2018-present: Ph.D. position on “Trophic analysis of deep-sea sharks using stable isotopes” (FRIA grant FRS-FNRS)
2016-2018: Master in “Organism Biology and Ecology” (UCLouvain)
2013-2016: Bachelor in “Biology” (UCLouvain)
Trophic ecology and the use of stable isotopes with deep-sea sharks
The trophic importance of sharks in their ecosystems is well-known for surface species. But due to technical difficulties, the role of deep-sea ones is currently poorly known and most information come from stomach contents analyses. More recently, alternative ways have been developed in order to study deep-sea sharks’ trophic role. The use of stable isotopes analyses has proven to give interesting insights in sharks’ trophic ecology. In a recent internship, the Marine Biology Laboratory applied stable isotopes analyses to two species of deep-sea sharks: Etmopterus spinax (Linnaeus, 1758) and Etmopterus molleri (Whitley, 1939). It unveiled certain aspects of their trophic ecology. I am now conducting my Ph.D. aiming to determine deep-sea sharks’ trophic role in their ecosystems. In order to carry out my project, I use both stomach contents and stable isotopes analyses with samples coming from multiple locations around the world: North-East Atlantic, Taiwan, The Reunion Island and New Zealand. I’m working on multiple species presenting various sizes, preys and trophic ecologies.
Current species list
Centrophorus granulosus, Centrophorus harissoni, Centrophorus squamosus, Centroscyllium fabricii, Centroscymnus coelolepis, Centroscymnus macracanthus, Centroscymnus owstonii, Centroselachus crepidater, Cephaloscyllium isabelum, Cirrhigaleus australis, Dalatias licha, Danea profundorum, Deania calcea, Etmopterus baxteri, Etmopterus brachiurus, Etmopterus lucifer, Etmopterus molleri, Etmopterus princeps, Etmopterus spinax, Etmopterus splendidus, Etmopterus viator, Galeus sauteri, Heptanchrias perlo, Hexanchus griseus, Isistius brasiliensis, Oxynotus bruniensis, Oxynotus paradoxus, Proscymnodon plunketi, Scymnodon ringens, Squaliolus aliae, Squalus acanthias, Squalus griffin, Squalus megalops.