A SOUTH Lakeland ecologist and his social scientist wife have both been appointed to the Environment Centre at Lancaster University.

Professor Nick Graham, who was brought up in Windermere, and his wife, Dr Christina Hicks, met while working together researching the impact of climate change on fish and fisheries in the Indian Ocean.

Prof Graham is a community ecologist, tackling large scale questions surrounding coral reefs, including the impact of climate change and human activities. He has a Royal Society Fellowship, researching how coral reefs might look in the future, and the best ways to manage them.

“I’m interested in the patterns and processes by which degraded coral reefs recover, and how this can be influenced by management, and also in the ecological ramifications of fishing,” said the former Lakes School, Troutbeck Bridge, pupil.

Dr Hicks is an environmental social scientist whose research focusses on the governance of small scale fisheries, how they contribute cultural and nutritional benefits, and their vulnerability to climate change.

When they met, Prof Graham was based in Newcastle and Dr Hicks in Kenya, where her mother’s side of the family is from. As they worked together, they discovered a shared interest not only in coral reefs and fishing, but in a cross disciplinary approach to environmental problems.

Prof Graham now spends a portion of his time working with human geographers and other social scientists, linking his data with the data they collect on people. He and Dr Hicks have produced several papers and a book chapter together linking changes in coral reefs to the vulnerability of adjacent fishing communities.