Behavioral Ecology of Marine Birds and Anthropogenic Disturbances, through onboard sensor monitoring (ECOPAC)
This scientific project focuses on the analysis of data on the movements of seabirds tracked by GPS at sea, to understand the history of their interaction with fishing boats, and on the long-term continuation of GPS tracking of these birds. The CEBC laboratory is in fact the holder of one of the oldest monitoring systems in the world by bio-logging (sensors carried by the animals), notably on different species of albatrosses. This family of seabirds is known for its attraction to fishing boats all over the world, where they can feed but also die by tens of thousands each year. This raises many fundamental and applied questions about the evolution and potential adaptation of behaviors in response to human activities, and their implications for the conservation of these birds and their ecosystems of which they are the first sentinels. My pedagogical project is based on the integration within the teaching team of the Biology department, aiming in the medium term to accentuate the interdisciplinary training offer on the development, the deployment and the exploitation of this type of biologging sensors which allow to automatically collect large volumes of data on biodiversity at various scales (individuals, populations and communities), in adequacy with the global strategy of La Rochelle University on the Sustainable and Intelligent Urban Coast.
Junior Professor Chair – Marine Predator Team
julien.collet(at)cebc.cnrs.fr