Spotlight: In good company

I was born in Toulouse, France. Within a three-hour drive, you can explore the Atlantic coast, hike in the Pyrenees Mountains, or swim in the Mediterranean Sea. 

I was always drawn to the natural sciences. My bachelor’s studies were in ecology. I loved learning how to identify birds and plants and understanding how ecosystems function. After completing the degree, I moved abroad to Stockholm, Sweden to start a master’s in ecology at Stockholm University. I originally planned to move back to France after the program, but I ended up spending 12 years of my life there.

At the beginning of my master’s degree, I started with very traditional ecology courses—conservation ecology, evolutionary biology, and the like—but a two-month course on social-ecological resilience taught by the newly created Stockholm Resilience Centre piqued my interest during my second year. The course blew me away. It reshaped my understanding of how humans are interconnected with ecosystems rather than separate from them and introduced me to an incredibly stimulating academic environment. 

The course is also where I met coral reef ecologist Magnus Nyström, who first advised my master’s thesis and eventually became my PhD advisor. We studied how small shifts in environmental conditions or human activity can bring about large, sometimes abrupt changes in Hawai’ian coral reefs. I tackled some of these questions with collaborators from the Center for Ocean Solutions focused on ocean tipping points. Little did I know, I would later join the Center.

I've always been primarily driven by the people I work with rather than a particular topic. I wanted to continue collaborating with colleagues at the Stockholm Resilience Centre, so I started a PhD originally focused on coral reef ecology which over the years moved increasingly towards interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary sustainability science.

One pivotal moment came when I helped write background briefs about key ocean sustainability topics like overfishing, plastic pollution, and climate change with professor Henrik Österblom for a meeting with large and influential, or “keystone,” seafood companies. The goal of the meeting was to understand to what extent these companies were interested in working collaboratively with scientists to address sustainability challenges in their supply chains. At the time, Henrik and I, together with colleagues, had just finished a paper identifying these companies as having significant influence on marine ecosystems. I hadn’t originally planned to focus on this work, but the chance to collaborate across disciplines and connect academic research directly with the private sector was too intriguing to pass up. 

That meeting kickstarted the Seafood Business for Ocean Stewardship initiative (SeaBOS), a unique collaboration among scientists and the global seafood industry working towards sustainable seafood production and a healthy ocean. It’s also sparked an entire body of research on keystone actors and corporate stewardship for the planet, showing me the importance of breaking academic siloes and engaging in discussions beyond our usual comfort zone.

Deciding to move to the Center for Ocean Solutions for my current postdoctoral fellowship felt like a natural place to land. I was already working with colleagues at the Center through SeaBOS and, after many years in Sweden, was curious to experience a different research environment. The fellowship has given me a rare and privileged opportunity to freely explore my research interests—from ocean sand to the role of the private sector in the ocean economy—while contributing to Center projects on addressing illegal fishing.

It has been a joy to meet new colleagues and experience Stanford’s remarkable convening power, reflected in the diversity of seminars and events featuring public figures or world leaders. The opportunity to collaborate within the new school of sustainability and across the broader university has made it an especially exciting time. Stanford has such a large community—different schools, institutes, and centers—united by a strong drive to work together. 

I’ve also gotten the chance to advise students, encouraging them to work with their mentors, not just for them. My advice is always to stay curious and seek out colleagues who are kind. No matter how brilliant you are, academia can feel like a roller coaster. What truly makes the biggest difference is being supported by good people in a safe and caring environment.