- Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Research
- Swansea University
- Singleton Park
- Swansea
- SA2 8PP
- UK
- +44(0)1792 29 5377
Research Profile
I am an experienced researcher with a background in marine biology, including a PhD in marine biology (crustacean ecophysiology) and also, including over ten years experience of developing and employing ecophysiological approaches to environmental monitoring using multiple species in both laboratory and field scenarios.
My research interests and experience lie in fundamentally outlining physiological functioning in aquatic organisms and associated effects upon an organism’s behaviour. My research comprises of a multidisciplinary approach (from the biochemical level to physiological) to evaluating whole organism function and behaviour.
My current and recent research (NERC-funded Ocean Acidification project, Swansea University; JSPS Post-doctoral Fellowship, Nagasaki University, Japan, Australian Antarctic Division and University of Plymouth, U.K) involves investigating the potential effects of climate change factors (elevated temperature and hypercapnia) on ecophysiological and behavioural impacts in temperate, tropical and polar crustaceans, in light of anthropogenic climate change.
Previous experience includes collaborative work with other institutions where biomarker/ecophysiological approaches have been employed at both a national (UK) and international level (EU and ASIA) as part of European Union programmes with regard to environmental biology, specifically, ecophysiology and ecotoxicology. I have taken an active role in teaching from undergraduate to postgraduate level and also including senior scientists. I have also lead and directed several capacity-building and knowledge transfer workshops both nationally and internationally, representing the University of Plymouth and Plymouth Marine Laboratory (UK), where the usefulness of these techniques have been taught, including in Singapore; National Institute of Education /Nanyang Technological University, as an invited guest lecturer [MLS 828: Environmental Health & Toxicology course (February 2009 & March 2010)]. My previous teaching material, e.g. Workshop on biomarkers as tools for coastal environmental assessment, Thailand, has lead to the formation of two MSc level courses at Kasesart University and Burapah University, Thailand.
Contact
awanthadissanayake@gmail.com