Director
Prof. Stephen Widdicombe
Providing leadership to secure the SMSRC's future as an internationally recognised hub for marine science and education with purpose.
View Profile →Our People
Meet Our People
Leaders, marine scientists, communicators, analysts, technicians, divers, digital engineers, administrators, and storytellers working together to deliver the SMSRC mission.
Directory
People by Department
Directors, group heads, leads, operations, and staff organized for quick discovery.
Leadership
Head of Research and Innovation
Dr. Henrik Stahl
Providing strategic leadership and science-led vision across biodiversity, climate change and marine pollution research.
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Head of Science Facilities
Carsten Wolff
Delivering world class marine facilities to support observations, analysis, and experimentation.
View Profile →Faculty
Marine Ecologist / Assistant Professor
Dr. Jon Lapeyra Martin
Bridging molecular ecology, underwater technology, and immersive field research to reveal the structure and function of marine communities.
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Marine Ecologist / Assistant Professor
Dr. Patrick Joyce
Exploring species interactions across multiple levels, from predator–prey relationships to host–microbe interactions, to understand how ecological and environmental factors influence the functioning of marine foundation species.
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Marine Ecologist / Associate Professor
Dr. Gomaa Ali
Working at the intersection of material sciences and marine biology to drive ecosystem restoration.
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Marine Ecologist / Assistant Professor
Dr. Amelia Bridges
Mapping benthic communities from the shallow coast to the deep sea, to understand the diversity and function of marine life.
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Marine Ecologist / Associate Professor
Dr. Akbar John
Bridging the gap between advanced genomic research and sustainable marine conservation.
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Marine Ecologist / Assistant Professor
Dr. Roqaya Ismail
Finding solutions to marine pollution that deliver cleaner oceans.
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Marine Ecologist / Assistant Professor
Dr. Tarig Ali
Using innovative chemistry and material science to drive environmental sustainability and solutions.
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Marine Ecologist / Associate Professor
Dr. Silvana Birchenough
Need to add here.A marine ecologist with over 28 years of experience assessing the impacts of human activities and environmental stressors on marine species and seabed habitats.
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Marine Ecologist / Assistant Professor
Dr. Kaltham Alamiry
Bringing together marine biogeochemistry, phytoplankton dynamics, and the application of remote sensing and machine learning to understand and forecast marine environmental variability.
View Profile →Affiliate Faculty
Professor of Conservation Science
Prof. Brendan Godley
Conservation scientist whose work focuses on biodiversity conservation, with particular expertise in marine vertebrates including turtles, marine mammals, seabirds, and sharks.
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Associate Professor in Marine Conservation Science
Dr. Kristian Metcalfe
Bridging ecological science, fisheries governance, and policy-relevant evidence generation, to understand how marine species and human activities interact across space and time.
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Associate Professor in Marine Ecology and Conservation
Dr. Sam Weber
Exploring tropical oceanic and island ecosystems, fisheries management, the ecology and conservation of marine vertebrates, and marine protected area (MPA) science and practice.
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Senior Lecturer in Marine Ecology
Dr. Luis Huckstadt
Studying the Ocean's large predators, particularly marine mammals, and the role the play in marine ecosystems.
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Associate Professor in Marine Ecology and Conservation
Dr. Richard Sherley
Studying human impacts on the oceans using long-term data on animal populations, technology-led approaches to study behaviour and cutting-edge analytical techniques.
View Profile →Team SMSRC
Executive Assistant to the Director
Linda Anani
Coordination of SMSRC leadership operations, reporting and documentation, international travel and event planning, cross-department coordination
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Sustainability Engineer
Eng. Yaqeen Alnaqbi
Creating an efficient, sustainable and environmentally responsible research environment.
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Technician
Shahrazad Sulaiman
Using skills in biotechnology and environmental genomics to explore marine ecosystems and advance student learning.
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Scientific Diver
Esra Alhosani
A daughter of Khorfakkan, combines scientific diving with Ocean Literacy, outreach, and visual storytelling to connect marine research with the community.
View Profile →Visiting Researcher
Senior Lecturer
Dr. Divya Karnad
Works on marine conservation and social science. Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) and participatory action research
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Postdoctoral Research Associate
Dr. Owen Exeter
Technology-driven marine monitoring to support the design and evaluation of marine protected areas (MPAs).
View Profile →Teams
Field, Lab, and Digital
Modular team cards for scientists, engineers, policy, and media.
F
Faculty
TEACHING + RESEARCH
Faculty members combine teaching and research to advance marine knowledge and support the next generation of marine scientists.
F
Field Science
MARINE OPERATIONS
Researchers, scientific divers and technical staff collect samples and observations across Khorfakkan’s coastal waters.
L
Laboratories
ANALYSIS & DISCOVERY
Scientists use specialised facilities to analyse marine samples and turn field observations into reliable evidence.
Culture
Working Together for Our Ocean
Our multidisciplinary team brings together diverse expertise and a shared commitment to advancing marine science, research and ocean stewardship.