Prof. Jonathan Belmaker – Tel Aviv University
Member of the Scientific Committee
Email jbelmaker@tauex.tau.ac.il
Research Areas: Fish ecology, biodiversity, impacts of climate change on fishes, fishing, biological invasions
Additional information: personal website
Vision for developing Mediterranean research:
Nowhere is the native biota faced with changes that are more rapid than in the Eastern Mediterranean, where the continual influx of invasive Red Sea species, warming water temperature, overfishing and pollution are transforming fish diversity. I use the Mediterranean as a globally unique case study to identify how these immense changes influence fish diversity, biogeography and, more generally, marine ecosystem services and function. Such understanding can be used to identify the consequences of these major changes to the integrity of the marine ecosystem and, perhaps more importantly, to mitigate future adverse influences of human activity.