My current research
Within the CEEC and in collaboration with its members, my research follows a central question: how animals detect, interpret, and predict the behaviours of others and how these capacities emerge through development and evolution?
Oceanic
A major goal of my research is to determine the motion- and structure-based cues used by naive and experienced cuttlefish to detect living organisms (prey, predators and conspecifics) in their environments. To achieve this goal, I design controlled laboratory experiments manipulating virtual stimuli displayed on screens to cuttlefish and designing computation tools to analyze cuttlefish behaviours. In addition, I investigate the neural correlates and mechanisms involved using immunohistochemistry techniques. Additionally, in collaboration with Dr Thomas Lacoue-Labarthe, I investigate whether future ocean conditions (global warming and ocean acidification) will affect those mechanisms and therefore impact the survival of cuttlefish.
Another goal of my research is to better understand how cuttlefish interpret the actions of others and test whether they communicate intentionally. As a result, my research focuses on the study of visual signalling in adult cuttlefish. A fascinating aspect of cuttlefish is that they can change their appearance in just a few milliseconds and use such ability to signal and deceive others. At the lab, we develop experimental designs to study visual signalling in cuttlefish. To such aim, we associate robotics and computer vision algorithms. We’re now very close to finishing developing our biomimetic cuttlefish.
This research is being supported by the French government, managed by the Agence Nationale de la Recherche under the France 2030 programme, under the reference ANR-23-EXES-0001, and by the Normandy region.
SEPIA speak
SOFF-Atlas
Alongside my two main projects and in collaboration with Salomé Brousseau, Dr Christelle Jozet-Alves, Dr Cécile Bellanger, we’re developing a 3D-brain atlas of the cuttlefish brain using light-sheet microscopy. Once available, the atlas will be released online and available to the community. Stay tuned!
This research is being supported by the Foundation 1432 of the University of Caen Normandy.
Alongside my main research, I am involved in other projects such as the study of REM-like states in cuttlefish (with Dr Elisa Frasnelli), camouflage (with Willa Lane and Prof Nicky Clayton), visual lateralization (Prof Giorgio Vallortigara) and image statistics (Dr Mirko Zanon).
and more…
