Deborah W. E. Dupont

Déborah W. E. Dupont is an early career Marine Biologist and Molecular Ecologist dedicated to the conservation of biodiversity. Holder of a FRIA-FNRS Doctoral Research Grant since 2025, her main research focuses on revealing the diversity of coral-associated invertebrates of the Great Reef of Toliara (SW Madagascar), an ongoing mystery.

Researchgate LinkedIn ORCID

Function

Currently, Déborah primarily works as a PhD researcher at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB). In this role, she focuses on Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology Research, with a specific emphasis on conventional and innovative research approaches, such as Artificial Reef Monitoring Structures (ARMS) and environmental DNA (eDNA) Metabarcoding.

Aside from her primary research, she is contributing to fine-tuning and publishing the research outcomes from her older/past projects withing the ATECO Research Group at the Institute of Natural Sciences.

Research team: Aquatic & Terrestrial Ecology (ATECO)
Research theme: Science for a sustainable marine management

Current Project(s)

Principal Research: PhD research in Marine diversity of the Great Reef of Toliara's coral-associated Invertebrates (FRIA-FNRS) at ULB.

Fine-tuning research outcomes of older projects:

• TANGO: Estimating Tipping points in habitability of ANtarctic benthic ecosystems under future GlObal climate change scenarios. Déborah is responsible for the DNA Barcoding and the publishing of her research outcomes within TANGO's work package 1 Task 1.1 - Identification of key organisms with integrative taxonomy (classic taxonomy & DNA barcoding).
• ZERO-IMPACT and S4GES (Science for Good Environmental Status) projects: Developing eDNA metabarcoding as a tool for Zero-Impact and internationally coordinated biodiversity monitoring S4GES. Déborah is co-responsible for the eDNA sampling, metabarcoding and the publishing of research outcomes.

Area of Expertise

As Deborah's research field is in Marine Biology and Molecular Ecology, her expertise includes organismal (DNA) and environmental (eDNA) sampling, genetic material extraction and amplification, comprehensive taxonomy and bioinformatic analyses of the diversity and community composition of marine fauna. These methods are essential steps conducted in (e)DNA (meta)barcoding.

Professional Experience

Prior to her current role, Déborah worked on three projects at the Institute of Natural Sciences (currently writing the research outcomes). In 2022, she completed her Master of Science thesis on the genetic diversity and distribution of abyssal amphipods as part of the EU JPI Oceans Mining Impact Project. She has also worked as a Lake Ecologist in Sweden (conducting experimental projects to monitor boreal lake ecology), as a Research Intern in New Zealand (contributing to long-term research on native freshwater fish migration) and in the Netherlands (focusing on glass eel migration).

Publication highlights

Deborah published her 1st first-authorship co-authored research paper in 2024, titled "Evidence for a single population expansion event across 24,000 km: the case of the deep-sea scavenging amphipod Abyssorchomene distinctus," in the journal Hydrobiologia (2024). This publication highlights her ongoing contributions to advancing our understanding of marine biodiversity and evolution in extreme ecosystems.