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Mudith Weerabaddanage

Advisor: Thompson
Mudith Weerabaddanage

GS 127

520-621-6000
mudithw@arizona.edu
Pronouns:
he/him/his

Links

LinkedIn

I am a fourth-year PhD candidate at the Topical Climate and Coral Reefs Laboratory. I use geochemical proxies in carbonate skeletons of fossil corals to reconstruct past hydroclimate and oceanographic conditions in the tropical Pacific. I analyze stable oxygen isotopes and trace metals from corals to understand how rainfall and ocean temperatures have changed in the past millennium and the interplay between ocean-atmosphere coupling. My background extends from marine biology to understanding natural climate variability, adaptation, and mitigating climate change consequences. I have engaged in reconstructing pollution histories in the Gulf of Mexico due to oil drilling using coral archives as a part of my MS thesis. The geochemical tools I use enable a broad range of science, from tracking sources of environmental pollutants to regional climate reconstructions and their socio-economic aspects to society. 

I have studied in six international universities worldwide throughout my academic journey, which has allowed me to travel, learn, and appreciate different education systems, cultures, and people. I am also a PADI certified rescue diver and enjoy diving for research and recreation.

Research Interests

Carbonate geochemistry, climate of the Common Era, oceanography and paleoceanography, coastal marine environment, Anthropocene

Education

B.Sc. Fisheries and Marine Sciences (Sri Lanka) - 2017

M.S. Marine Environment and Resources (France, Spain, UK, and the USA) - 2020

Ph.D. Geoscience (ongoing)

Awards and Recognitions
  • University of Arizona Grad Slam 2025, 3rd place finalist
  • Galileo Circle Scholar - 2023/2025
  • Bert Butler Scholarship - 2021/2025
  • Best Climate Talk Award, GeoDaze Conference - 2024
  • The University of Arizona GPSC travel award - 2022/2024
  • Sulzer Earth Science Scholarship - 2024
  • The University of Arizona GPSC Professional Practice Grant - 2023
  • Best Graduate Poster Award, GeoDaze Conference - 2022
  • AGU Student Travel Award - 2020
  • Santander Bank Summer Scholarship (Ocean Alive summer school, Portugal) - 2019
  • European Union Erasmus+ Scholar - 2018-2020
  • Vice Chancellor’s Gold Medal, University of Ruhuna - 2017
  • Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences & Technology Gold Medal - 2017
  • South China Sea Institute of Oceanology of Chinese Academy of Sciences Gold Medal - 2017
  • Dean’s Award, University of Ruhuna - 2015
  • Orator of The Year 2015, University of Ruhuna
Publications

Impact of Intra-Skeletal Calcite on the Preservation of Coral Geochemistry and Implications for Paleoclimate Reconstruction

Insights from barium variability in a Siderastrea siderea coral in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico

The Flower Garden Banks Siderastrea siderea coral as a candidate Global boundary Stratotype Section and Point for the Anthropocene series