RESEARCH

My research work combines many fields and uses a multidisciplinary toolkit:

Sound

Marine Bioacoustics

Far from silent, the ocean is, in fact, home to a wide range of sounds from a variety of organisms and physical phenomena. Sounds propagate underwater at higher speeds and over longer distances than in air. Aquatic animals use this crucial sensory information at every stage of their life history to navigate, locate prey and predators, and find mates. As a bioacoustician, I study the neurophysiological and anatomical basis of sound detection, and the association of acoustic signals to the underwater world.

Aquatic sensory Ecology

In order to detect underwater sounds, aquatic vertebrates have developed sophisticated auditory abilities. As a neuroecologist, I aim to understand the relationship between organisms and their aquatic sound environment. There are still many unsolved questions pertaining to variation in anatomy, hearing sensitivity and thresholds, and biological relevance of sound to each taxa. I investigate which factors caused this diversity in ear morphology and hearing abilities in fish.

Anthropogenic impacts

Many types of human-made sounds have increased in the ocean: shipping, pile driving, seismic surveys, explosions, sonars… these sources of noise change the acoustic environment, potentially impacting marine organisms. Studies in bioacoustics can provide an urgent insight into how animals can be when exposed to anthropogenic noise. It has also now become an important remote-sensing tool for conservation.

Elasmobranchs

Sharks, rays and skates are some of the most basally positioned vertebrate clades possessing an inner ear. Therefore, elasmobranchs are the perfect taxon to help us understand the evolution of auditory capabilities across fish and other vertebrates, with more than 1000 species, occupying all habitats of the oceans around the world.

Methodology

I use a diverse array of analytical tools for my research, including behaviour, electrophysiology, anatomy, bioimaging, biomechanical engineering and artificial intelligence, to name a few.