Malika Kheireddine, Ph.D.

Research Scientists

Research Scientist​

Current

Social Profile:

Biography

Malika Kheireddine received her PhD degree in marine optics and ocean colour remote sensing in 2014 from University Pierre and Marie Curie in France. After her PhD, she joined the King Abdullah University of Sciences and Technology (KAUST) as a postdoc to study biogeochemical processes in the Red Sea using in situ marine optics and ocean colour remote sensing. Since 2018, she is a research scientist in KAUST and collaborate with researchers in several fields thanks to her expertise in marine optics.

Research Interests

Her research interests are bio-optical oceanography to study long-term changes in phytoplankton dynamics, biogeochemical processes and carbon fluxes based on in situ measurements collected on autonomous platforms or on board.  She is also coupling ocean color remote sensing data with in situ measurements to develop synergic approaches to build regional algorithms in order to be able to monitor the Red Sea with good accuracy.

Selected Publications

  • Kheireddine, M; M. Ouhssain; H. Claustre; J. Uitz; J. Ras, B. Gentili and B. H. Jones (2017). Assessing phytoplankton group distribution based on phytoplankton pigment signature along the whole basin of the Red Sea during winter-spring transition. Frontiers in Marine Sciences, 4:132. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2017.00132.
  • Kheireddine, M; M. Ouhssain; E. Organelli; A. Bricaud and B. H. Jones (2018). Light absorption by suspended particles in the Red Sea: effect of phytoplankton community size structure and pigment composition. Journal of Geophysical Research-oceans, 123, doi: 10.1002/2017JC013279.
  • Kheireddine, M; M. Ouhssain; M. Ll. Calleja, X. G. Morán; Y.V.B Sarma, S. P. Tiwari, and B. H. Jones (2018). Characterization of light absorption by chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in the upper layer of the Red Sea. Deep Sea Research part I, 133, 72-84, doi: 10.1016/j.dsr.2018.02.001.
  • SP Tiwari, N Zarokanellos; M. Kheireddine; P. Shanmugam; and B. H. Jones (2018). Particulate absorption properties in the Red Sea from hyperspectral particulate absorption spectra. Remote Sensing Applications: Society and Environment, 10, 70-81, doi:10.1016/j.rsase.2018.03.004.
  • Gittings, J. A., D. E. Raitsos, M. Kheireddine, M.-F. Racault, H. Claustre, B. H. Jones and I. Hoteit (2019). Evaluating tropical phytoplankton phenology metrics using contemporary tools. Scientific reports, 9: 674, doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-37370-4.
  • Viallefont-Robinet, F., C. Bacour, M. Bouvet, M. Kheireddine, M. Ouhssain, R. Idoughi, L. Grignon, E. Munesa, F. Lemaître, and T. Rivière (2019). Contribution to Sandy Site Characterization: Spectro-Directional Signature, Grain Size Distribution and Mineralogy Extracted from Sand Samples. Remote sensing, 11: 2446, doi: 10.3390/rs11202446.
  • Gittings, J. A., Brewin, R. J. W., Raitsos, D. R. E., Kheireddine, M., Ouhssain, B. H. Jones, M. and Hoteit, I (2019). Remotely-sensing phytoplankton size structure in the Red Sea. Remote sensing of Environment, 234: 11387, doi: 10.1016/j.rse.2019.111387.
  • Asfahani, K., Krokos, G., Papadopoulos V. P., Jones B. H., Sofianos S., Kheireddine, M and Hoteit, I (2020). Capturing a mode of intermediate water formation in the Red Sea. Journal of Geophysical Research-oceans, doi: 10.1029/2019JC015803.

Education

  • ​PhD, 2010-14, Laboratoire d’Océanographie de Villefranche (LOV).
  • Second Master’s degree internship, 2010, Laboratoire d’Océanologie et Géosciences (LOG), Wimereux.
  • First Master’s degree, 2009, Laboratoire d’Océanologie et Géosciences (LOG), Wimereux
  • Bachelor’s degree, 2008, Laboratoire d’Océanologie et Géosciences (LOG), Wimereux.​ 

Professional Profile

  • 2018 - Present:    Research scientist in Marine Optics and Ocean Colour remote sensing, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Red Sea Research Center. Advisor: B. Jones.
  • 2014 - 2018:        Postdoctoral researcher in Marine Optics and Ocean Colour remote sensing, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Red Sea Research Center. Advisor: B. Jones.
  • 2011-2016: Participation to the scientific group concerning a proposal for a future ocean colour satellite mission from a geostationary orbit (“OCAPI” for Ocean Color Advanced Permanent Imager). This proposal include 17 laboratories and institutions: LOV, LOCEAN, LSCE, LOG, LEGI, MERCATOR, SHOM, IFREMER, CNES, SZN Naples, FU Berlin, MUMM belgium, JRC Ispra, CSIR-NRE South Africa, KORDI Korea,UCSB/ICESS USA, Univ. New Hampshire USA, NASA/GSFC USA and 2 industrial partners (ACRI-st and EADS-Astrium).

  • 2011-2014: Participation to the BIOCAREX project (ANR funding; 4 French laboratories involved). Fundamental aspects and implications of the diel cycle of ocean optical properties.

Research Interests Keywords

Bio-optical oceanography Phytoplankton dynamics Biogeochemical processes Ocean colour carbon fluxes