Dr. Mark Chatting - Past, present and future global mangrove productivity - Best Researcher Award 

University College Dublin - Ireland

AUTHOR PROFILE 

GOOGLE SCHOLAR 

EARLY ACADEMIC PURSUITS 🧑‍🎓

Mark Chatting embarked on his academic journey with a strong foundation in biology, earning his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Northampton in 2006. His keen interest in marine biology led him to pursue a Master of Science in Marine Resource Management from the University of Southampton, completing it in 2013. His passion for understanding marine ecosystems and their dynamics culminated in his pursuit of a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Marine Biology at Bangor University, which he successfully completed in 2022. This academic path laid the groundwork for his extensive research career in marine conservation and climate change modeling.

PROFESSIONAL ENDEAVORS 🌍

Mark's professional career took off in August 2014 when he joined the Environmental Science Centre at Qatar University. Here, he developed expertise in using large climate datasets for spatial prediction, particularly in the context of marine and environmental science. He worked extensively with machine learning frameworks such as Keras, PyTorch, and Scikit-Learn, alongside a strong command of time-series forecasting and image classification. In February 2023, Mark transitioned to a post-doctoral research fellow position at University College Dublin’s School of Civil Engineering, where he continues to build on his previous work, especially in the realm of species response to climate change and developing predictive models for various ecological processes.

CONTRIBUTIONS AND RESEARCH FOCUS 🔬

Mark’s research primarily focuses on understanding and predicting the impacts of climate change on marine ecosystems and species, particularly in relation to carbon storage and biodiversity conservation. His work on mangrove carbon storage has been pivotal in predicting future carbon stocks under varying climate scenarios. Mark has also applied machine learning to predict the sex ratios of hawksbill turtle hatchlings, a vital issue given the species' endangered status. His novel work in developing machine learning models for environmental science also extends to Past, present and future global mangrove productivity automating data analysis, such as scene classification and object counting in video data, making his contributions invaluable to both academia and conservation efforts.

ACCOLADES AND RECOGNITION 🏅

Throughout his career, Mark has been recognized for his innovative contributions to marine biology and conservation. His publications, such as the study on the feminization of hawksbill turtle hatchlings and the impact of climate change on mangrove ecosystems, have been featured in renowned journals like Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science and Frontiers in Marine Science. He has also received acclaim for his leadership role as Principal Investigator in long-running marine turtle monitoring projects, which have been critical in informing conservation practices and policy. Past, present and future global mangrove productivity Additionally, his membership in the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) – Marine Turtle Specialist Group, highlights his standing within the global conservation community.

IMPACT AND INFLUENCE 🌱

Mark’s work has made a significant impact on both scientific communities and conservation practices worldwide. His development of machine learning tools for climate change impact predictions has revolutionized the way researchers predict species and ecosystem responses to climate shifts. By translating complex environmental data into actionable insights, he has Past, present and future global mangrove productivity influenced policy and management strategies, particularly in marine protected areas and biodiversity conservation efforts. His contributions to understanding the broader implications of climate change on marine species are foundational in the quest to preserve vulnerable ecosystems.

LEGACY AND FUTURE CONTRIBUTIONS 🌟

Mark Chatting’s work stands as a beacon of innovation and environmental stewardship, blending cutting-edge technology with a deep understanding of marine ecology. Looking forward, he is poised to continue advancing the field of marine conservation through machine learning and data-driven research. His future contributions aim to further refine models predicting environmental changes and enhance global efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change on marine biodiversity. Mark’s legacy will undoubtedly be marked by his commitment to leveraging science for conservation and his efforts to create sustainable, data-informed solutions for a changing planet.

NOTABLE  PUBLICATIONS 

• Future mangrove carbon storage under climate change and deforestation
  Authors: M Chatting, I Al-Maslamani, M Walton, MW Skov, H Kennedy, ...
  Journal: Frontiers in Marine Science 9, 781876 (2022)
• Mangrove carbon stocks and biomass partitioning in an extreme environment
  Authors: M Chatting, L LeVay, M Walton, MW Skov, H Kennedy, S Wilson, ...
  Journal: Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 244, 106940 (2020)
• Decline in oyster populations in traditional fishing grounds; is habitat damage by static fishing gear a contributory factor in ecosystem degradation?
  Authors: AM Ibrahim, S David, G Bruno, C Mark, AM Mohammed
  Journal: Journal of Sea Research 140, 40-51 (2018)
• Benthic surveys of the historic pearl oyster beds of Qatar reveal a dramatic ecological change
  Authors: D Smyth, I Al-Maslamani, M Chatting, B Giraldes
  Journal: Marine Pollution Bulletin 113 (1-2), 147-155 (2016)
• Basic assessment of Portunus segnis (Forskål, 1775)–A baseline for stock management in the Western Arabian Gulf
  Authors: BW Giraldes, I Al-Maslamani, A Al-Ashwel, M Chatting, D Smyth
  Journal: Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Research 42 (1), 111-119