Sebastian Hennige, FHEA

Dr.Hennige’s research has centred around the impact of climate change and pollutants on marine organisms and ecosystems, with particular focus on tropical and cold-water coral reefs.

Hennige was a contributing author in the 2019 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate (SROCC), a contrinuting author to the 2nd World Ocean Assessment (UNESCO), and lead editor of a United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) report on the Impacts of Ocean Acidification on Marine Biodiversity. Hennige is also on the steering group for the MASTS Dynamics and Properties of Marine Systems theme, and Biogeochemistry Forum.

I studied Marine and Environmental Biology at the University of St. Andrews before taking a PhD at the University of Essex examining acclimation and adaptations of corals across environmental gradients. Following this, I went to the University of Delaware (USA) to research harmful algal bloom photophysiology in a variety of environments, and mechanisms underlying tropical coral bleaching. From the States, I moved to Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh to conduct the first long-term experiments on cold-water corals in a changing ocean. I was then awarded a NERC Fellowship to examine the impact of climate change to tropical and cold-water corals. In 2016 I moved to the University of Edinburgh, where I co-direct the Marine Systems and Policies MSc. Programme. My fieldwork throughout my career has included expeditions from the UK and Norway for cold-water corals, to destinations such as Indonesia and the Maldives to study coral bleaching.

Selected articles include:

• Reuters News "Tough corals go mobile to save reefs"
• BBC Radio 4 "Costing the Earth"
• Forbes Magazine
• Herald Scotland
• BBC news about "Sea Beasties" Citizen Science project (1230, 06032017)
• CBD Report covered by over 500 websites and publications in over 30 countries including; New Scientist, Le Monde, ABC Australia, Discovery Channel news, BBC news, UN News
• Scientists discover the Lewis and Clark of corals

 Videos on YouTube:

• Narration of the citizen science project "She sees sea beasties on the seashore"
• Interview at a MASTS conference