The scientists

The Changing Oceans Expedition is out to better understand the seas, their ecosystems and how they are affected by human activity. To do this it is welcoming aboard teams of scientists and providing them with the logistical support they need to carry out research in this vast, complex environment.

For numerous scientific institutes, this expedition means the opportunity to:

  • Do research on a ship, Fleur de Passion, that offers:
    • Access to areas devoid of any infrastructure for scientific research,
    • The opportunity to do work that cannot be done on strictly oceanographic ships,
    • An affordable platform for research because the expedition provides the necessary logistical support.
  • Expand a project, taking advantage of the great distances and multiple locations the expedition covers
  • Benefit from the networks and partnerships involved with the expedition
  • Show their work to the general public.

List of scientists

Céline Arnal

President of Cybelle Méditerranée

Céline Arnal, a doctor in marine biology, created Cybelle Méditerranée to promote a data sharing system on studies of whales, dolphins, moonfish and jelly fish. The objective was to collect data and sightings provided by leasure sailors and amateur divers in the Mediterranean. These are put online to help scientists collect important data without having to dip into their budgets to go on site. Thi [...]

Arnaud Cazenave de la Roche

Director of the SEAS company

Arnaud Cazenave de la Roche is the president of the SEAS Society (Society for the study of marine archaeology) based in Saint Florent. Within the framework of archaeological mapping of the Gulf of Saint Florent, he brought to light two wrecks dating back to the Renaissance. After having analysed the remains, dated the cannons and studied the archives, Arnaud was able to determine that the wrecks c [...]

Aurélia Chery

Biologist, STARESO

At the STARESO base, Aurelia navigates between fieldwork and data analysis. Diving instructor and professional diver, she is a specialist in the study of posidonia and giant limpets. Aurelia is participating in a study on plankton aboard Fleur de Passion.

Jean-Michel Culioli

Scientific Manager, Protected Area of Bonifacio

Jean-Michel has been working on the environment and the protection of the natural reserve of the Mouths of Bonifacio since 1998. He started out as an ethiologist and a fisheries biologist, but by integrating the Office of Environment Corsica, he opened himself up to seabirds and cetaceans. The proliferation of these observations allowed him to have a global vision as a manager.

Jean-Marie Dominici

Director of the marine reserve of Scandola

Delphine Gambaiani

Scientist for the Souffleurs d'Ecume NGO

Since 2005, Delphine has been working with Souffleurs d'Ecume for the conservation of cetaceans in the Mediterranean Sea. She's always been passionate about oceans and studied oceanography and conservation biology at the University of Hawaii, Manoa (US) and Plymouth (UK). Thanks to the Antinea foundation and its vessel Fleur de Passion, Delphine and her team were able to successfuly test the REPCE [...]

Benjamin Halpern

Research Scientist, University of California, Santa Barbara

Ben Halpern works as a research scientist at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He studied biology at Carlton College, but only realized later that this was the direction he wanted to take. After volunteering at the Aquarium and a conservation organization in Boston, that he discovered his interest in marine conservation. He went back to University, this time in California where he com [...]

Jean-Henri Hecq

Scientitst, University of Liege

Jean-Henri is a senior scientist with strong expertise in marine plankton, ecohydrodynamics and modelling. His current interests focus on Antarctic and Mediterranean coastal areas and in particular their sensitivity to the environmental constraints and especially their response to climate changes. In the Southern Ocean, Jean-Henri is mainly involved in projects focusing on the Terre Adelie area.

Pierre Lejeune

Director of STARESO

Pierre is the director of the Underwater and Oceanographical Research Station STARESO at Calvi in Corsica. His activities include the development and coordination of scientific programs. Pierre is specialist in the behaviour of fish and the logistics of coastal oceanology. He took part in many international missions, of which several missions of diving in saturation with the NOAA, as well as an I [...]

Greg Marshall

Vice President, National Geographic Remote Imaging

Greg Marshall is Vice President of National Geographic's Remote Imaging Program. He earned a B.A. in International Relations from Georgetown University and an M.S. in Marine Environmental Science from SUNY Stony Brook. In 1986 he conceived and began developing the Crittercam concept. In 1995 he joined National Geographic and established the Remote Imaging Department for research and conservation [...]

Pascal Mayol

Scientific Manaer REPCET

Whale whisperer and envoy of the REPCET project on avoiding collisions with whales, Pascal fascinates everyone aboard Fleur de Passion with tales of sperm whale encounters in the Mediterranean. He never tires of answering the crew's questions on these mysterious creatures, and as a specialist in environmental management, he is well-placed to answer them. What Pascal most wants to see is web-based [...]

Fiorenza Micheli

Research Scientist, Stanford University

Fiorenza Micheli is a professor of marine biology at the University of Stanford. Her field of expertise is marine ecology and marine conservation. She is originally from Italy but has spent the last 20 years of her life in the United States. She started as a behavioral ecologist, and then shifted more and more onto conservation and management of marine ecosystems and marine resources. Currently [...]

Charles Pinelli

President of the friends of Agriate

Charles Pinelli is the President of the association of the Friends of Agriate (a region in North Corsica). This school teacher is passionate about the heritage of his country and about exploring archaeology sites, as well as studying dolphins and whales, especially dolphin species which remain in the Gulf of Saint Florent. In collaboration with archaeologists and scientists, he organizes the site [...]

Kim Selkoe

Research Scientist, Hawaiian Institute of Marine Biology

She completed her Ph.D. in marine ecology in 2005 at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Following that she took a postdoctoral position at the Hawaiian Institute of Marine Biology where she is still working today. In parallel, she is working at the National Center for Ecological Analysis, an institute at UC Santa Barbara, where she has a research faculty status. Her work in Hawaii is [...]

Jean-Christophe Vié

Deputy Head, IUCN Species Programme

Jean-Christophe started his career as a wildlife veterinarian with a main interest in primates. He then completed a PhD in ecology. He worked on a range of species such as the Arabian oryx, marine turtles, manatees, primates, caimans, serpents and was also heavily involved in the design and management of protected areas, as well as public awareness campaigns. He recently completed the publication [...]

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Diaporama. The photos of scientists