Nikolic Natacha

I am a researcher in the AQUA department at INRAE (France), CNRS (University of Toulouse) and President of ARBRE, the Research Agency for Biodiversity in Réunion Island. I hold a PhD in Ecology, Biodiversity and Evolution and have been working since 2009 on the conservation and management of aquatic biodiversity, with a particular focus on freshwater and marine species.

My research combines population genetics, evolutionary biology, fisheries science, and biodiversity assessment to reconstruct the demographic and adaptive histories of aquatic species. I integrate genomic, ancient DNA, environmental DNA, biometric, physiological, and environmental data using biostatistics, bioinformatics, and mathematical modelling.

Over the course of my career, I have led and contributed to national and international projects on salmonids, eels, sturgeons, tuna, elasmobranchs, and marine mammals. My work spans field sampling, laboratory genetics, quantitative analysis, and the development of biodiversity indicators for conservation and resource management.

Since 2013, I have contributed to international fish stock assessment working groups within IOTC and ICCAT, and I served as an independent expert for the European Commission in 2016. I have also coordinated several research projects, including AEROPO, PALEOFISH, POPSIZE, IRRAE, EFIMA, and MAEO. For more details, please visit the Research section.