As a benthic ecologist, I work on the ecology of epibenthic marine macroinvertebrates in the Southern Ocean and the Indian Ocean. My scientific activity is structured around three main areas: fundamental research, institutional scientific expertise, and scientific engineering.
As part of my research activities, I focus on the structuring of deep benthic communities and on the environmental forcing mechanisms that may influence their composition. I prioritize the production of high-quality primary naturalistic observation data to document the presence of taxa across my various study sites and to support the models underlying my analyses. I mainly use spatial modeling approaches as tools to investigate the relationships between abiotic parameters and the taxonomic and morpho-functional composition of communities. To support my analyses, I draw on the diversity of ecosystems I study across multiple dimensions: bathymetric (from 90 to 2000 meters depth), geomorphological (continental shelves, seamounts, reef structures), and biogeographical (a latitudinal gradient ranging from the subtropical waters of the southern Indian Ocean to the Antarctic continent).
Outside the laboratory, as a voluntary extension of my previous professional activities, I am also interested in wild mammals, amphibians, the fauna and flora of mainland France, and urban ecology. To follow me on INaturalist -> https://www.inaturalist.org/people/alexis_martin_fr
I occasionally contribute to teaching activities within the Master’s program and the Doctoral School of our institution, in the fields of marine ecology and scientific imaging. I also serve as an instructor in the training program for fisheries scientific observers offered by the BOREA unit and the Museum’s professional training department.
- Study collections of marine invertebrates derived from samples collected during scientific surveys conducted by the BOREA joint research unit and by fishery observers of the TAAF administration as part of the POEPA program
- Digital collections of data produced as part of the POEPA program
- Archival holdings on the French Southern and Antarctic Lands preserved by the Archives Department of the Central Library of our institution
I integrate my research findings into my institutional scientific expertise activities with public bodies responsible for marine management, fisheries regulation, and biodiversity conservation (French Ministry for Ecology, TAAF administration), as well as with international organizations linked to treaties ratified by France, in which I serve as an appointed expert. Within the Exclusive Economic Zones of Kerguelen, Crozet, and Saint Paul and Amsterdam Islands, I produce scientific advice on the pressures exerted by fishing activities on benthic ecosystems. I also work on the identification and monitoring of environments classified under regulatory frameworks as “Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems” (VMEs), and on the establishment of marine protected areas. In international waters, I contribute to the work of the Scientific Committees of the SIOFA and CCAMLR agreements, particularly regarding the integration of VME-related issues into multilateral agreements negotiated among member states.
In the field of scientific engineering, I have specialized in the acquisition and valorization of field-based naturalistic data. From an organizational and managerial perspective, I design and implement operational workflows covering the entire chain from data and sample collection to database integration and scientific valorization, while supervising associated teams. From a software perspective, I have expertise in developing biodiversity databases and I explore new opportunities offered by artificial intelligence technologies. From an instrumental standpoint, I initiated and co-lead a program to develop autonomous underwater camera systems aimed at scaling up naturalistic data collection in deep marine ecosystems.
- Co-scientific leadership of the Southern Fisheries Ecosystem Observation Program (POEPA) within the AQUATREND/BOREA team
- Management of the POEPA data acquisition unit
- Head of the French delegation to the Scientific Committee of the APSOI Agreement
- Oversight, management, and financial monitoring of the core agreement for the POEPA program between the MNHN and the Directorate General for Maritime Affairs, Fisheries and Aquaculture (DGAMPA) of the Ministry for Ecological Transition
- Human resources management and supervision of the team of scientific research officers recruited under the agreement
