Complementing Cois Coiribe’s Spring Edition focus on Earth, Ocean, and Natural Sciences, this spotlight feature on Dr Maggie Reddy explores her unique research and motivations. Read on to find out more about both her academic insight and her vision for the years to come.
Title and name
Dr Maggie Reddy
College and/or department
College of Science and Engineering
Introduction…
My passion for marine biodiversity and the ocean is deeply rooted in my childhood, having grown up on the sunny shores of South Africa. As a child, the sea became my playground, offering endless exploration and discovery. This innate curiosity for the ocean naturally guided me to a career in Marine Science.
I earned my PhD in Marine Science from the University of Cape Town and have been fortunate to carry out research at the University of Gent, Belgium, the University of Algarve, Portugal, and at the University of Galway, Ireland.
Currently, I am a lecturer at the University of Galway, and have held previous appointments as a lecturer at the Nelson Mandela University and the University of Cape Town in South Africa, where I remain an honorary research associate. Beyond teaching and research, I am deeply engaged with the seaweed community. As the secretary of the International Phycological Society and a member of the IUCN Seaweed Specialist Group, I also work to bridge the gap between science and industry, advocating for responsible resource use and sustainable practices within the seaweed sector.
Can you describe the main focus of your current research? What problem or question are you trying to solve?
My previous research has focused on documenting and understanding patterns of genetic diversity of seaweeds, with a particular interest in the African Seaforest, which allowed me to sample over 4,000 km of coastline, from southern Mozambique to southern Angola. During these marine expeditions, two new mesophotic populations were recorded in southern Mozambique and Vema Seamount and DNA barcodes were provided for two other known mesophotic populations from Cape Vidal and Rocky Bank in South Africa.
Building on this, my current research focuses on gaining a deeper understanding of the chemical diversity of the kelp forests and their role in driving evolutionary patterns. I also lead the Marine Biodiversity Lab (@marinebiodiversitylab). Our lab brings together students from diverse cultural and academic backgrounds, allowing us to tackle complex questions that would be otherwise difficult to achieve. Our research sits at the intersection of marine science, molecular biology, and chemistry.
We are committed to documenting and describing marine biodiversity with a particular focus on seaweeds from understudied regions of the world. By using cutting-edge omics techniques, we aim to better understand biodiversity patterns and support the development of regional conservation and management strategies.
