Affendi is a Research Officer in the Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences (IOES), Universiti Malaya. He has been studying coral reefs for more than 30 years and focuses on the ecophysiology of hard corals (Scleractinia). He leads the Malaysian Society of Marine Sciences (MSMS) as elected President and is country co-coordinator for the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN) for East Asia. At present, Affendi is committed to understanding the connectivity of marine ecosystems, climate change impacts, and ways to enhance coral rehabilitation efforts via Project PULIH.