Lea Katz

Lea flying the BlueROV during the TANGO1 expedition (Blaiklock Island, Antarctica 2023). Photo: Henri Robert, EMC2

About me

I am a PhD student at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) since March 2021 (supervisor : Bruno Danis).

My research will focus on mapping benthic habitats in the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP). More precisely, my project aims to :
– refine novel methodologies based on fine-scale ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) surveys
– achieve a fine-scale quantitative census of benthic biodiversity in the WAP using ROV imagery and 3D modelling techniques.
– delineate the drivers of ecosystem responses to environmental changes in the WAP.
– contribute new knowledge and recommendations to conservation efforts in Antarctica.

Projects

Position

PhD student (FRIA Grant)

Expertise

In 2019, I graduated with a Master’s degree in Biology of Organisms and Ecology at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB). During my Master’s thesis, I studied macroalgae distributions in the Bay of Calvi (Corsica) using ROV imagery. This project only confirmed my love for the marine environment and made me develop a taste for field work and marine robotics.  

In 2020, in order to expand my knowledge of the marine sciences, I followed all of the courses of the Oceanography Master’s degree at the Université de Liège. This helped me acquire some relevant skills with satellite imagery, marine mammals, marine ecosystem modelling, etc.

Publications

Danis, B., Amenabar, M., Bombosch, A., Brusselman, A., Buydens, M., Delille, B., Dogniez, M., Katz, L., Moreau, C., Pasotti, F., Robert, H., & Wallis, B. (2023). Report of the TANGO 1 expedition to the West Antarctic Peninsula (p. 106). Université Libre de Bruxelles. https://belgica120.be/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/TANGO_1-Cruise-report_light.pdf
Katz, L., Sirjacobs, D., Gobert, S., Lejeune, P., & Danis, B. (2021). Distribution of macroalgae in the area of Calvi (Corsica). Biodiversity Data Journal, 9, 12. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.9.e68249
Katz, L., Sirjacobs, D., & Danis, B. (2021). Distribution of Macroalgae in the area of Calvi (Corsica, Mediterranean Sea). https://www.gbif.org/dataset/e82beebb-d3ce-4236-a46f-aec303d1cc86#description
Katz, L., Danis, B., & Sirjacobs, D. (2019). Évaluation de l’imagerie ROV pour l’étude des communautés de macroalgues en baie de Calvi (Corse) [Master Thesis]. Université Libre de Bruxelles.

More…

You can find more information on my profiles on LinkedIn or Researchgate