WOMEN IN SEABIRD SCIENCE
Margot Thibault
she/her
Post Doc
UMR ENTROPIE and The Ocean Cleanup
Discipline
Conservation, Toxicology
Regional Focus
South West Indian Ocean: Seychelles, Madagascar, Reunion Island, Eparses Islands, Mauritius, Aldabra
Years Active
3-5 years
Species Focus
Petrels and Shearwaters (Procellariidae)
Tell us about your work with seabirds.
I performed necropsies on tropical seabirds to assess the concentration of plastic debris in their gastrointestinal tracts. Specifically, I worked on Barau's petrel, an endemic seabird species of Réunion Island. This specie is a bioindicator of plastic pollution in the Indian Ocean.
What advice would you offer to individuals aspiring to pursue a career as seabird scientists?
Do not hesitate to get involved in the field: be curious, patient, calm, and attentive. If you work on plastic ingestion in seabirds, I would also encourage you to collaborate with local seabirds rehabilitation associations and support their efforts to care for stranded or injured birds. This field experience can provide a valuable perspective on the animals behind the data and on the practical challenges of wildlife conservation.
Margot is onboard a schooner in the Indian Ocean, she is doing a monitor of floating marine litter and megafauna (seabird, cetaceans, sea turtle). The ocean is in the background.
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@dr__margot