Xavier Pochon

Xavier Pochon

Team Leader – Molecular Surveillance and Biomonitoring 

Role at Cawthron

Xavier leads the Molecular Surveillance team within the Biosecurity group at Cawthron and holds a joint position as Associate Professor at the Institute of Marine Science of the University of Auckland.

His research expertise focuses on developing multi-trophic molecular detection tools to analyse environmental DNA (eDNA) and measure biodiversity changes associated with natural and human-induced stressors in aquatic ecosystems. Xavier is involved in multiple research projects using DNA and RNA proxies for monitoring New Zealand’s aquatic health, tracing migratory patterns of eels in the south-west Pacific, detecting non-indigenous marine species, and unveiling the diversity and dynamics of open-ocean biomes.

Technical skills, experience and interests

  • Aquatic ecology & biosecurity
  • Environmental health assessment 
  • Multi-omics tools & biomonitoring 
  • Temperate to tropical biology & ecology 
  • Mentoring early career scientists & students 
  • Public outreach & citizen science 

Professional affiliations

· Associate Professor, Institute of Marine Science, University of Auckland
· Associate Editor for Hydrobiologia and Section Editor for PeerJ

Qualifications

· Post-Doctoral Fellow. Hawai’i Institute of Marine Biology, 2007–2012
· PhD. University of Geneva, 2006
· MSc. University of Geneva, 2002
· BSc. University of Lausanne, 1999

Xavier Pochon