Dr. Susana Carvalho

Past members

Senior ​​Research Scientist

Research Interests

  • Link between biodiversity, trait diversity and ecosystem functioning
  • Drivers of marine biodiversity in space and time
  • Biomonitoring: ecological quality assessment of marine habitats from gene to community
  • Effects of anthropogenic stressors and climate change on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning
  • Non-native species – biosecurity
  • Effects of classical and emerging contaminants on marine fauna in the context of climate change
  • Nature-based solutions for coral reefs conservation and rehabilitation

Selected Publications

  • Potential effects of heavy metal pollution from a cement factory on Saudi Arabia’s largest green turtle rookery. Katabe LT, Carvalho S, Dasari V, Nasif A, O’Toole KA, Berumen ML. Environmental Monitoring and Management, 194:1-14. (2022)
  • Comparative metagenomics of phytoplankton blooms after nutrient enrichment of oligotrophic marine waters. Pearman JK, Casas Castano L, Michell C, Aldanondo N, Mojib N, Holtermann K, Georgakakis I, Curdia J, Carvalho S, Gusti A, Irigoien X. Metabarcoding and Metagenomics, 6:e79208. (2022)
  • The right place at the right time: Seasonal variation of bacterial communities in arid Avicennia marina soils in the Red Sea is specific to its position in the intertidal. Thomson T, Ellis JI, Fusi M, Prinz N, Bennet-Smith M, Aylagas E, Carvalho S, Jones BH. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 10:845611. (2022)
  • Bacterial communities from arid mangrove soils are shaped primarily by environmental rather than biogeographical factors. Thomson T, Fusi M, Bennett-Smith MF, Prinz N, Aylagas E, Carvalho S, Lovelock CE, Jones BH, Ellis JI. Microbiology Spectrum, 10:e0090321. (2022)
  • Stylophora under stress: A review of research trends and impacts of stressors on a model coral species. Meziere Z, Rish WA, Carvalho S, Benzoni F, Morán XAG, Berumen ML.Sci Total Environ, 816:151639. (2022)
  • Size structure of the coral Stylophora pistillata across reef flat zones in the central Red Sea. Rich WA, Carvalho S, Cadiz R, Gil G, Gonzalez K, Berumen ML. Scientific Reports, in press
  • The right place at the right time: Seasonal variation of bacterial communities in arid Avicennia marina soils in the Red Sea is specific to its position in the intertidal. Thomson T, Ellis JI, Fusi M, Prinz N, Bennet-Smith M, Aylagas E, Carvalho S, Jones BH.Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.845611
  • Bacterial communities from arid mangrove soils are shaped primarily by environmental rather than biogeographical factors. Thomson T, Fusi M, Bennett-Smith MF, Prinz N, Aylagas E, Carvalho S, Lovelock CE, Jones BH, Ellis JI. Microbiology Spectrum, 10:e0090321
  • Stylophora under stress: A review of research trends and impacts of stressors on a model coral species. Meziere Z, Rish WA, Carvalho S, Benzoni F, Morán XAG, Berumen ML, 2022. Sci Total Environ, 816:151639
  • Disentangling the complex microbiological network within vulnerable coral reef ecosystems 
    Pearman J.K., Aylagas E., Voolstra C., Anlauf H., Villalobos R., Carvalho S.
    Molecular Ecology, (2019)
  • Beyond the visual: introducing the hidden reef cryptobiome 
    Carvalho S., Aylagas E., Villalobos R., Kattan Y., Berumen M., Pearman J.K.
    Proceedings of the Royal Society B., 286: 20182697, (2019)
  • An in situ approach for measuring metabolic rates and biogeochemical fluxes of complex benthic communities 
    Roth F., Wild C., Carvalho S., Rädecker N., Kürten B., Anlauf H., Carolan R., Jones B.H.
    Methods in Ecology and Evolution 10: 712-725., (2019)
  • Cross-shelf investigation of coral reef cryptic benthic organisms reveals diversity patterns of the hidden majority 
    Pearman J.K., Leray M., Villalobos R., Machida R.J., Berumen M.L., Knowlton, N., Carvalho,...
    Scientific Reports, volume 8, Article number: 8090., (2018)
  • Coral reef degradation affects the potential for reefs to recover after disturbance 
    Roth F., Saalmann F., Thomson T., Coker D.J., Villalobos R., Jones B.H., Wild C., Carvalho...
    Marine Environmental Research 142: 48-58, (2018)
  • Evaluation of the sediment contamination status in areas lacking background concentrations: the case of the Saudi A... 
    Ruiz-Compean P., Ellis J., Cúrdia J., Payumo R., Langner U., Jones, B., Carvalho S.
    Marine Pollution Bulletin 123: 205-218, (2017)
  • Microbial planktonic communities in the Red Sea: high levels of spatial and temporal variability shaped by nutrient... 
    Pearman J.K., Ellis J., Sarma Y.V.B., Jones B.H., Carvalho S.
    Scientific Reports, 7, article 6611, (2017)
  • Cross shelf benthic biodiversity patterns in the Southern Red Sea 
    Ellis J., Anlauf H., Kürten S., Lozano-Cortés D., Alsaffar Z., Cúrdia J., Jones B., Carva...
    Scientific Reports, 7, article 437, (2017)
  • Implementing and innovating marine monitoring approaches for assessing marine environmental status 
    Danovaro R., Carugati L., Berzano M., Cahill A., Carvalho S., ... ,
    Frontiers in Marine Science, 3: 213, (2016)
  • How functional traits of estuarine macrobenthic assemblages respond to metal contamination? 
    Piló D., Ben-Hamadou R., Pereira F., Carriço A., Pereira P., Corzo A., Gaspar M.B., Carval...
    Ecological Indicators, 71: 645-659, (2016)

Education

  • Ph.D., University of Algarve, Portugal, 2007
  • MSc, University of Aveiro, Portugal, 2000

Professional Profile

  • 2018-present: Associate Editor, Frontiers in Marine Science, Section Marine Ecosystem Ecology
  • 2016-present: Editor, BMC Ecology, Springer
  • 2014-present: Editor, Nature Scientific Reports
  • 2012-Present: Research Scientist, KAUST, Red Sea Research Center, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
  • 2008-2011: Postdoctoral Fellow, Portuguese Institute for Fisheries and Sea Research; Instituto de Ciencias Marinas de Andalucia (ICMAN) – Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Spain
  • 2007-2008:  Research Technician, Portuguese Institute for Fisheries and Sea Research, Portugal

KAUST Affiliations

  • Red Sea Research Center (RSRC)
  • Division of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE)

Research Interests Keywords

Marine Ecology marine biodiversity Ecosystem Functioning Integrated ecosystem management Ecosystem health assessment Conservation and rehabilitation