Adrien Mathou

Adrien Mathou Hydrothermal shrimps sensorial Detection Or Comprehension of how hydrothermal shrimps find their way in their immediate and distant environment

Scientists discovered hydrothermal shrimps years ago (in 1986). Adrien is trying to understand how they find their way in their environment. Do they use their sight, smell, or thanks to chemical compounds (chemo-detection)? They move to get the best from their environment, to search food, and they can even change of hydrothermal sites at larval stages.

To answer those questions, Adrien used many different techniques from various domains, like neurobiology. This enables, for example, the comprehension of how the brain has evolved and to better understand its environment. Adrien also carried out electron microscopy studies on shrimp antennae. This was followed by a study of the expression of certain genes (transcriptomics). The researchers aimed to find which genes linked to thermo-detection and olfaction are expressed in animal's different parts and between species. All that helps to better understand their apprehension of the environment. In the long term, this will help us to better protect them as deep-sea mining threatens deep-sea ecosystems and risks disrupting the way shrimps perceive their environment. Trying to better understand how these species may suffer by these changes is important.

Why this subject ?

Initially, Adrien was not implied in marine biology at all; he was studying insects and reptiles. The subject of the deep sea always fascinated him, but from afar, and he always thought that he would never do that. One day, he came across his thesis supervisor's research program and decided to take the opportunity. This enabled him to do other things than his usual job. He has widened his view of invertebrates, particularly in neurobiology and comparative morphology, areas in which he wants to specialize.

A funny story related to this subject ?

During the BICOSE 3 oceanographic campaign, after his first dive on board the submarine, Adrien’s thesis supervisor gave him a shrimp necklace that he had to wear all evening.