Prof Michael Berumen

Outstanding Alumni, College of Science and Engineering

Michael first visited JCU as a study abroad student in 1999 and returned to JCU to study for a PhD in marine biology (awarded 2007). Dr. Berumen is a world leader in the areas of reef fish and coral reef ecology.

During a postdoctoral fellowship in Woods Hole, USA, Dr. Berumen began working in the Red Sea in 2008 in partnership with a new university in Saudi Arabia - the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). He joined KAUST in July 2009 as a founding faculty member in the Red Sea Research Center. Dr. Berumen became the Director of the RSRC in 2018.

Dr. Berumen is the 11th most-published author on coral reef topics in the world. He has authored more than 300 peer-reviewed articles and 11 book chapters, and he has co-written or edited three books. Michael’s research focuses on advancing general understanding of Red Sea coral reefs and more broadly making contributions to movement ecology, which is a critical aspect of developing conservation plans in the marine environment. He is particularly interested in connectivity questions ranging from larval dispersal to large distance migrations of adult fishes.

Awarded a Sir Keith Murdoch Fellowship and named the 2009 Sir John and Laurine Proud Fellow from the Lizard Island Research Station, Michael is a member of several scientific and professional organisations, including the International Society for Reef Studies and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Dr. Berumen’s contributions to the fields of reef fish ecology, coral reef ecology and reef biodiversity are world-class. He is an outstanding and prodigious researcher in his field.