Yusuf Christian El-Khaled, Ph.D.

Research Interests

Dr. Khaled is 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, he is 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

Ph.D., 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

KAUST Affiliations

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

Research Interests Keywords

Physiological ecology Physiological adaptation Comparative physiology Marine ecology Stress physiology Ecophysiology