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July 8, 2022

Javier Gonzalez Barrios

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PhD: Confronting the Changing Diversity Patterns of Coral Reefs

Location: Lancaster Environmental Centre, Lancaster University

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Javier is an Envision DTP NERC funded PhD student at Lancaster Environment Centre, supervised by Prof Nick Graham, Dr Sally Keith, Dr Gareth Williams (Bangor University) and Prof Joshua Cinner (James Cook University). Javier completed his BSc degree in Biology and went on to complete his MSc in Marine Ecology, both in Mexico. He worked as a technician and collaborated on research projects in the Biodiversity and Reef Conservation Laboratory at the National University Autonomous of Mexico and The Nature Conservancy. Javier’s studies have focused on understanding the ecology and functionality of coral reef ecosystems. His current research focuses on understanding how the predictive ability of classic theories of latitudinal diversity gradients have changed, and then develop new theory by embedding social and environmental characteristics at the heart of ecological prediction.

Javier is interested in understanding how coral reef ecosystems are changing due to human pressures and climate change. His work seeks to contribute to the management and conservation of coral reefs by using different approaches such as biological, ecological and social.

Javier’s current research tests how the predictive ability of classic theories of latitudinal diversity gradients have changed, and then develop new theory by embedding social and environmental characteristics at the heart of ecological prediction. Specifically, his project asks: Have classic latitudinal diversity patterns changed? How ubiquitous are altered latitudinal diversity gradients in coastal marine systems? How well do existing theories of latitudinal diversity gradients capture current patterns? Can new theories better capture contemporary diversity patterns using a social-ecological lens?