Ben Williams

Curriculum Vitae

2021–Present: PhD Researcher, Fisheries Society of the British Isles, Institute of Zoology and University College London
2020–2021: Research associate, University of Exeter
2019–2020: MRes, thesis - Advancing tropical reef soundscape ecology with low-cost recorders and machine learning, University of Exeter
2015–2019: BSc in Biological Sciences with Study abroad, University of Exeter
2014–2015: Laboratory Technician, Scientific Analysis Ltd

Research Interests

My key research interests are focused on the conservation and restoration of coral reef habitats. Much of my work to date has focused on supporting these efforts through advancing the field of passive acoustic monitoring with new recording technology and machine learning. My interests have grown to understanding the response of reef assemblages and their functioning to human interventions, especially restorative measures.

Current Research

My PhD is focused on the response of coral reef assemblages to human mediated pressure and restoration. This is with a particular focus on the fish communities found on these habitats, a component which is both vital to the functioning of the reef and the livelihoods several hundred million people worldwide. I am supported by a PhD studentship awarded by the Fisheries Society of the British Isles who have enabled this opportunity for me.

I aim to investigate the impact of negative and positive human influences on the biological assemblages present on reefs, the functioning of these habitats and, their resilience to stress. To help tackle these issues I will use traditional observational surveys and continue to help develop the novel field of passive acoustic monitoring using new recording technology and machine learning driven analysis.

I will be working with two projects throughout. The first is the WWF’s Biome Health Project where I will have the chance to better understand the impact of human pressure on reef habitats over a gradient. The second is Mars Global, who have established the world’s largest network of active reef restoration projects with the aim to restore degraded reef habitats and their fish communities. I will be working both remotely and on the ground at some of these sites to gather data with the aim to help us better monitor and improve restoration. This will begin by expanding on my previous work to help establish soundscape based models which can track the progress of reef restoration. Future work will likely progress onto building our understanding of whether active reef restoration can produce ecological communities and reef functioning similar to their undamaged counterparts, or, novel ways to maximise the ecological gains on these sites.

Supervisors

Professor Kate Jones, University College London

Dr David Curnick, Institute of Zoology

Professor Steve Simpson, University of Bristol

Publications

Chapuis, L., Williams, B., Gordon, T.A. and Simpson, S.D. Low-cost action cameras offer potential for widespread acoustic monitoring of marine ecosystems. 2021. Ecological Indicators. 129: 107957. doi: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2021.107957

Mahesh, R., Saravanakumar, A., Thangaradjou, T., Solanki, H.U., Raman, M. and Williams, B. Seasonal and spatial variations of mesozooplankton energy transfer efficiency determined using remotely sensed SST and Chl-a in the Bay of Bengal. Regional Studies in Marine Science. 2020. 40: 101482. doi: 10.1016/j.rsma.2020.101482