PhD student in ecology

About me

I am currently a PhD student at the ENES BIOACOUSTICS RESEARCH LAB, one of the main research centers for the science of animal and human sound signals. Rooted in ethology (study of behavior), ENES has a long tradition in ecology (impact of abiotic and biotic environmental change; assessment of biodiversity through the sound).

I focus on conserving aquatic ecosystems and addressing two threats associated with human activities: noise pollution and biological invasions. I use field methods to assess and measure nautical activity, and controlled aquarium experiments to study the noise effects on invertebrates and fish.

Field of study

My research work combines aspects from acoustic, ecology, ethology and ecotoxicology.

My research

PhD Project: monitoring and impact of noise pollution on aquatic life

Anthropogenic (man-made) noise is one of the most pervasive symptoms of human activities. It is expected to increase worldwide and ecological impact remains unclear, especially in freshwaters. The POLLUSON project utilizes passive acoustic monitoring to measure nautical activity and investigate the timing and characteristics of noise pollution in the largest natural lake in France. We use an organism-targeted approach to study behavioral responses and test whether these responses affect the community and disrupt ecosystem processes. Our focus is mainly on invasive species, which are a threat to freshwater ecosystems and strongly associated with noise pollution. We worked on different models of invasive aquatic invertebrates present in Alpine lakes, such as the quagga mussel (Dreissena bugensis rostriformis), the killer shrimp (Dikerogammarus villosus) or the invasive freshwater snail (Physella acuta).

COLLABORATIONS

During my PhD, I was able to participate in the life of the laboratory and collaborated in various projects:

Studying the effects of boat noise on the behavior and growth of fish:

Drawing on my experience in fish breeding and analyzing data, I participated in a study of the behavior and growth of a cichlid species (Metriaclima zebra) conducted by Wenjing Wang.

For the same reasons, I collaborated with Lana Minier to conduct a study on the effects of fish sounds on the behavior of a species of damselfish (Dascyllus aruanus).

Testing potential of acoustic trapping:

Based on the work of Isabella-Valenzi & Higgs 2016, we experimented and evaluated the potential of an acoustic trap to capture the round goby (Neogobius melanostomus). This capture method uses conspecific acoustic signals as a lure to attract a specific fish species. We modified the initial device to gain autonomy and compared with other trapping methods on European fish community.

Automatic behavioural conditionning machine:

I have a passion for electronics and its application to the development of innovative tools for research. I develeopped an automated skinner box with a manual interface for conditioning different organisms to repeated stains.