A marine biologist, John Burt, uses the Arabian Gulf - the world's warmest sea - as a 'natural laboratory' to understand how marine organisms respond to and cope with extreme environmental conditions and to provide insights into the potential impacts of future climate change on marine systems across the tropics. With projects on corals, coral symbionts, reef fishes, mangroves, and seagrasses, Burt leads a diverse team of researchers deepening our understanding of the marine biology of the Arabian region, with projects ranging from genomics and molecular ecology to physiology and ecosystem-level processes. In addition, Burt and his team continue to use science to support locally relevant policy, management, and conservation practices.