Alex Rogers
Senior Research Fellow; Director of Science, REV Ocean
Alex David Rogers is a Senior Research Fellow at Somerville College. He is science director of REV Ocean where he is leading research into threats faced by the oceans.
In 1989 he obtained a B.Sc. (Hons) I Class in marine biology at the University of Liverpool. In 1992 he followed this with a Ph.D. in marine invertebrate systematics and genetics also from the University of Liverpool. His research focuses on the diversity, ecology, conservation and evolution of marine species. Alex has special interests in the deep sea, particularly seamounts, cold-water corals and chemosynthetic ecosystems. He employs molecular tools and traditional methods of taxonomy to study the evolution of marine organisms at a range of temporal and spatial scales. These encompass current environmental factors influencing genetic structure of populations, to historical events associated with past climate change that have shaped the current biota of the oceans.
Alex is internationally recognised for his expertise in deep-sea ecology and human impacts on the oceans. He has also worked extensively with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations on impacts of human activities and climate change on marine ecosystems, particularly the high seas, deep-water ecosystems and coral reefs. His work has included reports for Greenpeace, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the Deep-Sea Conservation Coalition, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the United Nations International Seabed Authority (ISA), UN Division of Oceans and Law of the Sea (UN-DOALOS), UN Environmental Programme (UNEP) and the UN Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) and the G8 Global Legislators Organisation for a Balanced Environment (GLOBE International). At present, Dr Rogers is undertaking research and fieldwork exploring seamount, coral and chemosynthetic ecosystems around the world. He is also Scientific Director of the International Programme on State of the Ocean, an NGO that is specifically analysing current impacts on marine ecosystems globally.
Publications
‘Contrasting futures for ocean and society from different anthropogenic CO2 emissions scenarios’
J.-P. Gattuso, A. Magnan, R. Billé, W. W. L. Cheung, E. L. Howes, F. Joos, D. Allemand, L. Bopp, S. R. Cooley, C. M. Eakin, O. Hoegh-Guldberg, R. P. Kelly, H.-O. Pörtner, A. D. Rogers, J. M. Baxter, D. Laffoley, D. Osborn, A. Rankovic, J. Rochette, U. R. Sumaila, S. Treyer, C. Turley
Science (2015)
‘The deep sea is a major sink for microplastic debris’
Lucy C. Woodall, Anna Sanchez-Vidal, Miquel Canals, Gordon L.J. Paterson, Rachel Coppock, Victoria Sleight, Antonio Calafat, Alex D. Rogers, Bhavani E. Narayanaswamy and Richard C. Thompson
2014
‘The coral reef crisis: The critical importance of<350ppm CO2'
E.N. Veron, O. Hoegh-Guldberg, T.M. Lenton, J.M. Lough, D.O. Obura, P. Pearce-Kelly, C.R.C. Sheppard, M. Spalding, M.G. Stafford-Smith, A.D. Rogers
Marine Pollution Bulletin,
Volume 58, Issue 10, Pages 1428-1436,
2009
'One-Third of Reef-Building Corals Face Elevated Extinction Risk from Climate Change and Local Impacts'
Kent E. Carpenter, Muhammad Abrar, Greta Aeby, Richard B. Aronson, Stuart Banks, Andrew Bruckner, Angel Chiriboga, Jorge Cortés, J. Charles Delbeek, Lyndon DeVantier, Graham J. Edgar, Alasdair J. Edwards, Douglas Fenner, Héctor M. Guzmán, Bert W. Hoeksema, Gregor Hodgson, Ofri Johan, Wilfredo Y. Licuanan, Suzanne R. Livingstone, Edward R. Lovell, Jennifer A. Moore, David O. Obura, Domingo Ochavillo, Beth A. Polidoro, William F. Precht, Miledel C. Quibilan, Clarissa Reboton, Zoe T. Richards, Alex D. Rogers, Jonnell Sanciangco, Anne Sheppard, Charles Sheppard, Jennifer Smith, Simon Stuart, Emre Turak, John E. N. Veron, Carden Wallace, Ernesto Weil, Elizabeth Wood
Science (2008)
The Biology of Seamounts,
A.D. Rogers eds. J.H.S. Blaxter, A.J. Southward,
Advances in Marine Biology,
Academic Press Volume 30, Pages 305-350 (1994)