David LECCHINI is a researcher at the EPHE and works at the CRIOBE. His research focuses on the perception of information during the settlement of coral reef fish larvae. One of the great enigmas of fish ecology is: how do larvae find the rare habitats on which they can settle? The answer must lie in the “sensory world” of these fish. In order to answer this question, he develops five axes of study, each based on a different but complementary approach (ecology, ethology, physiology, neuroscience and chemistry). In particular, he is developing his work on the island of Bora Bora in French Polynesia.
David has been collaborating with the Rāhui Center since its creation in 2019. In particular, he contributes to the work carried out in Bora Bora for the creation of a locally managed marine area: he supervises all the ecological component (sampling design, data collection, analysis, etc.). In close collaboration with the project director, he maintains relations with local stakeholders, in particular the municipality, and participates in the organization of consultations and the restitution of the results to the population.
Researcher