Marine Isoprene Production (PhD), Subsistence Fisheries, Functional Ecology
My PhD research is concerned with the production of isoprene by primary producers in the marine environment. Isoprene is a volatile organic compound with impacts on climate change, produced during photosynthesis to protect against environmental stress. Previous studies on this topic are restricted to phytoplankton, but my work will aim to address the remaining taxonomic groupings, particularly corals, seagrasses, tropical macroalgae and mangroves. I will focus not only on identifying the key players in marine isoprene fluxes, but also on the mechanisms behind its production, and the impact it will play on future climatic scenarios.
Prior to my PhD, I completed a masters focusing on subsistence fisheries. This study used fish fences, commonly used in coastal communities of Southeast Asia and the Pacific, as an example of severe Malthusian overfishing, focusing on the lack of barriers to overexploitation. I have also worked previously in the field of behavioural ecology, specifically resource partitioning and the behavioural plasticity potential of coral reef herbivore and corallivore families.
Email: daexto@essex.ac.uk
Website: www.danexton.com
