I will speak about my research on coral reefs and mesophotic coral ecosystems. My previous and ongoing studies imply using quantitative ecology to study coral reef ecological patterns across vertical and spatial scales. For instance, these include diversity gradients with depth or the impacts of marine heatwaves with climate change.
Our team gathers data by using technological rebreather diving and combining ecological assessments with oceanographic measures to build models that allow us to understand the present and predict the future.

Disappearing coral reefs under climate change increased attention to understudied Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems (30-150m). Despite decreasing light, these deep reefs could act as refugia for
shallow reefs because disturbances might reduce effects with depth. Focusing on previous French Polynesian (Central Pacific) data and ongoing Indonesian fieldwork data, my research aims to shed light on these deep mesophotic coral ecosystem functions and ecology with systematic quantitative assessments. My work highlights hotspots of biodiversity and scleractinian cover along the depth gradient, assessing the depths of the most spatially variable and diverse communities and the potential to escape future disturbances with climate change. Overall, understanding the role that mesophotic ecosystems are likely to play in the overall coral reef resilience and recommending their consideration in conservation planning.