable this kind of integrative and impactful research, bringing together a vibrant, diverse community of experts, world-class facilities, and an atmosphere that nurtures creative thinking,” Zamborain-Mason said. “Its strong connections with government and industry partners in Saudi Arabia and around the world also create the conditions to translate research into tangible, real-world solutions.” 

She added: “What excites me most within my broader area of research is the growing wealth of data being generated across scales and disciplines, creating opportunities to uncover hidden patterns and develop solutions more quickly and effectively than ever before.”