Mohsen Kayal

I focus on understanding the drivers of species trajectories in natural ecosystems. I use a variety of tools, from field observations and experiments to theoretical ecology and mathematical modeling, to address population dynamics, community regulation, human-resource interactions, and socio-ecosystem management. My work has mostly focused on coastal marine ecosystems. Following university studies in Ecology and Marine Biology in France and Canada, I started working on coral reef ecosystems with a M.Sc. project in Singapore (2006). My PhD (2007-2011) investigated coral population dynamics in interaction with diverse reef communities in French Polynesia. My first Post-Doc (2012-2013) evaluated coral performance under various environments in New Caledonia. My second Post-Doc in the USA (2014-2017) investigated drivers of coral community recovery and reef ecosystem resilience in French Polynesia. My third Post-Doc (2017-2019) evaluated the socio-ecological importance of recreational fishing in the north-western Mediterranean. My present work binds species performances, community regulation, and human activities into a common framework dedicated to sustainable socio-ecosystem management. I use modern quantitative tools that I code in R to address complex ecological data. My work is motivated by equity and socio-ecological sustainability. I love field work, traveling, people and their ways and philosophies of life.