Rudy Gozlan

Professor Rudy Gozlan

A passion for designing experiments and studies to investigate the natural world.

Professor Rudy Gozlan, Head of Academic group for Conservation Ecology and Environmental Sciences

Originally from France, where he undertook his Bachelor's, Master's and MPhil study, Rudy completed his PhD at University of Hertfordshire in 1998 and then joined the Natural Environment Research Council's (NERC) Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH). He joined BU in 2007 where his work in understanding the environmental threat posed to aquatic ecosystems is ground-breaking and receiving international attention in the media.

Rudy's early research focused on identifying the ecological constraints on endangered fish species which had abundant resources, yet were rare and declining. "I have now expanded my study-systems to include complex 'community modules' of interacting species, mainly involving invasive fish and emerging pathogens," he explains. These closely-coupled systems are well suited for studying fundamental questions in population, community, functional and evolutionary theory and can be applied to the conservation of typically endangered species: "the restoration of the sunbleak population in Europe being one example," says Rudy.

So why is he so passionate about this area of research? "It crosses many disciplines including population, geography, ecology, evolution, biology and conservation. My early work focused on the biodiversity of oceans and in particular the drivers behind tropical fish recruitment. However, my most recent work is inspired by the challenges of freshwater fish and the conservation of global biodiversity."

Rudy's work has taken him around the world including working in the US at the Dolphin Research Centre in the Florida Keys and with the Bodega Marine laboratory in California. In China, he was able to carry out a particularly impressive piece of research: "I sampled an invasive fish species from the southern border with Vietnam up to inner Mongolia, passing by the Russian & North Korean border, a distance of over 15,5000km." He's faced some pretty scary moments too: "I had a near-miss accident with a shark which took half of my flippers when I was working in the Comoros". But his work has its fair share of memories: "A great moment that I won't forget was swimming alone, 10km off the coast of Mayotte, with only a humpback whale and its baby for company. Also working daily for 2 years on one of the world's largest coral lagoons was an amazing experience."

He's most proud of his academic paper, which featured in international journal Nature. "Working with no budget, on a non-commercial fish species, with perceived little interest, I have managed to produce a piece of science which is world-leading. It changed my career overnight." So what does he do when he gets time to relax? "I enjoy going to the woods to collect mushrooms, coming home, cooking them nicely and savouring them with a specially selected wine."

And what's the best thing about your job? "The research element. Designing experiments and studies to investigate the natural world. When you start to understand patterns and processes that were unknown before, it's the most rewarding moment of an academic's life. The second best thing is to share it with others."

What's the biggest pressing issue the world faces in his area of research right now? "How are we going to accommodate another 3 billion people on this planet in the next 40 years and be able to conserve global biodiversity and allow ecosystems to function and deliver the necessary ecosystem services that we require? This is the most challenging task humanity has to face. It is our responsibility not only as scientists, but also collectively as a society, to provide solutions for our future generations."