About me
I’m a PhD student at Université Libre de Bruxelles since January 2024 under the supervision of Bruno Danis and Lucas Terrana. My research aims to understand the ecological factors that influence tropical shallow-water black coral diversity by focusing on the functional link between their habitat and diversity.
In April 2023, I spent 6 weeks in the southwest of Madagascar, in Toliara, to carry out my Master thesis field work. I developed my first taxonomic skills by learning how to identify the species according to morphological features. I carried out experiments to maintain black corals in aquariums and study the effects of sedimentation on them using a self-made device developed in the laboratory. Master thesis title : “Effect of sediment particle loads on antipatharians of the Great Reef of Toliara, Madagascar”
In my view, science gains more prominence when data is communicated and made available to the wider public and policymakers. Consequently, I have consistently cultivated my interest in the communications field, alongside my academic studies. I have participated in several projects, including developing a board game called TwistEarth for an ASBL (Enscope) to promote public understanding of global change and biodiversity in 2019 and helping to produce a documentary on Kayankerni marine protected area in Sri Lanka in 2022. I also had the great opportunity to participate in the COP19 conference in Panama as a member of the NGO Blue Resources Trust and wrote an article about my experience.
Projects
Position
PhD student
Expertise
Antipatharians (black corals)
Respirometry
Tropical ecology (Madagascar)
Publications
2391800
Alexia Dimopoulos
apa
50
date
desc
Dimopoulos, A.
68809
https://biomar.ulb.ac.be/wp-content/plugins/zotpress/
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Dimopoulos, A., Terrana, L., & Dubois, P. (2023). Effet de la charge en particules sédimentaires sur des antipathaires (Hexacorallia : Antipatharia) du Grand Récif de Tuléar, Madagascar [Master Thesis]. Université Libre de Bruxelles.
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