Sahar Chebaane

Biography

Dr. Sahar Chebaane

Marine Ecologist | Bioinvasions Researcher | Coastal Systems Scientist

Dr. Sahar Chebaane is a marine ecologist affiliated with the Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division (BESE) at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, where she conducts research on marine biodiversity, biofouling communities, and biological invasions. Her expertise lies at the interface of invasion ecology, community ecology, and coastal systems, with a focus on understanding how ecological processes and anthropogenic pressures shape marine assemblages.

Using a combination of field-based experiments, ecological monitoring, and molecular approaches, her work investigates the role of species interactions, such as predation and competition, in influencing the establishment and spread of non-indigenous species. She integrates eDNA metabarcoding, image-based analyses, and experimental designs to assess biodiversity patterns, particularly in artificial coastal habitats such as ports and marinas.

Dr. Chebaane completed her Ph.D. in Marine Sciences at the University of Lisbon, graduating with distinction and honors, where she developed experimental and methodological approaches to study invasion dynamics and biofouling communities. She is currently a Postdoctoral Researcher at KAUST, contributing to research on early detection of marine non-indigenous species and the development of marine biosecurity frameworks in the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf .

In addition to her research activities, Dr. Chebaane is actively involved in international collaborations and capacity-building initiatives. She is the Principal Investigator of the MarineGEO Monastir site (Smithsonian Environmental Research Center), contributing to global biodiversity monitoring efforts, and serves as an invited expert in the ICES Working Group on Marine Bioinvasions, supporting the development of standardized monitoring and management frameworks for marine non-indigenous species.

Research Interests

My research focuses on understanding how marine communities assemble and function under natural and anthropogenic pressures, with particular emphasis on biological invasions and biofouling systems. I investigate the role of ecological interactions, such as predation, competition, and habitat-mediated processes, in shaping biodiversity patterns and influencing the establishment and spread of non-indigenous species.

I integrate field-based experiments, ecological monitoring, and molecular tools (eDNA and metabarcoding) to assess biodiversity across natural and artificial coastal habitats, including ports and marinas. My work also explores the development of integrated monitoring approaches and biosecurity frameworks, contributing to early detection strategies and improved management of marine ecosystems.

Selected Publications

Chebaane, S., Shaiek, M., & Zakhama-Sraieb, R. (2018). A new record and range extension of an invasive amphipod Caprella scaura Templeton, 1836 in Tunisia, North Africa. J. Black Sea/Mediterranean Environment, 24(3).
Chebaane, S., Sempere Valverde, J., Dorai, S., Kacem, A., & Sghaier, Y. R. (2019). A Preliminary Inventory of alien and cryptogenic species in Monastir Bay, Tunisia: spatial distribution, introduction trends and pathways. Mediterranean Marine Science, 20 (3), 616-626.
Castro, N., Schäfer, S., Parretti, P., Monteiro, J. G., Gizzi, F., Chebaane, S., ... & Canning-Clode, J. (2021). A New Signal of Tropicalization in the Northeast Atlantic: The Spread of the Spotfin Burrfish Chilomycterus reticulatus in Madeira Archipelago and Its Invasion Risk. Diversity, 13(12), 639.
Chebaane, S., Canning-Clode, J., Ramalhosa, P., Belz, J., Castro, N., Órfão, I., ... & Monteiro, J. G. (2022). From Plates to Baits: Using a Remote Video Foraging System to Study the Impact of Foraging on Fouling Non-Indigenous Species. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, 10(5), 611. (Selected to be on the cover of the issue)
Bernal-Ibáñez, A., Chebaane, S., Sempere-Valverde, J., Faria, J., Ramalhosa, P., Kaufmann, M., ... & Cacabelos, E. (2022). A worrying arrival: the first record of brown macroalga Rugulopteryx okamurae in Madeira Island and its invasive risk. BioInvasions Record, 11(4).
Sempere-Valverde, J., Ramalhosa, P., Chebaane, S., Espinosa, F., Monteiro, J. G., Bernal-Ibáñez, A., ... & Canning-Clode, J. (2023). Location and building material determine fouling assemblages within marinas: A case study in Madeira Island (NE Atlantic, Portugal). Marine Pollution Bulletin, 187, 114522.
Chebaane, S., Freestone, A. L., Des Pérez, A., Sempere-Valverde, J., Chainho, P., Monteiro, J. G., & Canning-Clode, J. (2023). Predation facilitates the abundance of biofouling non-indigenous species in estuarine marinas in NE Atlantic Portugal. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 188, 114724.
Buzinkai, M., Radeta, M., Rodrigues, C., Silva, F., Freitas, R., Chebaane, S., ... & Monteiro, J. G. (2023). Crowdsourcing biodiversity data from recreational SCUBA divers using Dive Reporter. Ecological Informatics, 77, 102191.
Grech, D., Asciutto, E., Bakiu, R., Battaglia, P., Ben-Grira, C., Çamlik, Öznur Y., Cappuccinelli, R., Carmona, L., Chebaane, S., … & Zacchetti, L. (2023). New records of rarely reported species in the Mediterranean Sea (2023). Mediterranean Marine Science, 24(2), 392–418.
Navarro-Barranco, C., Martínez, A., Sempere-Valverde, J., Chebaane, S., Digenis, M., Plaitis, W., ... & Gerovasileiou, V. (2023). Amphipods in Mediterranean Marine and Anchialine Caves: New Data and Overview of Existing Knowledge. Diversity, 15(12), 1180.
Sempere-Valverde, J., Chebaane, S., Bernal-Ibáñez, A., Silva, R., Cacabelos, E., Ramalhosa, P., ... & Canning-Clode, J. (2024). Surface integrity could limit the potential of concrete as a bio-enhanced material in the marine environment. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 200, 116096.
Chebaane, S., Pais, M. P., Engelen, A. H., Ramalhosa, P., Silva, R., Gizzi, F., ... & Monteiro, J. G. (2024). Exploring foraging preference of local fish species towards non-indigenous fouling communities near marinas: Insights from Remote Video Foraging System (RVFS) trials. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 198, 115871.
Sempere-Valverde, J., Chebaane, S., Bernal-Ibáñez, A., Silva, R., Cacabelos, E., Ramalhosa, P., ... & Canning-Clode, J. (2024). Surface integrity could limit the potential of concrete as a bio-enhanced material in the marine environment. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 200, 116096.
Chebaane, S., Sempere-Valverde, J., Desiderato, A., Gueroun, S. K., Tiralongo, F., Azzurro, E., ... & Sghaier, Y. R. (2024). Venomous Foes in Mediterranean Africa: Occurrence of Physalia physalis (Linnaeus, 1758), and First Records of Glaucus atlanticus Forster, 1777 for Algeria and Tunisia. Thalassas: An International Journal of Marine Sciences, 1-9.
Sempere-Valverde, J., Saenz-Arias, P., Martynova, A., Benzarti, O., Bouhlel, R., Guerra-García, J. M., & Chebaane, S. (2024). Plasticlusters: A marine litter microhabitat in a marina of Tunisia, N Africa. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 202, 116389.
Chebaane, S., Aylagas, E., Sempere-Valverde, J., Ardan, A., Poliseno, A., Cottrell, D. M., Syomin, V., Böök, I. M., Simon, L. X. I. V., Couëdel, M., Cadiz, R., Anthony, C. P., Teixeira, M. A. L., Bocanegra-Castano, C., Curdia, J., Santillan, A., Dimech, M., Abukaboos, B., Rabaoui, L. J., Qurban, M. A., Carvalho, S. (2026). Site-specific variation and non-indigenous species detection in Arabian Gulf biofouling communities using DNA metabarcoding and photographic surveys. Scientific Reports, 16, 13564.

Education

Ph.D. in Marine Sciences, University of Lisbon, Portugal (2024), graduated with distinction and honors
M.Sc. in Biodiversity and Dynamics of Aquatic Ecosystems, University of Sfax, Tunisia (2018)
M.Sc. in Ecology and Environment (Dual Degree), University of Sfax, Tunisia & Le Mans University, France (2017)
B.Sc. in Marine Biotechnology and Aquaculture, Higher Institute of Biotechnology of Monastir, Tunisia (2016)

Professional Profile

2025–present Postdoctoral Researcher, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia
2024–2025 Scientific Consultant, Marine Bioinvasions, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia
2026–present Invited Expert, ICES Working Group on Marine Bioinvasions
2024–present Principal Investigator, MarineGEO Monastir (Smithsonian Environmental Research Center), Tunisia
2020–2024 Ph.D. Researcher (ARDITI Doctoral Fellow), University of Lisbon, Portugal

Awards

Award from Springer for best oral communication at the 9th international scientific days on the valorization of bioresources, Monastir, Tunisia, from 3rd to 6th May 2018
Award of the best model and co-photographer during the Andalusian championship of underwater video CAVISUB22, Spain 2022.

KAUST Affiliations

Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division Marine Science Program

Non-KAUST Affiliations

Association Notre Grand Bleu (NGO), Cap Marina, 5000 Monastir, Tunisia
MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre/ARNET - Aquatic Research Network, Regional Agency for the Development of Research, Technology and Innovation (ARDITI), Funchal, Portugal

Research Interests Keywords

Marine Ecology Invasion Ecology Biofouling Systems Coastal Ecosystem Dynamics Experimental Ecology Invasive Species Ecosystem Functioning Integrated Biodiversity Monitoring Marine Biosecurity