Ellie Moulinie

Who I am

I am a young Seychellois who is very passionate about animals and the ocean. Growing up in a family of fishermen, my school holidays were always spent by the sea. My brother would sometimes take me snorkelling over the reef and I still remember being in awe of the vastness of the open ocean. Despite this, it was not until I went to university and started diving that I knew I wanted to study marine science.

Where I work

I am currently a Research Officer working at the Save Our Seas Foundation – D’Arros Research Centre and I have held this position for over three years now. At the DRC we undertake multiple long-term monitoring projects as well as assist visiting researchers and train Seychellois interns. I have a background in the tuna fishing sector, and I previously worked as a Field Research Assistant with the Seychelles Island Foundation, where I had the opportunity to start my career in conservation.

What I do

My research aims to reveal the diet composition of two threatened, sympatric shark species at a closed, remote coral reef atoll ecosystem in the Western Indian Ocean. This study contributes to bridging the knowledge gap on the feeding ecology of reef sharks and helps update the current knowledge of marine species that occupy the critical sanctuary of the St Joseph Atoll. I am using a novel, non-invasive method of cloacal swabbing, to collect juvenile shark faecal samples (fDNA) directly from the cloaca of the animal. The amplification of fish taxa using DNA metabarcoding will reveal the precise diet composition of juvenile blacktip reef sharks (Carcharhinus melanopterus) and sicklefin lemon sharks (Negaprion acutidens) using St Joseph atoll as a critical nursery habitat and allow us to understand how these juvenile sharks interact and share resources. Furthermore, fDNA samples collected from larger sub-adults and adults around St Joseph atoll as part of a separate project, will allow us to identify ontogenetic shifts in diet for these two key species. This study will provide an in-depth understanding of predator trophic interactions and assess impacts of climate change on these two threatened shark species at an important, remote coral reef atoll situated in a larger Zone 2 sustainable use area. Additionally, this study will aid in highlighting the importance of enforcement of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) for threatened coastal shark species in Seychelles.