Raphael Seguin

PhD in marine ecology at the University of Montpellier (MARBEC laboratory), conducted in partnership with the NGO BLOOM, on industrial pressures on marine ecosystems.

My research focused on the analysis of open-source data (AIS vessel positions, Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 SAR satellite imagery) to better understand, map, and model industrial fishing pressure in the ocean, explore still little-studied pressures such as noise pollution, or detect small-scale coastal fishing from high-resolution satellite images.

Beyond academic research:

Public presentations and conferences at the National Assembly, for media or associations

Science communication for non-specialist audiences

Collaborative work with NGOs, international scientists, and institutions/policymakers

Skills used: R (handling complex spatial datasets, mixed statistical models), GIS, mapping, satellite imagery processing, scientific writing in French and English, project management, scientific communication.

I worked as a research engineer at UMR MARBEC (University of Montpellier). During this period, I contributed to about ten scientific publications in international journals (Nature Sustainability, Nature Communications, PLoS Biology, Frontiers in Marine Science, People and Nature, etc.), either as lead author or supporting teams with data analysis, mapping, or proofreading.

The common thread of this work was the conservation of marine ecosystems, approached from different angles (tropical coral reefs, invasive species in the Mediterranean, monitoring biodiversity through environmental DNA (eDNA), protected areas, spatial distribution of tourism, ship remote sensing). I notably published as lead author in Nature Sustainability on fisheries management of coral reefs in the face of climate change, and in People and Nature on the effect of protected areas on the spatial distribution of rural tourism in Europe.

Beyond analytical work, I organized and participated in several field missions and international scientific expeditions, including environmental DNA sampling campaigns (Martinique, Mallorca, as part of the European project MaCoBioS) and the study of invasive species in the Eastern Mediterranean. These missions involved complete logistics: preparation, coordination of multidisciplinary teams on site, rigorous sampling protocols, post-expedition monitoring.