Alexa Abangan

Featured on August 29, 2021

This week we’re joined by Alexa Abangan, a Master’s in Marine Sciences graduate from Sorbonne University.

Alexa graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science from the Ateneo de Manila University. For her thesis, she validated and mapped landslide hazard maps across the West Valley Fault System in Marikina.

At Sorbonne University, Alexa took up the Functions of Marine Ecosystems and Global Changes track of her Master’s program. There, she had courses and formation in several marine stations across France for oceanography and marine biology.

For her internships, Alexa discovered the world of submarine canyons in the Mediterranean Sea and analyzed the corals reefs on the western part of the Indian Ocean. She continued her coral research after her Master’s with the Oceanography and Climate Laboratory in Paris as an engineer in Microbiology and AI development.

Now, she is about to start her PhD journey with the French Research Institute for the Exploitation of the Sea (IFREMER) where she will explore fish behavior and develop machine learning technologies.

Two of the project’s long-term objectives are:

1. to reduce by-catch of juvenile and unwanted species and advance sustainable fishing.
2. develop automated algorithms to identify and observe fishes in their natural conditions

Some fun facts about Alexa:

1. Aside from geeking out on anything ocean-related, she also loves acrylic painting and Will post some within the next few days
2. She would love to experience going on an expedition to go to Antarctica! After all, you don’t find a lot of researchers of polar ecosystems from the tropics.
3. It’s her birthday this week! (Let’s say she’s 20 something)