Mallory is interested in the effects of Marine Protected Areas (MPA’s) on ecosystem health and biodiversity. Her previous work focused on coral disease prevalence in the Bastimentos MPA in Bocas del Toro, Panama. She also takes interest in anthropogenic impacts on coastal environments, specifically how organisms react and adapt to such environmental changes.

Her work in KAUST will help assess the role of mangroves in the total carbon budget, focusing on fluctuations in carbon dioxide and methane (plus isotopes) from mangrove sediments.