WOMEN IN SEABIRD SCIENCE
Charlène Gémard
she/her
Postdoctoral Researcher
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
Discipline
Behaviour
Regional Focus
Verte Island in Kerguelen
Years Active
3-5 years
Species Focus
Petrels and Shearwaters (Procellariidae)
Tell us about your work with seabirds.
My PhD focused on vocal communication in two burrowing petrel species, the Blue Petrel and the Antarctic Prion. I studied the determinism of male calls and their implications for female mate choice using an experimental approach in the field (e.g. playback stimulation, two-choice test, propagation). Results showed that despite the limited vocal repertoire and the simplicity of the call, temporal and frequency features of male calls encode information about the sexual motivation and aggressiveness, some morphological features, and vocal identity of the caller. This information seems to influence females when choosing their life-time partner.
What advice would you offer to individuals aspiring to pursue a career as seabird scientists?
My experience of studying seabirds is closely linked to fieldwork in remote locations with limited access to hygiene and communication. Although it may seem hard to reconcile being a woman (e.g. having your period during fieldwork) or having a family life, there are solutions. So do not hesitate and go for it, take every opportunity that comes your way.
Charlène Gémard, wearing a black coat and a pink headband, sitting in the grass on an island in the Kerguelen archipelago, drinking tea and resting after a session of ringing blue petrels. The ocean and other islands are in the background.
Email:
Website:
Twitter:
@CharleneGemard
Instagram:
@charlene.gmrd