Senior Researcher (Directrice de recherche 1) CNRS

I am interested in understanding how biodiversity is distributed in space and in time, on the effects of human activities on those spatial and temporal patterns, and on the implications for biodiversity conservation.

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orcid.org/0000-0003-4775-0127 

Maître de Conférences à l'Université Montpellier

CEFE/CNRS

Campus du CNRS

1919, route de Mende
34293 Montpellier cedex 5

Tél : +33/0 4 67 61 33 17

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Associate Professor in spatial ecology at the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle                                                                                                                                                        

My research focuses on movement ecology: I study the factors influencing animal movements (especially dispersal) and gene flow, with a particular emphasis on landscape composition and structure. I also study how human-triggered landscape modifications like fragmentation affect animal movements; and the consequences on population functioning and structure. My research is hence tightly linked to the management/conservation of populations, and to landscape management (e.g. connectivity restoration, french Trame Verte et Bleue policy).

Senior Lecturer / Directeur d'Etudes de l'EPHE

HDR depuis le 04/09/2013mémoire à télécharger ici

CEFE/CNRS
Campus du CNRS
1919, route de Mende
34293 Montpellier 5
France 

Tél. :     +33 (0)4 67 61 32 94
Fax      :+33 (0)4 67 41 21 38

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Keywords:Biostatistics; Conservation biology; Amphibians; Birds, Reptiles, Quantitative ecology; Population Dynamics and Demography, Sampling designs.

Maitre de Conférences (EPHE)

CEFE/CNRS
Campus du CNRS
1919, route de Mende
34293 Montpellier 5

 tél : 33 (0)4 67 61 33 04
 fax: 33 (0)4 67 41 21 38

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 THEMES DE RECHERCHE

Mes thèmes de recherche concernent la phylogénie, la phylogéographie et l'évolution moléculaire à partir de l'analyse des séquences de gènes mitochondriaux et nucléaires. L’objectif est de répondre, à l’aide de l’outil moléculaire, à des questions de biodiversité et systématique évolutive à l’échelle des vertébrés (mammifères, amphibiens et reptiles). Je m’intéresse aussi à l’échelle temporelle (datations moléculaires) des différents niveaux de diversifications ce qui permet de confronter les inférences moléculaires avec les données morphologiques, paléontologiques et biogéographiques.

GO DIRECTLY TO:  Who am I? / Main research projects / Publications

*****

Research areas

- evolution and diversification of animal color patterns 

- evolutionary & computational aesthetics (aesthetic theory of efficient processing applied to artworks, plants and animals)

- processing bias (sparse coding, efficient categorization)

- models of animal vision (colour vision, pattern recognition)

- proximate mechanisms of mate choice

- Methods: Artificial intelligence for neuroscience and evolutionary ecology

Who am I?

I am an evolutionary biologist, cognitive scientist and naturalist. My main objective is to understand how do evolve complex and extravagant visual signals such as the eyespots of the peacock, the danse of the birds of paradise, and some artworks in humans. My research hypothesis is beauty. Using approaches of empirical psychology, computational neuroscience, artificial intelligence and philosophy of aesthetics, my goal is to identify the biological mechanisms underlying the beauty judgment in order to develop mechanistic models that predict this judgement. I then transfer these models to other animals to understand how beauty influences behaviors and, ultimately, the evolution of communication signals in nature.

I am also working on methods to characterize visual phenotypes, with applications in community ecology, evolutionary biology and systematics. I am particularly interested in how to use artificial intellgience to describe visual phenotypes and to model animal vision.

I am also conducting or participating to several research projects in ornithology (mostly on searbirds) and ichthyology (fish, and in particular gobies, of the Northeastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean region). 

Main research projects

WildCom-AI (ANR 2020-2025) - Artificial Intelligence for Studying Communication in Wild Animals (PI: J Renoult)

Darters (NSF 2020-2025)- Preferences, information theory, and the evolution of signal design (PI: T Mendelson & J Renoult)

CBIRDS (2024-2027)-Monitoring climate change impacts on Antarctic biodiversity.  (PI: JY Barnagaud.)

POMAR (2023-) Phylogenetics and taxonomy of sand gobies Pomatoschistus spp.. (PI: E Delrieu-Trottin & J Renoult)

Publications (* equal contribution)

Visual ecology & evolution

SILVA, N.J., FERREIRA, A. C., SILVA, L. R., PERRET, S., TIEO, S., RENOULT, J. P., COVAS, R., DOUTRELANT, C. (2025).  A deep learning approach to detect and visualise sexual dimorphism in monomorphic species. Animal Behaviour. In press.

ARIAS, M., BEHRENDT, L., DRESSLER, L., RAKA, A., PERRIER, C., ELIAS, M., GOMEZ, D., RENOULT, J.P., TEDORE, C. (2024). Testing the equivalency of human “predators” and deep neural networks in the detection of cryptic moths. Journal of Evolutionary Biology. 38, 214-224. https://doi.org/10.1093/jeb/voae146

SILVA, N. J., FERREIRA, A. C., SILVA, L. R., PERRET, S., TIEO, S., RENOULT, J. P., COVAS, R., & DOUTRELANT, C. (2024). A deep learning approach to detect and visualize sexual dimorphism in monomorphic species. bioRxiv, 2024-10.

HÉJJA-BRICHARD, Y. H., RAYMOND, M., CUTHILL, I. C., MENDELSON, T. C., & RENOULT, J. P. From natural to sexual selection: Revealing a hidden preference for camouflage patterns. bioRxiv, https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.09.27.559753

HÉJJA-BRICHARD, Y., MILLION, K., RENOULT, J. P.*, & MENDELSON, T. C.* (2024). Using neural style transfer to study the evolution of animal signal design: A case study in an ornamented fish. Ecological Informatics,https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoinf.2024.102881

HEJJA-BRICHARD, Y., RENOULT, J., & MENDELSON, T. (2024). Comparative analysis reveals assortative mate preferences in darters independent of sympatry and sex. Ecology & Evolution. 14(10), e11498.

TIEO, S., DEZEURE, J., CRYER, A., LEPOU, P., CHARPENTIER, M. J., & RENOULT, J. P. (2023). Social and sexual consequences of facial femininity in a non-human primate. Iscience, 26(10).

BYBEE, S.M., FUTAHASHI, R., RENOULT, J.P., SHARKEY, C., SIMON, S., SUVOROV, A., WELLENREUTHER, M. (2023). Transcriptomic insights into Odonata ecology and evolution. In Dragonflies and Damselflies, 2nd Ed. (CORDOBA-AGUILA, A., BEALTY, C.D., BRIED, J.T.). Oxford University Press. [Book chapter] [PDF]

CHARPENTIER, M.J.E, POIROTTE, C., ROURA-TORRES, B., AMBLARD-RAMBERT, P., WILLAUME, E., KAPPELER, P.M., ROUSSET, F., RENOULT, J.P. (2022) Mandrill mothers associate with infants who look like their own offspring using phenotype matching. Elife. 11, e79417

LANGLOIS, J., GUILHAUMON, F., BALETAUD, F., CASAJUS, N., […], RENOULT, J.P., […], MOUQUET, N. (2022). Global mismatch between the aesthetic value of reef fishes and their conservation priorities. Plos Biology. 20(6):e3001640.

HULSE S.V., RENOULT, J.P., MENDELSON T.M. (2022). Using deep neural networks to model similarity between visual patterns: application to fish sexual signals. Ecological Informatics. 67:101486 [PDF]

CHARPENTIER M.J., HARTE M., POIROTTE C., DE BELLEFON J.M., LAUBI B., KAPPELER P.M., RENOULT J.P. (2020). Same father, same face: deep-learning reveals paternally-derived signalling of kinship in a wild primate. Science Advances. 6, eaba3274. [PDF]

DUFOUR P., GUERRA CARANDE J., RENAUD J., RENOULT J.P., LAVERGNE S., CROCHET P.-A. (2020). Plumage colouration in gulls responds to their non-breeding climatic niche. Global Ecology and Biogeography. 29: 1704-1715. [PDF]

JOFFARD N., LE RONCE I., LANGLOIS A., RENOULT J.P., BUATOIS B., DORMONT L., & SCHATZ B. (2020). Floral trait differentiation in Anacamptis coriophora: phenotypic selection on scents, but not on colour. Journal of Evolutionary Biology. 33: 1028-1038.

BLIARD L., PAQUET M., ROBERT A., DUFOUR P.,
 RENOULT J.P.,
 GREGOIRE A., CROCHET P.-A., COVAS R., DOUTRELANT C. (2020). Examining the link between relaxed predation and bird colouration on islands. Biology Letters. 16: 20200002.

FERREIRA A.C., SILVA L.R., RENNA F., BRANDL H.B., RENOULT J.P., FARINE D.R., COVAS R., DOUTRELANT C. (2020). Deep learning-based methods for individual recognition in small birds. Methods in Ecology & Evolution. 11: 1072-1085.

DE SOLAN T., RENOULT J.P., GENIEZ P., DAVID P., & Crochet P.A. (2020). Looking for mimicry in a snake assemblage using deep learning. The American Naturalist. 196: 74-86. [PDF]

HULSE S.V., MENDELSON T.C.*, RENOULT J.P.*. (2020). Sexual signals of fish species mimic the spatial statistics of their habitat: evidence for processing bias in animal signal evolution. Nature Communications. 11: 1-8. [

RENOULT J.P., KELBER A., SCHAEFER H.M. (2017). Colour spaces in ecology and evolutionary biology. Biological Reviews. doi: 10.1111/brv.12230 [PDF]

BINKENSTEIN J., STANG M., RENOULT J.P., SCHAEFER H.M. (2017). Weak correlation of flower color and nectar-tube depth in temperate grassland. Journal of Plant Ecology. 10 : 397-405

DOUTRELANT C., PAQUET M., RENOULT J.P., GREGOIRE A., CROCHET P.-A., COVAS R. (2016). Worldwide patterns of bird colouration on islands. Ecology Letters. 19: 537-545.

RENOULT J.P., VALEUR B. (2015). Les couleurs de la vie – Mécanismes de production, fonctions et diversité. L’Actualité Chimique. 397-398 : 12-18.

RENOULT J.P., BLÜTHGEN N., BINKENSTEIN J., WEINER C.N., WERNER M., SCHAEFER H.M. 2015. Linking community to sensory ecology: the relative importance of color signaling for plant generalization in pollination networks. Oikos. 124: 347-354. [PDF]

RENOULT J.P., VALIDO P., JORDANO P., SCHAEFER M. (2014). Adaptation of flower and fruit colours to diversified mutualists. New Phytologist. 201: 678-686. [PDF]

RENOULT J.P., THOMANN M., SCHAEFER H.M., CHEPTOU P.-O. (2013). Selection on quantitative colour variation in Centaurea cyanus: the role of the pollinator’s visual system. Journal of Evolutionary Biology. 26: 2415-2427.

RENOULT J.P., COURTIOL A., SCHAEFER H.M. (2013). A novel framework to study colour signaling to multiple species. Functional Ecology. 27: 718-729. [PDF]

BINKENSTEIN J., RENOULT J.P., SCHAEFER H.M. (2013). Increasing land-use intensity decreases floral colour diversity and changes composition of plant communities in temperate grasslands. Oecologia, 173: 461-471.

RENOULT J.P., SCHAEFER H.M., SALLE B., CHARPENTIER M.J.E. (2011). The evolution of the multicoloured face of mandrills: insights from the perceptual space of colour vision. PlosOne, 6:e29117.

SCHATZ, B., DELLE-VEDOVE, R., RENOULT, J., et al. (2011). Couleur de fleur d’orchidées et insectes. Le Courrier de la Nature. 260 : 24-36.

RENOULT J.P, COURTIOL A., KJELLBERG F. (2010). When assumptions on visual system evolution matter: nestling colouration and parental visual performance in birds. Journal of Evolutionary Biology. 23:220-226

Cognitive science/Computational neuroscience/Empirical Aesthetics

MENDELSON, T. C.*, RENOULT, J. P.*, ROSENTHAL, G., SHUKER, D. On the biological basis of beauty. Biological Review. In press.

TIEO, S., BARDIN, M., BERTIN-JOHANNET, R., DIBOT, N., MENDELSON, T. C., PUECH, W., & RENOULT, J. P. (2024). Comparing activation typicality and sparsity in a deep CNN to predict facial beauty. Computational Brain & Behavior  [PDF]

DIBOT, N. M., TIEO, S., MENDELSON, T. C., PUECH, W., & RENOULT, J. P. (2023). Sparsity in an artificial neural network predicts beauty: Towards a model of processing-based aesthetics. PLOS Computational Biology, 19(12), e1011703 [PDF]

TIEO, S., RESTREPO-ORTIZ, C. X., ROURA-TORRES, B., SAUVADET, L., HARTÉ, M., CHARPENTIER, M. J., & RENOULT, J. P. (2023). The Mandrillus Face Database: A portrait image database for individual and sex recognition, and age prediction in a non-human primate. Data in Brief, 47, 108939.

BELTZUNG, B., PELE, M., RENOULT, J.P., SUEUR, C. (2023). Deep learning for studying drawing behavior: A review. Frontiers in Psychology. 14: 992541.

BELTZUNG, B., PELE, M., RENOULT, J.P., SUEUR, C. (2022). Using artificial intelligence to analyze non-human drawings: A first step with Orangutan productions. Animals. 12(20): 2761. [PDF]

RENOULT, J.P. (2022). La Fluence, in Abécédaire de la beauté (éditeurs: ZERNIK, C. & JARICOT, J.). Editions B42. [Book chapter]

CHARPENTIER, M. J., PELÉ, M., RENOULT, J.P., SUEUR, C. (2021). Social data collection and analyses, in Demographic Methods Across the Tree of Life (ed. Salguero-Gomez, R., Gamelon, M.), pp.53-76 [Book chapter].

RENOULT J.P. (2019). Book review of "The Aesthetic Animal." Evolutionary Studies in Imaginative Culture. 3: 105-108. [PDF]

RENOULT J.P., GUYL B., MENDELSON T.C., PERCHER A., DORIGNAC J., GENIET F., MOLINO F. (2019). Modelling the Perception of Colour Patterns in Vertebrates with HMAX. bioRxiv, 552307.

HOLZLEITNER I.J., LEE A.J., HAHN A.C., KANDRIK M., BOVET J., RENOULT J.P.,... & JONES B.C. (2019). Comparing theory-driven and data-driven attractiveness models using images of real women’s faces. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance. 45: 1589.

RENOULT J.P., MENDELSON T.C. (2019). Processing bias: extending sensory drive to include efficacy and efficiency in information processing. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 286: 20190165.

KAPOULA Z., VOLLE E., RENOULT J.P., ANDREATTA M. (ed.). (2018). Exploring Transdisciplinarity in Art and Sciences. Springer [Edited book]. 

RENOULT J.P. (2016). The evolution of aesthetics: a review of models. In Aesthetics and Neuroscience: Scientific and Artistic Perspectives, (KAPOULA Z. & VERNET M, ed.). pp. 271-300. Springer International Publishing. [Book chapter].

RENOULT J.P., BOVET J., RAYMOND M. (2016). Beauty is in the efficient coding of the beholder. Royal Society Open Science. DOI: 10.1098/rsos.160027. [PDF]

CHARPENTIER M.J.E., HUCHARD E., GIMENEZ, O., SALLE, B., KAPPELER P., RENOULT J.P. (2012). Distribution of affiliative behavior across kin classes and their fitness consequences in mandrills. Ethology, 118: 1198-1207.

Marine biology

KOVAČIĆ, M., SVENSEN, R., RENOULT, J. P., PATZNER, R. (2025).  Checklist, key and latitudinal distribution of the eastern Atlantic marine gobies along the European coast (Actinopterygii: Gobiidae and Oxudercidae). Zootaxa. In press.

KOVAČIĆ, M., BERGENGER, L., RENOULT, J. P. (2024). Testing of the taxonomic diagnosis of Zebrus pallaoroi Kovačić, Šanda & Vukić, 2021 (Actinopteri: Gobiiformes: Gobiidae) on a large sample from the Western Mediterranean. Fishes. 9, 511. [PDF]

MUCCIOLO, S., DESIDERATO, A., CHRISTIDIS, G., AMMAR, I. A., & ANTIT, M.,..., RENOULT, J.P., …, GEROVASILEIOU, V. (2024). New records of introduced species in the Mediterranean (August 2024). Mediterranean Marine Science, 25(2).

DIGENIS, M., AKYOL, O., BENOIT, L., BIEL-CABANELAS, M., ÇAMLIK, Ö. Y., CHARALAMPOUS, K.,... RENOULT, J.P., & GEROVASILEIOU, V. (2024). New records of rarely reported species in the Mediterranean Sea (March 2024). Mediterranean Marine Science, 25(1), 84-115. [PDF]

KOVACIC, M., ŠANDA, R., VUKIC, J., RENOULT, J. P., & FALZON, M.-A. (2023). New records of the recently described Pomatoschistus nanus Engin & Seyhan, 2017 (Teleostei: Gobiidae) (early view). Cybium. [PDF]

RENOULT, J., MENUT, T., RUFRAY, X., LE BRIS, S., IGLESIAS, S. P., LOUISY, P.,... & PRAT, M. (2023). Les poissons cryptobenthiques de la baie d’Agay (Var). Cahiers de la Fondation Biotope, 39, 58 pages.

KOVAČIĆ, M., RENOULT, J. P., PILLON, R., BILECENOGLU, M., TIRALONGO, F., BOGORODSKY, S. V.,... & YOKES, M. B. (2023). The delimitation of geographic distributions of Gobius bucchichi and Gobius incognitus (teleostei: Gobiidae). Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, 11(3), 516. [PDF]

KOVAČIĆ, M., PILLON, R., RENOULT, J.P. (2022). Identification of enigmatic Mediterranean fish Gobius ater Bellotti, 1988 (Teleostei: Gobiidae) based on morphology from underwater photographs. Journal of Fish Biology, 101: 1381-1384 [PDF]

RENOULT, J.P., PILLON, R., KOVAČIĆ, M.,  LOUISY, P. (2022). Frontiers in Fishwatching Series: Gobies of the Northestern Atlantic and the Mediterranean – Gobius and Thorogobius. Les cahiers de la fondation Biotope. 237 pages.

KOVAČIĆ, M., RENOULT, J.P., PILLON, R., SVENSEN, R., BOGORODSKY, S., ENGEN, S., LOUISY, P. (2022). Identification of Mediterranean marine gobies (Actinopterygii: Gobiidae) of continental shelf from photographs of in situ individuals. Zootaxa. 5144: 1-103.

IGLESIAS, S. P., BARICHE, M.., …, RENOULT, J.P., …, TOURNIER-BROER, R. (2021). French ichthyological records for 2019. Cybium. 45: 169-188.

SANTIN A., AGUILAR R., …, RENOULT J.P., …, TIRALONGO, F. (2021) New records of rare species in the Mediterranean Sea (March 2021). Mediterranean Marine Science, 22: 199-217.

IGLESIAS S. P., BERGOT P., …, RENOULT J.P., …, THOMAS W. (2020). French ichthyological records for 2018. Cybium. 44: 285-307.

Other (mostly phylogenetics, population genetics and natural history)

ROCHAS, P., MINOT, M., MEZIERE, N., RENOULT J.P., JUILLERAT, N., URIOT, Q., URIOT, S., FOXONET, H., CERDAN, A. (2022). Check-list of Odonata from French Guiana with notes on their distribution, ecology, and new state records. Odonatologica, 51(3/4) : 175-224.

RENOULT J.P., DELAHAIE B., DELATTRE J-C., DE FRANCESCHI C. , VEYRUNES F., LE BOT T. (2018). Chumming on multi-day sailing trip in Bay of Biscay. Dutch Birding40:96-98

CROCHET P.-A., LEBLOIS R., RENOULT J.P. (2015). New reptile records from Morocco and Western Sahara. Herpetology Notes. 8 : 583-588.

RENOULT, J.P. Arrivée de la Libellule purpurine Trithemis annulata (De Palisot de Beauvois, 1805) dans la vallée du Rhône. (2013). Sympetrum. 17: 81-82. 

DURANT, E., RENOULT, J.P.(2012). Addition à l’odonatofaune de l’Adrar mauritanien. Poiretia, 2012, 4 : 7-16.

CHARPENTIER M.J.E., FONTAINE M.C., CHEREL E., RENOULT J.P., JENKINS T., BENOIT L., BARTHES N., ALBERTS SC, TUNG J. (2012). Genetic structure in a dynamic baboon hybrid zone corroborates behavioral observations in a hybrid population. Molecular Ecology, 21:715-731.

RENOULT J.P., GENIEZ P., BEDDEK M., CROCHET P.-A. (2010). An isolated population of Podarcis vaucheri (Sauria: Lacertidae) in south-eastern Spain: genetic data suggest human-mediated range expansion. Amphibia-Reptilia, 31:287-296.

KJELLEBERG F., BAKOLIMALALA R., EDMOND R., RAFIDISON V., RABEVOHITRA R., RENOULT J., et. al. (2010). Corridors de végétation et conservation d'un groupe clé de voûte de la biodiversité au centre d'un réseau d'interactions: le cas des Ficus et des communautés associées. in Connaissance et Gestion des Milieux Tropicaux. p80-91. CNRS Edition. [Chapitre de livre].

RENOULT J.P., GENIEZ P, BACQUET P., GUILLAUME C. P., CROCHET P.-A. (2010). Systematics of the Podarcis hispanicus-complex (Sauria, Lacertidae) II: the valid name of the north-eastern Spanish form. Zootaxa, 2500:58-68

RENOULT J. (2009). The Sooty Gull, Larus hemprichii (Aves; Laridae), on Nosy Ve: first records for Madagascar. Malagasy Nature, 2:174-176.

RENOULT J.P., GENIEZ P, BACQUET P., BENOIT L., CROCHET P.-A. (2009). Morphology and nuclear markers reveal extensive mitochondrial introgressions in the Iberian Wall Lizard species complex. Molecular Ecology. 18:4298-4315.

RENOULT J.P., KJELLBERG F., SANTONI S., KHADARI B. (2009). Cyto-nuclear discordance in the phylogeny of Ficus section Galoglychia and host shifts in plant-pollinator associations. BMC Evolutionary Biology. 9:248.

RENOULT J.P. & RASELIMANANA A.P. (2009). A new species of Malagasy blind snake of the genus Typhlops Oppel (Serpentes: Typhlopidae). Zootaxa,2290:65-68

CROCHET P.-A., RENOULT J. (2008). Tarentola annularis annularis (Geoffroy de Saint-Hilaire, 1827) preying on a mammal. Herpetology Notes, 1:58-59.

Doctorant EPHE - PSL / Beauval Nature

Étage 1 - Aile C - Bureau 114

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Supervisor : Stéphanie Manel (CEFE, EPHE - PSL)

Doctorant EPHE - PSL / Beauval Nature

Étage 1 - Aile C - Bureau 114

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Directrice de thèse: Stéphanie Manel (CEFE, EPHE - PSL)

Projet de thèse : Caractériser la distribution et la taille de la population de Lamantin d’Afrique, une espèce menacée, dans le Parc National de Conkouati Douli, en République du Congo.

L’objectif général de la thèse est d’améliorer l'état des connaissances sur le lamantin d’Afrique (Trichechus senegalensis) au sein du Parc National de Conkouati-Douli (PNCD) afin de guider les actions favorables à sa conservation (sensibilisation, méthodes de pêche, activités alternatives, …) tout en prenant en compte les impacts socio-économiques. L’aspect cryptique et méconnu de cette espèce menacée d’extinction nécessite un couplage de différentes méthodes de suivi non-destructifs ni invasifs (observation visuelle, acoustique, génomique), dont certaines sont nouvelles (ADN environnemental). Ce suivi aura pour but, d’une part, de mieux connaître les besoins écologiques de l’espèce, son habitat, et sa distribution au sein du parc ; d’autre part, il permettra d’estimer des indices de l’abondance de la (ou les) population(s) de lamantin présente(s) au sein du PNCD. Finalement les résultats de ce projet permettront de proposer des mesures d’évitement, de réduction ou de compensation des menaces qui pèsent sur l’espèce tout en limitant les effets négatifs pour la population humaine locale.

Objectif 1 : Caractériser la distribution de l’espèce en lien avec l’environnement (paramètre physico-chimiques, végétation, pressions anthropiques, …) et proposer un modèle d’occurrence au sein du parc et une cartographie.
Nous chercherons à identifier les besoins écologiques de l'espèce au sein du PNCD, sa répartition en vue d'établir une carte de probabilité d'occurrence.

Objectif 2 : Estimer la taille de la population de lamantins dans le parc grâce à la génomique.
Nous analyserons la structure et la diversité génétique du Lamantin au sein de PNCD. Nous estimerons également un indice de taille de l'échantillon que nous avons.

Objectif 3 : Apport de l’acoustique dans la caractérisation spatiale et saisonnière de l’habitat du Lamantin, la caractérisation des individus et l’apport pour un indice d’abondance en lamantins, et comparaison avec les résultats génétiques.
Nous testerons la capacité de l’approche acoustique à identifier individuellement les lamantins ainsi qu’à obtenir une estimation de la taille de population. Les résultats seront comparés à ceux obtenus par le suivi génétique (Objectif 2).

Objectif 4 : Proposer un programme de conservation et identifier les zones de protection prioritaire en interaction avec les populations pour en limiter les impacts socio-économiques.
Nous utiliserons alors les connaissances acquises sur la répartition spatiale et l’abondance du Lamantin d’Afrique dans le PNCD (Objectifs 1, 2 & 3) pour guider les actions de conservation de l’espèce dans le parc.

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Thesis projet : Characterize the distribution and population size of the African manatee, a threatened species, in Conkouati-Douli National Park, Republic of the Congo

The general objective of the thesis is to improve the knowledge about the African manatee (Trichechus senegalensis) within Conkouati-Douli National Park (CDNP) in order to guide conservation actions (awareness, fishing methods, alternative activities, etc.) while considering socio-economic impacts. The cryptic and poorly understood nature of this threatened species necessitates a combination of different non-destructive and non-invasive monitoring methods (visual observation, acoustic, genomic), some of which are new (environmental DNA). This monitoring aims to better understand the ecological needs of the species, its habitat, and its distribution within the park, as well as to estimate indices of manatee population abundance within the CDNP. Ultimately, the results of this project will enable the proposal of avoidance, reduction, or compensation measures for threats to the species while minimizing negative effects on the local human population.

Objective 1: Characterize the species distribution in relation to the environment (physico-chemical parameters, vegetation, anthropogenic pressures, etc.) and propose an occurrence model within the park along with mapping.
We will seek to identify the ecological needs of the species within the CDNP, its distribution to establish a probability map of occurrence.

Objective 2: Estimate the size of the manatee population in the park using genomics.
We will analyze the genetic structure and diversity of the manatee within the CDNP. We will also estimate a sample size index that we have.

Objective 3: Contribution of acoustics to the spatial and seasonal characterization of manatee habitat, individual characterization, and contribution to a manatee abundance index, and comparison with genetic results.
We will test the ability of the acoustic approach to individually identify manatees and to obtain an estimation of the population size. Results will be compared with those obtained through genetic monitoring (Objective 2).

Objective 4: Propose a conservation program and identify priority protection areas in interaction with populations to mitigate socio-economic impacts.
We will use the knowledge gained about the spatial distribution and abundance of the African manatee in the CDNP (Objectives 1, 2 & 3) to guide species conservation actions in the park.

PhD candidate – Université de Montpellier

Doctorante en écologie statistique, j’étudie l’apport des méthodes de suivi non-invasif, de l’intégration de données et de la modélisation statistique à la compréhension de l’écologie des populations de carnivores en France. Je travaille en particulier sur les questions de connectivité.

I’m a PhD student in statistical ecology. I study the contribution of non-invasive monitoring, data integration and statistical modelling to study the ecology of carnivore populations in France. I work in particular on connectivity issues.

Supervisor: Olivier Gimenez (CEFE-CNRS)
Co-supervisor: Cyril Milleret (NMBU, University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway)

Contact information

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Twitter / X: @MaelisKervellec
Bureau 202, 2ème étage aile C

Researcher CNRS

" Movement, Abundance, Distribution" (MAD) Team Leader

CEFE

1919, route de Mende
34293 Montpellier cedex 5
Tél : +33/0 4 67 61 33 02

Office 311, 3rd floor

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PhD candidate – Université de Montpellier

I’m a PhD student interested in evolutionary demography and population dynamics of wild populations. I’m currently working on the demography of Svalbard polar bears. I’m relying on 30+ years of data including mark-recapture data, tracking data, and more. I’m mainly using linear models, mark-recapture models and path analysis models in a Bayesian framework to study the determinants of reproductive output, trade-offs between traits, and such.

Supervisors: Sarah Cubaynes (EPHE, CEFE-CNRS), Jon Aars (Norwegian Polar Institute)

Contact information

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Orcid: 0000-0003-1489-9363
GitHub: MarwanNaciri

Doctorant EPHE - PSL / Beauval Nature

Étage 1 - Aile C - Bureau 114

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Google Scholar – ResearchGate – ORCID

Supervisor : Stéphanie Manel (CEFE, EPHE - PSL)

Thesis project: Genetic diversity and conservation of threatened marine species: exploring innovative solutions

 The main objectives of this thesis are: (1) to develop genomic tools adapted to the monitoring of threatened populations and (2) to improve existing genetic diversity indicators in order to provide relevant and accessible information to conservation stakeholders. This second point will seek to valorise the intra-specific genetic component, which is still neglected when assessing the status of IUCN species and guiding conservation decisions. These approaches will be applied specifically to two marine species on the IUCN Red List in the Mediterranean: the angelshark (Squatina squatina) and the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). Genomic analysis of angelshark populations will be based on tissue samples from individuals caught accidentally by fishers, given the difficulty of sampling genetic material from this rare shark. For bottlenose dolphin populations, we will develop an eDNA capture-hybridization method to generate Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) genomic data from eDNA sampled behind dolphin pods by seawater filtration. This latest approach, still at the proof-of-concept stage, will allow us to examine the performance of this non-invasive technique for obtaining intra-specific genetic information. It could replace traditional sampling methods that require tissue collection from living organisms, which runs counter to efforts to conserve imperiled species.

Publications

Faure, N., Manel, S., Macé, B., Arnal, V., Guellati, N., Holon, F., Barroil, A., Pichot, F., Riutort, J-J., Insacco, G., Zava, B., Mouillot, D., Deter, J. (2023). An environmental DNA assay for the detection of Critically Endangered angel sharks (Squatina spp.). Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 33(10), 1088-1097. https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.3954

Mathon, L., Marques, V., Manel, S., Albouy, C., Andrello, M., Boulanger, E.,... Faure, N., … & Mouillot, D. (2023). The distribution of coastal fish eDNA sequences in the Anthropocene. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 32(8), 1336-1352. https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.13698

Campus du CNRS
1919, route de Mende
34293 Montpellier 5

Tél : 04 67 61 32 XX

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J'étudie les mécanismes de la répartition spatiale des grands herbivores, des grands carnivores et des oiseaux marins dans le but d'approfondir nos connaissances sur les interactions prédateur-proies. J’utilise aussi ces modèles pour évaluer l’impact du développement humain et améliorer les mesures de gestion et de conservation de la faune. Je suis notamment impliqué dans le suivi oiseaux marins des programmes ORNIT-EOF et MIGRALION afin d’évaluer l’impact du développement éolien offshore en Méditerranée. Outil de prédilection les bio-loggers.

Chercheur postdoctoral / Postdoctoral researcher

J'étudie les mécanismes de la répartition spatiale des grands herbivores, des grands carnivores et des oiseaux marins dans le but d'approfondir nos connaissances sur les interactions prédateur-proies (jeu spatial prédateur-proie, stratégie d'alimentation, stratégie de recherche des prédateurs, stratégie anti-prédatrice des proies) et d'améliorer les mesures de gestion et de conservation de la faune.

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Directeur de Recherche CNRS (DR1)

  CEFE/CNRS
Campus du CNRS
1919, route de Mende
34293 Montpellier 5

tél : +33 4 67 61 32 77
fax: +33 4 67 41 06 16

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Chargée de Recherche Grands Carnivores –
Office Français de la Biodiversité

I use my modeling and data analysis skills to study the spatiotemporal dynamics of wolf and lynx populations in France to improve their conservation and management. Examples of projects on these species are: reduction of lynx-vehicles collisions, landscape management impacts, modeling of wolf demography, occupancy analysis, population and individual monitoring (e.g., camera traps, genetic analyses), impact of wolf legal killings on the population, prey-predator interactions. I also have strong skills in individual-based modeling.

Contact information

Orcid: 0000-0002-3252-5894
Web page: https://www.sarahbauduin.fr/

CNRS Researcher, Team Leader 'Landscape Dynamics and Biodiversity'

Current Research

I work to reveal how animals perceive and adjust to their environment, and why this matters for populations and ecosystems. My model of choice: large herbivores. Because you can (relatively) easily monitor their behaviour in natura, and they have important ecosystem effects. Some have high societal and economical values, so my research sometimes matter beyond basic science. We (as humans) are making the world's climate different. How this affects organisms in the hottest applied ecological question. I do my share to bring an answer to it

Contact:
CEFE/CNRS
Campus du CNRS
1919, route de Mende
34293 Montpellier 5

tél : +33 (0) 467 61 33 02
fax: +33 (0) 467 61 33 36

simon.chamaille -[at]- cefe.cnrs.fr

Maître de Conférences
CEFE, 2ème étage, Aile B, Bureau 209

Campus du CNRS
1919, route de Mende
34293 Montpellier cedex 5

Tél : +33/0 4 67 61 33 17

sylvia.campagna(at)cefe.cnrs.fr

Keywords : Marine Mammals - Pinnipeds - Chemical Ecology  - Sensory Perception - Olfaction -Electrophysiology

Postdoctoral Researcher

My research interests lie at the interface between population dynamics, quantitative ecology, conservation and life history evolution. I mostly focus on empirical work, on wild animal populations, but I also do some methodological development and a bit of theoretical work.