As a marine ecologist, I am interested in the competitive interactions between marine organisms on tropical reefs from an ecological and evolutionary perspective. Macroalgae represent a major competitor for space against corals and consequently they are strongly found in interactions. However, the mechanisms behind these interactions are still poorly understood and only recent studies have shown the role of secondary metabolites. My doctoral research work focuses on 

(1) documenting the diversity and typologies of macroalgal-coral interactions in New Caledonia; 

(2) exploring the role of chemical mediation behind these interactions; and 

(3) investigating how the competitive interactions between macroalgae and corals could represent a significant selective pressure contributing to algal speciation and thus corroborating the importance of ecological speciation in marine algae.