Dr. Yusuf C. El-Khaled

Postdoctoral Fellows

Postdoctoral Fellow

Social Profile:

Research Interests

I am interested in understanding the biodiversity as well as biogeochemical functioning of marine (micro-) organisms, substrates and communities, their underlying ecological interactions and their importance for the ecosystem as a whole. Moreover, I am interested in how anthropogenic induced climate change, in particular global (warming and acidification) and local (eutrophication, pollutants and overfishing) factors impact these processes and ecosystem functioning.

Selected Publications

  • El-Khaled Y.C., Daraghmeh N., Tilstra A., Roth F., Huettel M., Rossbach F.I., Casoli E., Koester A., Beck M., Meyer R., Plewka J., Schmidt N., Winkelgrund L., Merk B., Wild C. (2022) Fleshy red algae mats act as temporary reservoirs for sessile invertebrate biodiversity. Communications Biology. DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03523-5

  • El-Khaled Y.C., Roth F., Rädecker N., Tilstra A., Karcher D.B., Kürten B., Jones B., Voolstra C.R., Wild C. (2021) Nitrogen fixation and denitrification activity differ between coral- and algae-dominated Red Sea reefs. Scientific Reports. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-90204-8 

  • El-Khaled Y.C., Nafeh R., Roth F., Rädecker N., Karcher D.B., Jones B., Voolstra C.R., Wild C. (2021) High plasticity of nitrogen fixation and denitrification of common coral reef substrates in response to nitrate availability. Marine Pollution Bulletin. DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112430

  • El-Khaled Y.C., Roth F., Tilstra A., Rädecker N., Karcher D.B., Kürten B., Jones B.H., Voolstra C.R., Wild C. (2020) In situ eutrophication stimulates dinitrogen fixation, denitrification, and productivity in Red Sea coral reefs. Marine Ecology Progress Series. DOI: 10.3354/meps13352

  • El-Khaled Y.C., Roth F., Rädecker N., Kharbatia N., Jones B.H., Voolstra C.R., Wild C. (2020) Simultaneous Measurements of Dinitrogen Fixation and Denitrification associated with Coral Reef Substrates: Advantages and Limitations of a Combined Acetylene Assay. Frontiers in Marine Science. DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2020.00411

  • Tilstra A., El-Khaled Y.C., Roth F., Rädecker N., Pogoreutz C., Voolstra C.R., Wild C. (2019) Denitrification Aligns with N2 Fixation in Red Sea Corals. Scientific Reports. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-55408-z

Education

  • PhD – Marine Ecology Department, Bremen University, Germany under supervision of Prof. Christian Wild, Prof. Christian R. Voolstra, Final grade: summa cum laude. 2021
  • M. Sc. Landscape Ecology, University of Oldenburg, Germany, 2017
  • M. Sc. Water and Coastal Management, University of Oldenburg, Germany; University of Groningen, Netherlands, 2014
  • B. Sc. Environmental Sciences, University of Oldenburg, Germany, 2013

Professional Profile

  • 2022 – Present. Postdoctoral Fellow, Marine Microbiomes Lab – Prof. Raquel Peixoto, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi-Arabia
  • 2021 – 2022. Scientific Laboratory Coordinator – Marine Ecology Department, Bremen University, Germany
  • 05/2022 – 06/2022. Research Stay at Caribbean Marine Biological Institute (CARMABI) Research Station, Curacao, Dutch Antilles
  • 01/2022 – 03/2022. Research stay at KAUST, Saudi Arabia
  • 08/2021 – 09/2021. Research Stay at Institute for Marine Biology (IfmB), Giglio Island, Italy
  • 11/2020. Research Stay CARMABI Research Station, Curacao, Dutch Antilles
  • 08/2019 – 09/2019. Research Stay at IfmB, Giglio Island, Italy
  • 10/2017 – 06/2018. Visiting PhD Student at KAUST, Saudi Arabia

Research Interests Keywords

Physiological Ecology Physiological Adaptation Comparative Physiology Marine Ecology Stress Physiology Ecophysiology