Xavier Pochon

Of Swiss origin, it is against all odds that Xavier became a marine biologist with an academic background in coral reefs symbioses, molecular systematics & ecology. His passion for the Ocean and contagious enthusiasm for marine discoveries have naturally led Xavier to conduct more than 15 years of successful research throughout the Caribbean and Indo-Pacific regions. Established in New Zealand since 2012, Xavier now co-leads the Environmental Technologies Group at the Cawthron Institute and stands as a senior lecturer at the University of Auckland. His expertise in using high-throughput DNA sequencing technologies will be valuable for analyzing the plankton samples. His primary role with Plankton Planet is to coordinate research activities in the South-West Pacific region, together with Emmanuel Malpot.