Julien Magne is the inaugural recipient of the National Geographic’s Pristine Seas, The University of WA and the Forrest Research Foundation’s joint scholarship. Mr Magne recently completed a master’s degree in Aquaculture and Marine and Fisheries Management in Corsica, with his PhD focused on studying remote ecosystems within the Pacific Ocean.
Share with us your journey to receiving the National Geographic’s Pristine Seas, The University of WA and the Forrest Research Foundation’s joint scholarship?
In 2023, as I was finishing up my master’s degree in Coastal ecosystems and Fisheries Management and Aquaculture in Corsica, I was looking for an internship as part of the validation process. The focus of my studies was on assessing pelagic ecosystems and the long-term monitoring of two newly established Marine Protected Areas in Western Australia. This drew me to work at the Marine Futures Lab where I accepted a PhD offer with the National Geographic Pristine Seas project at the University of Western Australia. This joint scholarship has enabled me to research the ecology of pelagic fish (swordfish, sharks, tuna, etc) in mid water within remote regions of the Pacific Ocean.
What is the process of studying remote ecosystems within the Pacific Ocean?
In the last twelve months I have participated in two expeditions. The first centred on the Republic of Palau in Micronesia and the second focused on the Gorringe Ridge in Portugal. As part of my research, I’m looking to develop baselines of remote pelagic ecosystems within the Pacific Ocean. One way to achieve this, is through Baited Remote Underwater Video Systems (BRUVS), which is a custom-built mount featuring underwater cameras and bait, used to record the diversity of pelagic wildlife.
What was the Republic of Palau expedition like?
I felt extremely lucky to be there. The whole expedition took around a month and a half. There was a main vessel consisting of 15 people, and then four smaller boats which allowed different teams to conduct research spanning the collection of environmental DNA to seabed assessments and looked at the different facets of marine life. We aimed to deploy and retrieve 10 to 15 BRUVS per day. This was an intensive process, requiring rigging the cameras to preparing the baits. We would then return two hours later to retrieve the data. Poor weather conditions made this deployment schedule particularly challenging. Yet, it was a fantastic learning and teaching experience.
Tell us about your latest Gorringe expedition.
This trip wasn’t originally apart of my PhD. A coworker who was scheduled to join could no longer participate. My supervisor, Prof Jessica Meeuwig, a marine ecologist and zoologist at the Marine Futures Lab reached out to me to see if I was available to step in. I jumped at the opportunity, but it meant I had to be prepped and ready to leave for Portugal within a few weeks. In partnership with the Oceano Azul Foundation, the expedition focused on the Gorringe Ridge, which is a huge seamount approx. 5000 metres tall. Over 23 days, a diverse range of scientific operations were undertaken, from data gathered by a ROVER to seabird observation. I had the honour of leading the BRUVS deployment and retrieval, which was a fantastic experience and provided valuable insights which I’ll utilise for future trips.
What excites you most about your PhD?
Palau National Marine Sanctuary is one of the largest protected marine areas in the world. Due to its remoteness and protected status, studying the reefs can provide insights into pelagic fish diversity, population and behaviours. Understanding the impact of these unique ecosystems is vital, in the conservation and protection of remote areas within the Pacific region. With my paper, I hope to contribute to our current understanding of these ecosystems.
